Does anyone know of a good bowhunting site for turkeys (online) i want to hunt them this spring and i am trying to learn all i can now. thanks
well i would like to know everything from where the kill zone is how close is a good clean shot i am buying a black ice bow what access. for it to make it a good turkey bow what broadheads just everything pertaining to turkey hunting thanks
As far as kill zone is here is the best shot placements in various situations marked in red. As far as what equipment to use I don't necessarily have all that many suggestions because I'm kinda new to hunting turkey with a bow also. A lot of people have recommended that I either buy or make a blind, since turkeys have such good eyesight. For broadheads you can use any kind really, but the larger the cutting diameter the better. As with deer or anything that you hunt, shot placement is the key factor. As for ethical shooting distance, that is also up to you and how comfortable you are shooting. I personally wouldn't take a shot at a turkey that was farther than 30 yards probably just because their kill zone is a little trickier than a deers.
Most of the time when hunting turkeys your going to be shooting from less than ideal conditions such as sitting on a stool, kneeling, twisting a weird direction,etc. If I were to setup a bow specifically for turkeys, I would probably shoot less than 60lbs. I would also shoot a VERY short ATA bow specifically for this, so that in blinds you have the ability to move freely without bumping the blind. I would probably only shoot 30 yards and in on turkeys, and usually when I'm setting up decoys I will set them up less than 10 yards from the blind.......they are oblivious to the blind so just let them come right in and take your shot nice and close. For a broadhead I'd go with the biggest cutting diameter mechanical you are comfortable shooting. I used a 2" 2 blade rage. You don't have to worry about penetration, so you might as well do as much damage as possible (unless your looking to get it mounted). If you have anymore questions, ask away!
Well I see your gathering great information already. I knew you'd find some great information right here with no need to go any farther Just keep asking questions and you'll get great answers. I'm a veteran turkey hunter and a veteran bowhunter but a novice bow/turkey hunter myself. I haven't chased them with bow too often here in PA although I've taken a pile of turkeys with my shotgun and even professionally guided many turkeys to their demise. I also took a guided trip to KS where I arrowed two mature gobblers, my first two with a bow, the first a gorgeous RIO and the second a longbearded Eastern. Here is the RIO: Photos from the blind to get everyone thinking spring: Having said that I agree with the above posters. Bowhunting spring gobblers can be very exciting. Just watch this little video clip where I was privileged to sit in a blind in NC with the above poster (GMMAT). This LUCKY gobbler escaped our setup but it was thrilling for me nonetheless. NC LONGBEARD VIDEO My setup for that video was your exact bow, a Diamond Black Ice. To make it a perfect turkey bow I backed down the poundage a bit to make it very easy to pull at different body positions as well as to back off the Kinetic Energy. I find it's better if the arrow stays in the bird to hinder flight as well as running but most instances the D BI has enough KE to pass thru. I also feel that a large cutting diameter broadhead is also a must which makes large mechanicals ideal. I used the Rocky Mountain Snyper but the 2" Rage would be perfect as well. Even the jackknife type mechanicals but of course any broadhead for deer would be suitable for birds. Blind setups: (If your using one) Many claim blinds don't bother turkeys. I've seen differently depending on how long a blind sits. I've seen turkeys practically walk/bump into a blind but I've also seen turkeys spook on blinds and I'd prefer them to be brushed in. The gobbler you watched me miss in the video was spooked by another gobbler who either saw me draw from inside the blind or didn't like the blind or decoy. A blind with all black inside is a must as well as you dressing in black to hide in the shadows of the blind. IMO. Like I mentioned, I've seen them spook. Speaking of decoys. Are they necessary? Not always but for bowhunting I like them. I want to draw the bird in for a bow shot. A decoy helps but isn't fool proof. I've seen gobbler hang up when they spot decoys but most of the time, they'll come. Face a hen away from the blind. A gobbler will usually approach a hen from behind and face a jake or gobbler decoy facing the blind as a gobbler will usually approach another male head on. This hen put on a show: Shot Placement. Excellent references in the post above. Here's some anatomy pics:
That last pic is kinda creepy. I too am planing on hunting the birds this year. I put in for the lottery any way. If I do not happen to draw for the seasons that I want, I will be trying to buy one of the surplus archery tags for the last two weekends. I will probably just use my dad's growler. It seems to be a nice bow. I have found a couple of good web pages, but I don't remember the names of them.
Having only taken one bird with a bow, I can tell you shot placement is KEY. Not like putting the bead at the base of the skull and pulling the trigger. The hen I shot this year was about in the position of the bottom picture that Brandon posted. I hit just slightly up and left of that spot. Put her down but not dead. Needed a follow up shot. Still not proud of it, but I learned.
alright thanks to yall i am ready anfter some more looking and studying to get me a long beard the last one i got i used a 2x4 well my buddy hit it with his car and called me out and sure enought he was moving but not very fast and that was all i could find in the trunk was a 3 foot chunk of wood so yeah oh one more thing do you have much luck hunting them out of a tree stand with a bow ofcourse not a 2x4 lol:d
I know someone that did a turkey vulture the same way. It hit the windshield. When she got out, it was walking around, but couldn't fly, or hold its head up very well. Got it with a golf club.
Got my season! tag for Illinois, JoDaviess county. I've been passing on jakes for three years now. Last year I had 4 Jakes 10yds away. This year I'm bringing both weapons and if they get that close again I'm picking up the bow. BTW I hunt out of a blind.
I am estatic, Wisconsin Turkey permit drawnings are complete and I am set from April 29th - May 3rd. After screwing it up last year (Application) I am going to forgive the shotgun and give it a try with the bow. T
Hey rob, that video was pretty cool. Just one question...were you trying to stop that turkey for a shot using a doe bleat or what? We usually cluck or put...never thought of a bleat sound.
LMBO. We were idiots. :d IBM, yes it was instinctual in a way. Being a full draw and stopping so many deer I have no idea why I bleated and Jeff joined me. Afterward I did say to him, I should have clucked or putted. It just happened and we laughed about it too. Thanks....
Man your getting some killer info already. I dont know what to touch on that has not been already.. good info guys!!! I feel im novice to, I have been very lucky and killed three Easterns my first two years using the bow, after laying down the scatter gun. I have killed many with lead but after using the bow, ill likely never go back to the gun. Its just so much more now!!! All birds were killed from natural ground blinds.
I will be at it with the bow again this year, but much more agressive. I think the number one reason guys aren't as successful with a bow as with a shotgun is because they change hunting styles, atleast I did. I went from run and gun with the shotgun, to sit and wait in the blind. This year, I will be running and gunning no matter what weapon I find in my hand. If I find out later I need to rethink this, so be it....but after experimenting with it this fall, I realized a blind is certainly NOT needed to call in, draw back, and kill turkeys with the bow, at all.
I think your going to find it different in the spring than in the fall. When gobblers come in they are much more on edge however I know it's certainly easier in the midwest than in PA. I've seen birds bust with just a twitch of a shotgun turn and can't imagine raising and drawing a bow. In PA anyway. When I hunted KS birds, I believe I could have as well. There's a saying in the industry, "If you can call in and kill PA gobblers, you can call in and kill gobblers anywhere in the country." Our birds are so on edge!
I would have to agree. The two I called in this past spring were REALLY edgy. I felt the slightest movement was going to bust them. In fact, the one I shot came as close as 5yds away. I thought he was going to pick up my eye movement at that distance. I kept thinking to myself that if I would have had a bow, although I had setup in a great spot just downhill from him with great cover, I think I wouldn't have even had a chance to lift my bow to draw. I feel our deer are on edge much more than many states as well.
