The lull between end of summer and the start of the fall hunting seasons had me wondering what I wanted to do on a slow weekend day.

The idea of participating in a good old-fashioned Turkey Shoot popped into my head and I planned to see what the old Remington shotgun could do when up against some of the other shotgunners at the shoot. The 12-gauge had gotten its share of turkeys over the years and I guess it was time to give it another try at the range.

But before we get too far along in this tale, I thought we better get some history about the American turkey shoot. It’s a country and rural event often sponsored by a sportsmen’s club, a VFW or American Legion or other such organization as a contest and fundraiser.

The history of the turkey shoot goes back to the early 1820s when local marksmen used their rifles to hit the bull’s-eye for a contest to prove who was the best shot in the land. Unfortunately, the target was a live turkey and the bull’s-eye was the head of the bird!

The winner received the turkey and the admiration of his fellow marksmen. Remember, this was a different time and every woodsman counted on wild game to survive and the rifle was not only for food gathering, but for protection.

The history of having marksmanship contests goes way back to James Fenimore Cooper when live turkeys were put in a pen with the winner receiving a bird if he could hit it when it poked its head up.

A famous military hero — Sgt. Alvin York from Tennessee — was in World War I and fighting against Germany. Sgt. York was an accomplished turkey shoot marksman and he proved his skills on the battlefield as he used a turkey call to lure German soldiers from the trenches and shot or captured over 100 enemy soldiers single-handedly. He received the highest military honors and a farm in his home state of Tennessee for his valor and skills!

Moving forward to the modern era, times have changed and the turkey shoot is more of an entertainment than an important contest. Frozen turkeys or hams are the prizes and most often the rifles have been traded over to shotguns for this event.

Generally, 12- or 20-gauge full choke shotguns are the allowed tools in these events and the targets are papers with an X or Cross drawn across them. The point of the shoot is to put a BB closest to the center of the target were the two lines intersect.

The winner is sometimes measured by millimeters and at times can result in a shoot-off between any folks who might have tied for the closest shot.

A lot of hooting and hollering, side bets and bragging rights come into play at some of the shoots. Regardless of who wins, there is a lot of good fun and participants can range from youth to old-timers, and with both men and women taking their chances.

However, there is a degree of skill in knowing where your shotgun patterns are and where to aim at the targets for the densest grouping of shotgun pellets. Ironically, I have seen where one pellet makes the bull’s-eye X and most of the other pellets miss their mark.

The targets are usually on some type of backboard at about 35 yards away. You will get a new target for every round that you sign up for with at least a dozen rounds for most shoots. The entry fee for the shoots is by the round with $2 or $3 per round the norm, but can be higher depending on the prize.

The ammunition is provided by the sponsoring organization and is the same for each participant. Shooters must abide by the safety rules of the Range Master and follow their explicit directions of when to load one shell then fire on command.

Start looking for the signs advertising Turkey Shoots and get your favorite shotgun ready for the regular hunting season. You may get lucky at the shoot and bring home the turkey for a Sunday dinner and bragging rights with all your buddies and family!

Until we meet again, hold steady and aim for the bull’s-eye, partner!

In other news

There are still a few Hunter Safety Classes in the area that have openings, some antlerless deer tags are still available in 2-D and 1-A, and remember that the Archery Season opens up Oct. 5.

Jay Hewitt is an outdoors columnist for the Butler Eagle.