How to Hunt Turkey with a Bow: The Complete Guide for Beginners

Turkey hunting with a bow can be an extremely rewarding experience. Unlike hunting with a shotgun, bowhunting turkeys requires stealth, skill, and patience. While challenging, arrowing a longbeard at close range is a huge adrenaline rush.

In this complete guide, we will cover everything you need to know as a beginner to be successful bowhunting turkeys

Choosing the Right Bow Setup

You don’t need a specialized bow to hunt turkeys. Most modern compound bows designed for deer hunting will work fine. Here are a few tips for choosing the right bow setup:

• Reduce your draw weight if shooting over 60 lbs. You may have to hold at full draw for several minutes waiting for a shot. A lighter draw weight will help prevent fatigue.

• Use a mechanical broadhead for wider cutting diameter and more tissue damage. Popular choices include Rage, NAP Spitfire, and G5 Striker.

• Make sure your bow is properly tuned and sighted in prior to the season. Broadhead accuracy is critical.

• Use arrows with a lighter spine, around .500, for increased kinetic energy on impact.

• Consider adding a bow sight light if hunting from a ground blind. Low light conditions can make sights harder to see.

Using Proper Concealment

Turkeys have incredible vision so remaining hidden and concealed is critical until the moment of truth. Here are some concealment options to consider:

• Ground Blinds: Pop up blinds allow you to draw your bow and take the shot while hidden. Place decoys within 10 yards of blind opening.

• Ghillie Suits: Offer concealment when covering up in brush or tree. Restricts mobility compared to blinds.

• Camouflage: Use head-to-toe camo including gloves, facemask, and hat. Cover fletching with arrow wraps or netting.

• Brush: Quick natural option but limits ability to draw bow without being seen.

Calling Turkeys into Bow Range

To get a tom within archery range, a hunter needs to use turkey calls effectively. Follow these tips when calling:

• Use locator calls first like owl, crow, or peacock to get gobblers to shock gobble and reveal position.

• Start calling softly and increase volume if needed. Loud aggressive calling often backfires.

• Alternate calling sequences with 5-10 minutes of silence. This builds curiosity and avoids overcalling.

• Use a mouth call like a diaphragm or slate call for most realistic sounding yelps, clucks, and purrs.

• Add a gobbler, hen, and jake decoy to create interest and draw the tom in.

• Be patient and do not overcall! Softly yelp 2-3 times every 10-15 minutes to create realism.

Shot Placement Vital for Lethal Hits

With turkeys, shot placement is critical as you do not have the room for error that you do with larger game. Here are some shot placement tips:

• The head and neck offer the smallest targets but allow for the least tracking if hit properly. Use a dedicated turkey head to practice.

• The best broadside body shot is through the center of the chest, impacting the vital organs.

• A broadside shot hitting the wing butts will break them down preventing escape.

• Limit shots to 25 yards or less. Practice out to 40 yards in case they hang up.

• Only take high percentage shots you are confident in making. A miss means a lost opportunity.

Using Decoys Properly

Decoys can make a huge difference in drawing in more curious dominant toms to your set up. Follow these decoy tips:

• Use at least one hen and one jake decoy. The jake provides jealousy while the hen offers a breeding target.

• Make sure your decoys are visible from 50+ yards out to attract attention early.

• Place decoys 10-15 yards from blind opening to draw the tom in close.

• Add slight movement using decoy poles or special motorized decoys. This adds realism.

• Carry collapsible decoys to set up quickly if run and gun hunting.

Scouting and Setting Up Properly

To maximize your odds of tagging a tom, smart scouting and set up is key. Here are some scouting tips:

• Locate active roost trees by listening for gobbles at fly up and fly down times.

• Scout open fields early in the morning to spot strutting toms displaying for hens.

• Look for tracks, scratching’s, and droppings to identify prime turkey areas.

• Use game cameras to pattern turkey movement and find preferred feeding and loafing areas.

Once you find where the birds want to be, set up your blind and decoys accordingly:

• Set up along major travel corridors between roosting and feeding sites.

• Conceal blind in brush on field edges smart turkeys avoid walking across open areas.

• Place blind uphill allowing you to see approaching birds before they see you.

• Have the sun at your back to avoid being silhouetted.

• Give yourself shooting lanes trimming only what is absolutely necessary.

Be Patient and Hunt All Day

Many hunters make the mistake of giving up too early if they don’t hear gobbles first thing in the morning. But smart turkey bowhunters know that the mid-day and evening hunts can produce.

• Be ready to hunt all day. Toms can become more responsive again late morning or mid afternoon.

• Expect calling to be less effective as the day progresses. Shift to more waiting game.

• Monitor weather forecasts closely. Rainy or cloudy days often leads to improved mid-day movement.

• Consider using a turkey fan or Jake decoy to catch the eye of a tom passing by your location.

Follow Proper Recovery Techniques

Even when making a well-placed double lung shot, a turkey can still cover a lot of ground before expiring. Here are some tips to minimize tracking and loss:

• Watch the turkey closely after the shot and note exact direction it traveled.

• Give adequate time before trailing, at least 1-2 hours, to allow it to expire. Go get lunch or take a nap.

• Look for visual clues during trailing like scattered feathers and blood specks.

• Use a high quality lighted arrow nock to help follow blood trail in low light.

• Bring a wing bone call to do occasional calling while trailing. A fatally hit bird may shock gobble.

• Use a dog suited for tracking if available. Their nose can be a real asset.

Be Safe and Respect Private Land

Some final tips every turkey hunter should keep in mind:

• Always be sure of your target and what lies beyond it. Accidents happen quickly.

• If hunting private land, be sure to thank the landowner afterwards. Respect their property.

• Understand the regulations thoroughly and only take legal birds. Avoid fines and license revocation.

• Represent bowhunting in a positive ethical way to improve perceptions of sportsmen.

Have reasonable expectations your first seasons. The more time you spend in the spring woods, the more proficient you will become at the specialized art of bowhunting gobblers. Don’t get discouraged. With sound fundamentals, scouting, and smart set up, you will be rewarded with a longbeard in bow range.