Turkey Hunting with a bow may seem like a fool’s errand, but indeed many hunters successfully pull off this great feat each year. If you are going to give turkey hunting a try this spring or fall, here are some tips that will help you on your way to success.
Bow hunting is a sport that demands practice, practice, and more practice. You must be able to shoot your bow as if it is second nature to be able to perform in the field.
Turkey hunting with a bow is best done with a wide broadhead. Wide broadheads provide a large and quick wound that will result in a humane kill.
Special broadheads are made for shooting at a turkey’s head and are worth a look. The broadhead opens its small but wide cutters to catch the head and neck as it goes by. I have never used them but the idea is intriguing. Heads shots are all of nothing meaning that the chances of wounding a turkey is quite slim, which is something all hunters should take seriously.
The addition of a stopper behind the broadhead can deliver more shock to the turkey as well as keep the arrow from over penetrating. For more information search for ‘adder points’ on cabelas.com. Other manufacturers make similar products.
A decoy is one of the bow hunters best friends when turkey hunting. A decoy is used to keep the attention off of the bow hunter as he or she is drawing the bow, provides added incentive for the turkey to come close, and can be used as a distance marker to help estimate range.
Bow hunters might want to consider lowering their bows draw weight for turkey. The reasons for this are simple. Turkeys do not have especially tough bones to shoot through. Quietly drawing a bow with a turkey 10 yards away will be easier at 40 pounds than at 70 pounds. A turkey can move quickly from a great shot to a poor one. Even with a large let down percentage it is easier to hold less weight at full draw than more.
A blind is another great tool for the bow hunter. Yes, it means one more thing to lug around in the woods, but new models are light and set up quickly. A bow hunter has a lot of movement to make and a blind can help cover this.
Face paint is probably a necessity for bow hunting for turkeys. While I have used face masks to bow hunt, I prefer a bare face. If you are going to use a mask, you must always practice with it on.
Bow hunters need to quite familiar with the anatomy of a turkey. Knowing exactly where to place the broadhead for a humane kill is of vital importance.
Turkey hunters need to be able to call in odd positions. A turkey hunter using a bow needs to be able to use a diaphragm call or needs to mount a push button call on their bow.
Give bow hunting for turkeys a try this spring or fall to add more challenge to your hunting experience.
