Florida Hunter Bags New State-Record Non-Typical Turkey

by
posted on May 17, 2018
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
world-recordnon-typicalturkey_lead.jpg
Courtesy Chris Echele

As an electric lineman, Chris Echele of Darlington, Fla., missed all of Florida’s 2017-18 deer season while working in Puerto Rico repairing damage done by Hurricane Maria. That meant Echele’s next hunting opportunity was the 2018 spring turkey season. It was well worth the wait as Echele’s March 23 hunt resulted in the new Florida state record for the No. 1 non-typical gobbler.

Echele used his Stoeger M2000 shotgun to take a 20-pound, six-bearded gobbler with inch-plus spurs. Overall, Echele’s record bird has a total NWTF score of 152.375. Not only did the turkey take the top spot in the state, but it’s scored as the No. 61 Overall Atypical Eastern Turkey nationwide.

“It’s been wild. I never would have thought that an old country boy could end up with a state-record turkey. I was just out turkey hunting, having a good time,” said Echele.

Latest

Ethos Cordoba With Smoke
Ethos Cordoba With Smoke

#SundayGunday: Benelli Ethos Cordoba

On this week's #we’reSundayGunday, we are checking out the Ethos Cordoba A.I. BE.S.T. shotgun, a hunt-focused model of Benelli’s competition-driven semi-automatic. Learn more about it on this exclusive video.

Trump Wants to Make the Outdoors Safe Again

President Trump is attempting to reduce mosquito and tick-carried diseases, including the alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a tick-carried molecule linked to a potentially serious human allergy to red meat and other mammalian products. (AGS is primarily transmitted from bites from the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum) in the U.S.)

Elk Tactics: It’s Not All About the Bugles

It’s hard not to return the bugle of a bull in the wild. But the author is convinced tactics he uses with calling help seal the deal on public land.

Savage Arms Donates Five 250th Anniversary Rifles to IHEA-USA

Savage Arms has donated five Axis 2 Pro 250th Edition rifles to the International Hunter Education Association–USA (IHEA-USA) in recognition of the 250th anniversary of American independence. Only 60 of the rifles were produced.

5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before My First Elk Hunt

I grew up hunting whitetails in the Midwest, and while I thought I was in “elk shape” on my first western hunt, I quickly learned that chasing elk at high elevation requires an entirely different level of fitness. You’ll likely hike for hours, oftentimes at high elevation, and many of trails you’ll follow are filled with deadfall and uneven rocks. If you’re fortunate enough to fill your tag, the real work starts. 

Ruger Halts Production of Several Models

On Oct. 13 Ruger issued a memo to distributors informing them that after an exhaustive internal review of its product portfolio—that weighed demand, manufacturing expense and complexity—production of four revolvers has been halted. Pending orders were cancelled. 

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.