Turkey hunting with a bow can be an extremely rewarding experience. Unlike using a shotgun bowhunting requires getting much closer to your quarry and demands greater skill. However, with the right techniques and equipment, taking a turkey with archery gear can be easier than you think.
Is It Legal to Hunt Turkeys with a Bow?
The first thing to check before planning a bowhunt is your local regulations. Most states allow turkey hunting with a bow, but some restrict equipment types, seasons, and hunting methods Be sure to consult your state’s hunting digest to verify that archery turkey hunting is legal Any required licenses, tags, stamps, and reporting procedures for the season should also be followed.
As long as bowhunting turkey is legal in your area during the desired season you’re good to go. Just be sure to wear the required hunter orange when moving between hunting sites.
Choosing the Right Bowhunting Equipment
You don’t need to buy an expensive specialized bow to hunt turkey. Your regular deer hunting setup can work just fine with some minor adjustments:
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Lower Draw Weight: Reduce your bow’s draw weight to 40-60 lbs if possible. You need to hold draw for longer on turkeys.
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Mechanical or Fixed Blade Broadheads: Mechanicals provide more damage on light-boned birds but can fail. Fixed blades are more reliable.
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Concealing Arrow Fletching: Use covers or tape so turkey’s sharp eyes don’t notice bright fletching.
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Turkey Decoys: Realistic decoys like Dave Smith models help draw birds in close. Avoid cheap fakes.
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Blind or Netting: Pop up blinds or netting help conceal movements for close shots. Brush in when possible.
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Face Mask: Essential for hiding face and allowing full vision while drawing bow.
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Release Aid: Wrist or hand-held releases allow the most steady aim. Use what you are most consistent with.
Practice regularly with your turkey bowhunting setup before the season. Become proficient from various shooting positions and at full draw.
Choosing Shot Placement on Turkeys
Broadhead selection will inform shot placement. Mechanicals provide more room for error on body shots. Fixed blades are best for head shots on standing or strutting birds.
Body: Aim for the vitals in the turkey’s lower chest. Penetrate the large muscle mass there for lethal shots.
Head: Frontal headshots while birds are stationary or strutting can drop them instantly. Risky but effective.
Whichever you choose, only take shots you are confident in making cleanly. Ethical bowhunting requires precision.
Using Turkey Calls Effectively
More so than shotgun hunting, effective calling is key to successful turkey bowhunts. You must sound authentic to convince wary birds to close the distance.
Locator Calls: Starting with owl hoots, crow calls, etc helps locate roosted birds. Get answers!
Yelps: The classic hen yelp greets birds and sparks interest. Vary rhythm and volume as needed.
Clucks & Purrs: Use soft clucks and purrs to reassure and draw in. The magic happens up close with these calls.
Aggressive Calls: Intimidating gobbler yelps, fighting purrs and cutts can provoke territorial toms. Use sparingly and only when needed.
Silence: Sometimes the most effective call is no call at all. Be patient and let decoys and real hens work for you.
Practice calling through the seasons to sound like a believable hen all spring. Become a turkey whisperer.
Using Ground Blinds for Concealment
Even slicked up like a ninja, movements will likely spook an approaching tom at close range. Hunting from a ground blind allows drawing, aiming and shooting without detection.
Pop Up Blinds offer affordable, portable concealment. Brush them in when possible. Practice shooting from sitting and kneeling positions.
DIY Netting Blinds are lighter and faster to set up than pop ups. Use rain shelter poles or sticks to create a blind frame, then add camo netting.
Natural Cover like brush and logs can also conceal movement in a pinch. Prepare impromptu blinds in advance when scouting.
Set up blinds in areas with high turkey traffic near strut zones, dusting bowls and feeding areas. Conceal entry and exit routes.
Becoming a Turkey Movement Expert
To tag out consistently, you need to pattern turkey flocks and learn their travel habits. Bowhunting during the day from ground blinds is the perfect way to observe and gather intel.
Take note of the following:
- Roost locations
- Feeding areas
- Times of day birds are in certain places
- Travel corridors between zones
- Reactions to calls
- Numbers of hens & toms
- Dominant gobblers
Understanding flock patterns allows you to setup a killer ambush. Bowhunting makes patterning easier than scattergun hunting.
Persevering Through the Grind
Finally, be ready to put in the work! Bowhunting spring gobblers requires dedication. You’ll spend long quiet hours in ground blinds, call to flocks that don’t cooperate, and have close encounters fall apart in an instant.
But keep logging time in the turkey woods and you’ll eventually get a golden opportunity at a vocal tom strutting into bow range. That moment will make up for the many fruitless hunts that preceded it.
Stay persistent and don’t get discouraged. The next hunt could be the one where all the pieces come together for an unforgettable bow kill.
So can you hunt turkeys with a bow? Absolutely! With the right strategies and mindset, bowhunting turkeys can be extremely fulfilling. Follow this guide to set yourself up for success. With some luck and skill, you’ll be tagging out in no time.
Where to Shoot a Turkey With a Bow: Quartering To
With quartering-to tom, run your pin up the far leg until itâs even with the base of the beard and shoot. John Hafner Photography
I could have easily be ranked this shot number one, but I know too many curmudgeons that would get their shorts in a bunch if. Hereâs what I know from decades of doing this: If I get a quartering-to shot, Iâm shooting.
With a strutter, put the arrow into the leading edge of the dark triangle described in the Broadside section above. If the bird is not in strut, find the offside leg, and lift your pin straight up until it is even with or slightly above the base of the beard. If you do your part, that gobble is as good as tagged and may drop in his tracks.Â
Where to Shoot a Turkey With a Bow: Broadside
Find the âdark triangleâ (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 heâs 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.
Proper Shot Placement For BOWHUNTING Turkeys!
FAQ
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.
Is bow hunting turkey hard?
Not only is a walking turkey an extremely difficult target with archery gear, but even turkeys that aren’t walking are constantly shifting angles as they strut or attack a jake decoy. Tracking of all of those movements while you’re aiming is almost impossible.
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.
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.