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Turkey with Bow, Who's Done It?
- Thread starter DB4x4
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 3, 2015
- Messages
- 3,825
I’ve killed a bunch with a bow. On the ground With and without a blind Never from an elevated position.
Never got into the whole head shot thing so used fixed blade or expandable In the vitals. If u hit the right spot they won’t go far. If u hit anywhere else better get ready to chase.
Nothing more fun or frustrating than bow hunting turkeys
Never got into the whole head shot thing so used fixed blade or expandable In the vitals. If u hit the right spot they won’t go far. If u hit anywhere else better get ready to chase.
Nothing more fun or frustrating than bow hunting turkeys
Took one from the tree last year. Shooting down at them seems to really shrink the target. I didn't hit much vitals, but broke the leg so it couldn't fly off. Had to finish it off. If I was gonna do it from the tree again, I think I would carry one of those big tomahawk or goobler getter heads and shoot for the head. Or a big Mechanical.
Center Punch
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2018
- Messages
- 353
Two.
One gobbler in the Spring from a ground blind. He was facing me at 18 yds. He ran off and I waited about 15 minutes. When I got to him, he had died in mid-step. The arrow entered from his back and exited just above his beard. He had done a 180 in the time between the bow making the noise and the arrow arriving. Crazy.
Young hen in the Fall from a tree stand walking at 35 yards down the edge of a brushy line in the woods that I had lazed earlier. I floated my pin in front of her as she was walking and split the 30 and 40-yard pins in the middle. Made sure I followed through at the release no different than using a shotgun on a right-to-left flying target. The arrow went in where her left wing attached to the body and exited where her right wing attached to her body. I didn't move after the shot and she dropped to the ground looking around for the danger. five seconds later her head swirls around and drops on her back. I retrieved her after the sun went down.
Met my friend at the parking lot with the hen and he one-upped me by having me help him drag a buck out. LOL! Great trip!
One gobbler in the Spring from a ground blind. He was facing me at 18 yds. He ran off and I waited about 15 minutes. When I got to him, he had died in mid-step. The arrow entered from his back and exited just above his beard. He had done a 180 in the time between the bow making the noise and the arrow arriving. Crazy.
Young hen in the Fall from a tree stand walking at 35 yards down the edge of a brushy line in the woods that I had lazed earlier. I floated my pin in front of her as she was walking and split the 30 and 40-yard pins in the middle. Made sure I followed through at the release no different than using a shotgun on a right-to-left flying target. The arrow went in where her left wing attached to the body and exited where her right wing attached to her body. I didn't move after the shot and she dropped to the ground looking around for the danger. five seconds later her head swirls around and drops on her back. I retrieved her after the sun went down.
Met my friend at the parking lot with the hen and he one-upped me by having me help him drag a buck out. LOL! Great trip!
I shot a pair of hens once during our fall season. I just used my 125 Thunderheads that I used for deer back then. Just about stoned the 1st one who died at the edge of the woods about 15 yards from the blind. I thought I made another good shot on the 2nd one, but it made it into the woods, and it was super thick and nasty where she went. I looked for almost 2 hours but just couldn't find her. Kinda soured me on the idea, and I haven't hunted them again.
Circa 2010 I called up a flock of gobblers in the spring, no blind, no decoy, behind a giant oak tree. Drew and waited for them to cross in front of me. Rage 2 blade through the wings at full strut and he didn't move hardly at all.
Dsabhunt
Well-Known Member
I hunt turkeys every spring with a bow and in my experience if you don't see it go down you won't find it. Not much blood to trail and they run forever
I’ve only killed them with a bow. 21 total I think, my son has been the shooter last few years.
When I started it was mainly spot and stalk or ambushing them without a blind. It was fun but you really have to be on your A-game to set up in a way that still gives you a shot at a calm bird.
I prefer hunting them from a blind when it makes sense. Set decoys 8-15 yards to ensure an accurate shot. Their vitals are smaller than most hunters realize and they never stop moving.
