A wild gobbler is a big, tough bird and big guns and loads are best. The 12-gauge 3-inch magnum with modern loads of two ounces of #4, #5 or #6 shot is probably the most popular combination. The "Big Guns" of turkey hunting take 3 1/2-inch shells. The 10-gauge magnum and the 12-gauge 3 1/2-inch magnum both pack 2 1/4 ounces of shot. These provide a lot of wallop on both ends of the gun. There's nothing wrong with being "over-gunned" for big boss gobblers but these big guns are heavy and the recoil is severe. How about lighter loads and smaller gauges? Standard "short" magnum 12-gauge shells with 1 1/2 to 1 5/8 ounces of shot give you about 90% of the range and will deal with about 98% of the gobblers that the big guns do. For smaller and younger shooters, a tight-choked 20-gauge with well-patterned 3-inch magnum loads will cleanly take 30-yard gobblers with head and neck shots.

With today's high-speed, high-performance archery equipment, even the most insignificant problem can reduce accuracy and efficiency. If you practice with field points, which most archers do, be aware that changing to broadheads can amplify any number of arrow inconsistencies. Even a slightly warped shaft that shoots fine with a field point will not fly true behind a broadhead. Hunt only with arrows that are within ..004 of perfectly straight. Spin your arrows to ensure a good match up between broadhead and shaft. On the other end of the arrow, the nock should also be perfectly aligned. Spin again for straight nocks. Weigh your heads. Broadheads do not always weigh exactly what the label says. If changing brands, verify that the new head weight is correct for your arrow spine. There even can be weight variations within the same brand. For the best bow accuracy, individually weigh your broadheads and sort and match them by weight class. Realtree Tips -- Archery -- Jul.-Aug.

Deer can be very picky eaters when given the chance, and bow season still gives them that chance. Succulence is a key issue. Deer want the juiciest, freshest food available. In late summer and early fall, many food sources start to dry out. The deer start shifting to what is still flavorful. Recognizing this subtle shift in food sources is very difficult for most hunters. Study the preferred food sources. Some Pros will take a field guide to local plants into woods when scouting and when hunting. Learning the identities of the plants deer obviously prefer is a great advantage. They will also carry a notebook and record what plants are being browsed in a given area. Determine what is preferred food by keeping a sharp eye peeled for the subtle signs of deer browsing. Look for living but bare twigs at "deer height" on otherwise leafy plants. There is so much browse beyond the obvious that draws and holds deer that you really have to do your homework. Realtree Tips -- Archery -- Jul.-Aug.

The proper use of deer scents can help your hunting success, but scent strategy can backfire. Using the wrong scent, or the right scent the wrong way, can spook a deer or at least put it on alert. Cover scents are meant to cover human odor, but they should also match the natural odors in the area. An unnatural scent is going to smell "wrong" to a deer, which will probably make the deer start looking around. The same goes for the "food-lure" scents. At best, an apple scent isn't going to mean much to a deer that's never smelled an apple. The "sex scents" can be the most effective; however, they can actually hurt your chances, too. Timing is critical. Check with local experts to see exactly when your rut occurs. Remember, when you use sex scents, deer, particularly bucks, will come looking for the source, so you don't want the sex scent on or near you. However, by placing mock scrapes, drags and sex scents out around your stand, you can attract bucks in. The sex scents may also stop the buck for a clean shot.

Try to match the habits of the deer when calling. Grunting can be effective anywhere, anytime. Many Pros always carry a grunt tube with them into the deer woods. Many times the grunt is the only call they will use. When he or she can see a deer, they can see how to "play" the tube. The key is not to over call. Usually soft, subtle grunts do the job. They watch as the deer moves toward me. If he stops, they give him a low grunt, just loud enough to be heard. Many have called deer from 300 to 400 yards away in open country. "Blind calling," where you can't see the deer, is very different. start with low, very sporadic grunts so as not to spook nearby deer. Increase volume and regularity as time passes. Also use the grunt call in conjunction with other calls and techniques, such as horn rattling, when appropriate. However, since deer grunt all year long, grunting never goes out of season.