Archery for Turkey.

[Boom]

i think of all game animals. the turkey is just about the perfect bow target.  the shot is up close, center-mass usually gets it done.  the adrenaline is a boatload!!

something about ending it with a shotgun just seems so un-poetic to me.  with an arrow, a second bird from the other shooter is a definite possibility.

i cant wait.

i want three birds.  bow, airgun, and the shotgun.  a 3 weapon slam!!

 

[Boom]

oh..Javalina is the SECOND best arrow target.  their relative blindness makes them perfect!!

 

[cohunter14]

I had an absolute blast last spring hunting mountain gobblers with a bow. Pretty good preparation for an elk hunt when it comes to calling, finding a good setup, ranging an area, and finding your shooting lanes. Can't wait to get out there again this year.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I started hunting gobblers with archery tackle 3 yrs ago and haven't looked back. I hesitate calling shotgun hunting turkeys "easy" but like you, found it very unsatisfying or un "poetic".


Turkeys with a bow, especially not sitting in a pop up blind, is extremely challenging. They're incredibly resilient birds and will carry a poorly placed shot a long ways before dying. Even a well placed shot still often requires a search. Turkeys in my area are becoming the new Canada Goose, in that there's an abundance (possibly over abundance) of them and the last years I hunted with a gun my season ended before it felt like it began. Archery has allowed me to extend it a bit and hunt with others....

 

[BrentLaBere]

Backcountry_hunter- I completely agree about hunting turkey without a blind is difficult. I tried death from above (treestand) and it seemed to help movement out a lot. Heck, I was able to pattern where they would cross a fence to their feeding area after their morning struts. Worked out great. Just isnt the way I want to hunt turkeys anymore during the spring. Eliminating the calling, stalking and decoying aspect took the fun out of it for me. I am much more successful at patterning the birds and laying an ambush. But calling turkeys is a lot of fun. And I started playing with the heads up decoy approach last year. Wow is that fun. Didnt connect but I had more fun on those hunts.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

I haven't tried that but I have found an excuse for using a pack/frame now during the spring. Up until 2 years ago I was the king of cheap/light turkey decoys.... after my 1st year archery hunting I committed to a much better decoy and now I'll strap/compress 2 or 3 high quality DSD/Dakota or Avian X and hike those around....


last year was really my 1st year that I noticed how much of a difference high quality decoys can make. I had tagged out and was calling for a buddy... he killed one (bow) and we had about 20 minutes after he shot his of toms/jakes beating the tar out of the deocys and each other. It held those birds there despite seeing one of their buddies die with the luminok still glowing. I don't think I would have had those kinds of results with my hardware store 10$ specials I hunted with back in the 90's....

 

[DTP]

I'm still very new to hunting turkeys and I just LOVE hunting them like I am mad at them....

I agree that it's easier with a shotgun, but definitely not a walk in the park.

I still find adrenaline rushes when I do 200 yard death crawls in on them or call them up to a few yards when I am posted next to a tree in a ghille suit.

I will try to take one or two with a bow this year. I've got 6 turkey tags in 3 states, so I'd like to fill a few of those with a bow....

no promises though.... I really like turkey breast nuggets  :mg: :mg: :haha:

 

[colorado russ]

Tried drawing on a group of jakes from a treestand this year and got busted before half draw!  Not sure which one busted me but they can sure nuf fly a good ways when startled!!  Now, I'm on a mission come fall.

 

[Bowfreak]

They are fun to hunt with a bow. I hunt them similar to whitetail. I set up in areas they frequent and wait. I call sparingly and let my deke do the work. I have shot quite a few gobblers at 5-7 yards with this tactic. Here is one I shot last year. Really like this pic as I pinned him to the decoy.

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