Can You Hunt Turkey with a Bow?
Hunting wild turkey with archery equipment has become increasingly popular in recent years. While shooting a turkey with a shotgun may seem easier, bowhunting turkey offers unique challenges and rewards. In this article, we’ll explore everything you need to know about hunting turkey with a bow.
Is It Legal to Bowhunt Turkey?
First, it’s important to check your local regulations. Most states allow turkey hunting with bows, typically during the spring turkey season. However, some states prohibit use of mechanical broadheads for turkey. Be sure to check your state’s hunting digest for specific archery equipment regulations before heading afield.
Choosing Proper Archery Equipment
You don’t need to invest in an expensive, specialized bow setup to hunt turkey. Your current compound bow or crossbow will work just fine. Use the same arrows, broadheads, rests, and sights that you would for deer hunting.
If you draw a bow with over 70 lbs of draw weight for deer, consider lowering the draw weight for turkey hunting. You may need to hold at full draw for an extended period waiting for the shot, and fighting fatigue can lead to missed opportunities.
Most hunters prefer expandable mechanical broadheads for turkey hunting. Mechanicals create massive trauma on impact while expending maximum energy into the turkey. Fixed blade broadheads work too but may lead to less blood trails on marginal hits. Match your broadhead width to the cutting diameter of your field points for consistent accuracy.
Wear Camouflage from Head to ToeA turkey’s eyesight is legendary Break up your outline from head to toe when bowhunting Use a facemask and gloves with camo patterns that match your outerwear,
Avoid white faces and hands that can get noticed Cover bright fletching on arrows with a commercially made fletching cover or homemade netting sleeve Keep movements subtle when drawing your bow once birds are within range,
Using Ground Blinds Effectively
Portable pop-up ground blinds offer great concealment for the bowhunter. Place your blind in a high-traffic area near roosting trees or feeding areas. Brush in the blind or use a camo netting wrap to help it blend into the surroundings.
Make sure the ground blind is large enough to draw your bow fully without interference. Windows that open allow you to shoot in any direction. Practice shooting from different positions out of your blind to ensure unobstructed shots.
Hen decoys can help draw curious longbeards within bow range of your blind. Place the decoys 10-15 yards from the blind opening. When birds approach, get ready for possible shot opportunities.
Calling in Wary Gobblers
Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like a fired-up gobbler closing in to your calls. But it takes skill and patience to call in and seal the deal on a heavyweight tom.
Use hen yelps, clucks, and purrs to mimic a receptive hen looking for companionship. Start with subtle calling early and often. Vary the volume, frequency, and tempo of calls to sound like multiple hens having a conversation.
Aggressive cutting, excited yelping, and even gobbling can provoke a testy response when a gobbler hangs up out of range. Pay attention to birds’ reactions to gauge their receptiveness. Be ready to call more aggressively or go silent as the situation dictates.
Having a variety of friction, slate, box, and diaphragm calls gives you options to sound like a flock of lovestruck hens. Mimic sounds of hens feeding, flying down from the roost, or wandering and lost to keep a gobbler’s interest as he moves toward your setup.
Mastering the Art of the Shot
Archers have two effective shot placement options on turkeys – the head/neck or the body. Devastating head and neck shots require pinpoint precision. The turkey’s head and neck present a relatively small target, especially on a moving bird. Misses often result.
Body shots increase hit probability on reactive birds. Aim for the turkey’s chest at the base of the neck. Penetration through the vitals produces massive trauma and quick kills. Wait patiently for strutting toms to turn broadside for the best shot angle through the ribs.
Birds that spot you may raise their head high while alarmed. Aim low into the chest cavity when turkeys stand tall to avoid glancing blows off the back. Spine shots on stationary birds can also anchor them for quick follow-up shots.
Hunting turkeys with archery gear takes preparation and skill. But the challenge makes tagging a wary old tom with your bow incredibly rewarding. Follow these bowhunting turkey tips and learn to master your calls. With persistence and proper shot placement, you’ll be hooking your tag on a longbeard’s leg before you know it.
Where to Shoot a Turkey With a Bow: Broadside
Find the “dark triangle†(shown at right) and aim just an inch or so behind it on a broadside strutter. John Hafner Photography
If the turkey is in strut, which is common if he’s trying to intimidate an imposter, find the dark triangle. This is where the dark line of feathers on the side or neck and chest meets the point formed by the upper and lower wing. Find this triangle, come back on the body an inch, and the bird will die in seconds. Some bowhunters like to aim right at the dark triangle, whereas I aim and inch back, but either is deadly.
If the bird is not strutting, aim in line with the legs a little more than halfway up the body. Look for the dark bar of feathers that separates the upper and lower wing and shoot at the front portion of it.
Where to Shoot a Turkey With a Bow
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Shooting at a turkey with shotgun
couldn’t be more straightforward: Put the bead on that glowing red head and neck and pull the trigger. Where to shoot a turkey with bow
, however, is more complicated. You can shoot at the head and neck or at the heart-and-lung vital area, which is about the size of a softball and requires different aiming points depending on what angle the gobbler is facing.
But don’t worry. I’ve chased turkeys all across the country for 25 years with archery tackle and have dialed in the ideal aiming points for clean kills. Below is a full breakdown of where to shoot a turkey with bow, each spot ranked from my favorite to my least recommended. All will kill, but some are better than others.
Proper Shot Placement For BOWHUNTING Turkeys!
FAQ
Can I shoot a turkey with a bow?
Bowhunting turkeys is a blast, and you can hit the woods before the shotgunners in many states. Follow this shot-placement guide, and you’ll be filling out an archery turkey tag before you know it.
Is a gun or bow better for turkey hunting?
It’s not uncommon to hear turkey hunters say, “Gobblers are meant to be shot in the face with a load of 5s.” The general sentiment there is that if you’re going to turkey hunt, a 12 gauge is a hell of a lot better of a choice than a bow.
What animals can I hunt with a bow?
Some of the most frequent targets of bowhunters include whitetails, mule deer, elk, bear and turkey. But very skilled bowhunters often use a bow to hunt animals as large as moose or as wary as coyotes! Those with sniper-like accuracy may even have success bowhunting for squirrels or rabbits.
What size bow for turkey hunting?
The industry trend of bow lengths under 34 inches, seems ideal for turkey hunting, Bows of those lengths are easier to handle and make avoiding top-limb contact with pop-up roofs easier and bottom-limb collisions with the ground less likely, especially if you’re short in stature.
How do I choose a bow for turkey hunting?
Selecting a bow for hunting in the turkey woods can be a challenging process because there are so many different brands as well as styles on the market today. If you’re bowhunting turkeys, the first aspect to look at is fit. The fit of a bow means riser height, draw weight, and draw length, which plays a huge role in accuracy for turkey hunters.
Can you hunt Turkey with a bow?
Hunting turkey with a bow is an accomplishment in its self and is very challenging. Having the best equipment for the job can improve the odds when the time comes to release the arrow. In regard to archery equipment, knowing which bow fits your exact needs is crucial.
What is the perfect distance for bowhunting a Turkey?
However, exactly what the perfect distance is depends on the turkey, the terrain, and the hunter. Yet another key factor to successfully bowhunting turkeys is to understand their anatomy as well as proper shot placement.