Dogs Provide the Ultimate Intro to Hunting for New Hunters

Are you a new turkey hunter or hoping to be a hunting mentor? We put together this package to encourage those interested in turkey hunting to try it this year.

We welcome all who are interested in hunting to participate -- from new to experienced hunters. Please share this with someone you think would like to get started.

Hunting wild turkeys can be overwhelming for any beginner, but the right information and gear can go a long way. The hunting location, the local hunting regulations, and the gear involved are the main ingredients you need to get started. Turkey hunting is always more fun with a friend along. The strategy and scouting can become a lot easier and the shared success is truly something that makes the hunt more memorable. Don't regret having to say "you should've been there" or "you had to see it to believe it!" Your participation in this giveaway will also make sure you're in the loop for other giveaway opportunities in the future. From a camo hunting blind to trail cameras for scouting to eye and ear protection, we’ve got a standard list of beginner gear ready for one lucky turkey hunter! Will you embrace the +ONE®️ mentorship mission and either try hunting for the first time or invite someone new on a hunt? It's the best way to give back as a hunter.

More Help For Turkey Hunters

A great resource for turkey hunting is the National Wild Turkey Federation. They've got tips, events and a great community to get active in to learn more. It's extremely rewarding to get your own wild turkey and make great meals for yourself and others from the lean and organic wild game meat. We wish you the best luck in this giveaway and while hunting this year!

  By Vin T. Sparano, as excerpted from Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia: Camping, Fishing, Hunting, Boating, Wilderness Survival, First Aid Turkeys make a tough target. They are difficult to see and even harder to harvest. The head and neck are the only vital areas that ensure a fast, clean hunt, but this will only happen if your shotgun throws a tight, dense shot pattern. The best shotgun choice for turkeys is a 12-gauge magnum, though the 10 gauge is gaining some ground among turkey hunters. The best shot sizes are No. 2, 4, 5, or 6. The best shotgun chokes are Full, Extra Full, and Super Full. Learn more about the Different Shotgun Gauges here.

Pattern Your Shotgun for Turkeys

Patterning your shotgun for turkey hunting is simply a matter of shooting your shotgun with various shot sizes at different ranges to determine the most effective combination. To pattern your shotgun, you will need two loads of each shot size and six targets that show the full-size head and neck of a gobbler. Start by taking one shot at each target at 15, 25, and 40 yards.' With each load and choke combination, count the number of pellets in the vital area of the gobbler’s head. Opinions vary on the number of pellets you will need in a vital area to put a turkey down, but you will need at least six to harvest a turkey. Some experienced hunters, however, claim that a turkey hunter will need up to 30 pellets in a vital area to harvest a gobbler quickly and cleanly. After you have tried all the different loads at 15, 25, and 40 yards, analyze your targets and count the pellets in the vital area. Determine which load gives you the densest pattern in the gobbler’s head and neck. That’s the load to use.

  National Hunting and Fishing Day is this Saturday, September 23, and NSSF, as a major sponsor, encourages all sportsmen and sportswomen to participate.  

Celebrating National Hunting and Fishing Day!

On the fourth Saturday of every September, NHF Day recognizes generations of sportsmen and women for their contributions to the conservation of our nation’s rich sporting heritage and natural resources. One of the main goals of National Hunting and Fishing Day is to recruit new hunters and anglers by encouraging participation and increasing public awareness of the connection between hunting, angling, and conservation. Through self-imposed fees and excise taxes, sportsmen and women have raised more than $57 billion--that’s more than $100,000 every 30 minutes being raised for conservation. Now on its 51st year, NHF Day is the largest, most effective grassroots movement ever undertaken to promote outdoor sports and conservation. Launched by Congress in 1971 and heavily promoted by NSSF for decades, NHF Day is now administered by Wonders of Wildlife Museum and has consistently recognized hunters and anglers for their leadership in wildlife and conservation. Find national, state, regional and local organizations hosting related events.  

Get Started

Hunting, Fishing, and Shooting Sports are not just great American pastimes – they are the very foundation that supports the model of wildlife conservation created more than a century ago in this country. By introducing new audiences to these activities, we ensure that wildlife and wild places will be protected for generations to come. Hunting is a useful and beneficial wildlife management tool that ensures and maintains the health and abundance of game species and the balance of our natural resources. There are a number of species, from upland birds to big game animals to hunt. Learn more about these species from game bird and game animal organizations.  

Take the Pledge

Take the pledge to take someone hunting, fishing, or shooting this year and be entered into the NHF Day Giveaway!  

Share Your Images

Upload an image of you hunting, fishing or target shooting and tag @NHFday on social media using the hashtag #GuideToOutside or Upload an image to be featured here!