My recommendations:
1) keep shots close
2) use a decoy
3) large mechanicals are preferred
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
When I started it was mainly spot and stalk or ambushing them without a blind. It was fun but you really have to be on your A-game to set up in a way that still gives you a shot at a calm bird.
I prefer hunting them from a blind when it makes sense. Set decoys 8-15 yards to ensure an accurate shot. Their vitals are smaller than most hunters realize and they never stop moving.
My recommendations:
1) keep shots close
2) use a decoy
3) large mechanicals are preferred
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I've killed 8 birds, all with a recurve. It's been a while as I haven't had a place to hunt with a turkey population in a number of years.
I've used Snuffer heads but my favorite is the Simmons Tree Shark. As mentioned previously, they aren't hard to kill if hit right but it is a small kill zone.
I've heard the saying: hit them high, watch them die, hit them low, watch them go. My experience is the opposite of that, low is better. I believe the best shot on a turkey is a gut shot. That takes them out fast. And if you miss forward you'll take their legs out from under them.
I've used Snuffer heads but my favorite is the Simmons Tree Shark. As mentioned previously, they aren't hard to kill if hit right but it is a small kill zone.
I've heard the saying: hit them high, watch them die, hit them low, watch them go. My experience is the opposite of that, low is better. I believe the best shot on a turkey is a gut shot. That takes them out fast. And if you miss forward you'll take their legs out from under them.
If they ever run out of shotgun shells, I'll take a bow. Until then they all get shot in the face with the shotgun the way the good Lord intended.
Tons of fun and frustration lol. I’ve shot them from a ground blind aswell as spot and stalk with an ultimate predator decoy on my bow. I’ve never tried a head shot but I still like to be close, like 10-15 yards. Also these are the only animal I shoot with an expendable…. I swap out my 200gr sb for a big rage and I don’t retune. At 10/15yds my arrow still hits where I’m aiming and blows through birds. Be ready for a quick follow up shot, they are tough.
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2021
- Messages
- 967
Turkeys are my kryptonite be it 3d or actual turkey hunting they do something to me mentally that I can’t get over however that being said I have harvested 1 turkey in my life and it was with a bow it did absolutely nothing for me and therefore that animal does not deserve to have its life taken by me.
IMO I strongly do not like bow hunting turkeys. I dont care if you killed 100 turkeys in a row and never wounded a single one.
Me and about 10 hunters head up turkey camp every year. 4 of them are youngsters hunting with their dads. Alot of them tried crossbow and had horrendous results. As it already has been mentioned, if you dont see them go down in sight, youre in real trouble. They dont bleed worth a squat. We have multiple recorded hunts in blinds watching what seems like perfect hits to never have recovered the birds.
If you want a challenge that bad I'd recommend a .410 with a cylinder choke.
Me and about 10 hunters head up turkey camp every year. 4 of them are youngsters hunting with their dads. Alot of them tried crossbow and had horrendous results. As it already has been mentioned, if you dont see them go down in sight, youre in real trouble. They dont bleed worth a squat. We have multiple recorded hunts in blinds watching what seems like perfect hits to never have recovered the birds.
If you want a challenge that bad I'd recommend a .410 with a cylinder choke.
Ironically I’ve pulled pellets out of breasts from turkeys I’ve shot with an arrow…
Being proficient with any weapon is important.
With that said, I’d never let a youngster shoot one with a bow or crossbow. My kids use a .410 with #9 tungsten.
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Being proficient with any weapon is important.
With that said, I’d never let a youngster shoot one with a bow or crossbow. My kids use a .410 with #9 tungsten.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
MidMichBow
New Member
This year will be my first with a bow, but I'm excited. Will be going for headshots with the Magnus Bullhead broadheads (the super large blades for decapitating). My dad and grandpa have successfully taken birds with mechanicals in the body, but they've also lost a lot of birds hit well so the head shot seems best - you're more likely to either kill the bird or have a clean miss. I'm not opposed to shotgun (all my birds to this point have been with a shotgun), but I got permission to hunt an 8 acre parcel of private near home that is archery only (too suburban for guns).