Turkey hunting with a bow can be an extremely rewarding experience. Many bowhunters relish the challenge of getting within close range of these wary birds and making an accurate shot. But is it possible to effectively take a turkey with archery equipment? Absolutely! With the right gear, techniques, and shot placement, bringing home a longbeard with your bow is very achievable.
Bow Selection
The modern compound bow is by far the most popular choice for turkey hunting today Compounds offer several advantages including accuracy, kinetic energy, and the ability to hold draw weight for extended periods while waiting for the perfect shot Most bowhunters use compound bows with draw weights between 50 and 70 pounds for turkeys. This provides enough power to achieve pass-through shots on these large birds.
That said, traditional vertical bows like recurves and longbows can also be used to take turkeys. Many traditional archers enjoy the simplicity and challenge of using stickbows Draw weights of 40 pounds or more are recommended While kinetic energy may be lower, these bows are certainly capable of taking turkeys when proper shot placement is achieved.
No matter what style bow you choose, be sure it’s properly tuned and you have confidence in your effective shooting range. Turkeys offer a small vital target, so accuracy is paramount.
Arrow and Broadhead Selection
Arrows for turkey hunting should be on the lighter side, between 400 and 500 grains total arrow weight. This allows for flatter trajectory and greater precision at close ranges. A lighter arrow also achieves better penetration on these thin-skinned birds.
As for broadheads, many experienced turkey hunters recommend fixed blade heads with at least a 2 inch cutting diameter. Brands like the Magnus Bullhead or G5 Montec are excellent choices. Fixed blades offer greater reliability and larger wound channels. That said, some archers also have success with mechanical heads as long as they are adequately sharp. Practice ahead of time to see which broadheads group well with your setup.
Proper Shot Placement
Knowing exactly where to place your shot is one of the most critical factors in archery turkey hunting success. A turkey’s vital organs are contained in a small area about the size of a softball. Misplacing your shot by even a few inches can mean a lost bird.
Ideally, you want to target the heart/lung area by visualizing a triangular zone from the bottom of the beard up through the middle of the bird’s chest. Shot angles from broadside, quartering away, or quartering toward are preferred. Aiming just behind the wing butt when broadside is a good reference point.
Head-on and neck shots are also ethical if you have a clear opening. The key is picking a specific spot like the base of the beard or just below the head to zero in on rather than just aiming loosely at the turkey’s body. Take your time and make sure of your shot placement before releasing.
Use Decoys
Hunting turkeys over well-placed decoys can make a huge difference in your shot opportunities. Decoys draw in warier birds, pulling their focus away from your location. They also cause toms to strut and display, presenting better shots.
Set your decoys 15 yards or less from your hiding spot. Any further and it becomes too difficult to make accurate shots on a small target. Bowhunters should use full-size hen or jake decoys that appear as realistic as possible. Consider using a decoy with moveable body parts or a fan that you can control with strings from your blind to add extra realism.
Call Accurately
Mastering turkey vocalizations and calling strategies is critical for bringing birds within bow range. Locator calls like owl hoots or crow calls help find roosted birds first thing in the morning. Use hen yelps, clucks, and purrs to draw in a lusty tom once on the ground.
The key is to call just enough to pique their interest, not overcalling and sounding unnatural. Read the bird’s reactions and vocalize back accordingly. An accurate sounding hen will keep a gobbler eagerly approaching while an unskilled caller will make him hang up out of range. Invest time in learning proper turkey calling technique before hitting the field.
Camouflage and Concealment
Given their sharp eyesight, it’s imperative to remain hidden when bowhunting turkeys. Use full camouflage clothing and facemasks to blend into your surroundings. Avoid excess movement at all costs when birds are near.
Ground blinds provide excellent concealment when set up properly in areas where you expect turkeys to appear. Don’t underestimate their effectiveness. Even low-profile blinds can hide you remarkably well as long as you remain still.
Natural ground blinds like fencerows, downed trees, and brushy thickets also work very well. The key is breaking up your outline and silhouette so you do not alert approaching birds. Patience and stillness are just as important as camo when it comes to going unseen.
Take Your Time
When everything comes together and you suddenly have turkeys right in front of you, it’s easy to get buck fever. But you must remain calm and resist the urge to rush your shot. If a bird hangs up and won’t come those last few steps into range, relax and keep calling smoothly to pull him in.
Remember that a standing or strutting gobbler offers a very small target. If possible, wait for the turkey to present a broadside or quartering away angle for the highest margin of error. Once you have your shot lined up perfectly on the vitals, slowly squeeze off the release and make it count.
Aim Small, Miss Small
If you’re planning to archery hunt turkey for the first time, you probably want to know “where to shoot a turkey with a bow.” Wild turkeys have a very small vital area. This requires you to become an extremely proficient archer before pursuing them with a bow.
The old saying “aim small, miss small” has never been more descriptive of shooting wild turkeys with a bow. I always try to pick a feather or even a tiny dot on the turkey’s head as my aiming point. Again, a small miss is a lethal shot. If you simply shoot at a turkey, on the other hand, you’ll miss it altogether or wound it.
Over the years, I have found there are two main areas you can shoot a wild turkey to both kill and recover it. You can shoot them through the body, hitting bones and vital organs. Often, shooting them through their legs and wing bases will also hit the vital areas of the lungs and heart. Hitting them in these structural areas ensures the bird will not run or fly away, thus making recovery difficult. By aiming at this area, a slightly high shot will hit the spine, immobilizing the bird immediately. A slightly low shot will hit the hip joints, immobilizing the bird.
After shooting dozens of turkeys with a bow, my all-time favorite shot is the head shot. There is no room for error with the headshot; it’s either a clean kill or a clean miss.
Shot Placement on Turkeys With a Bow | Shoot the Shiny Spot! | No More Losing Turkeys
FAQ
Can you hunt a turkey with a bow?
What is the best shot of a turkey with a bow?
What is the range of a turkey bow?
How do you shoot a Turkey with an arrow?
1. Broadside Shots When shooting turkeys with an arrow, it is important to aim for the right spot. Broadside shots and rear shots on a non-strutting tom should be aimed at the butt of the wing where it connects to the bird’s body. This shot should break the bird’s wing, hit the spine, or hit the lungs or heart.
Can you shoot a Turkey with a bow?
Make no mistake, shooting turkeys with a bow and recovering them quickly isn’t always how it goes. A turkey’s softball-sized vitals are difficult to hit, and if you miss them, you’ll likely be faced with floating feathers and a perplexing tracking mission.
Can you hunt wild turkeys with a bow and arrow?
Hunting Wild Turkeys with a bow and arrow can be one of the most exciting and most difficult challenges a hunter can face. However, because of the challenge, it can also be one of the most rewarding experiences a hunter can have.
What are the most dangerous shots when bowhunting turkeys?
Head and neck shots – Last but not least, both neck and head shots are positively deadly when bowhunting turkeys. However, they also present very small targets which are almost constantly moving and thus, they are the most difficult shots of all.