Looking ahead to spring time

[BT]

I still haven't tried turkey hunting but I know there are enough that do or want to.

Anyone thinking about it yet?

Being a novice I only know what I read and see from others and to me there doesn't look to be alot to the prep

Am I wrong?

[michihunter]

If you think turkey hunting is tough with a gun, you're in for a surprise!! Deer are easy in comparison!!

[lockmaster]

You got that right Michi!!

Last spring, I went down to a friends house to hunt turkeys on his farm! He was standing there waiting when I arrived with his shotgun!

I got out with my bow and he went into shock!!! He said ...are you nuts? These birds are tough around here with a shotgun! I said why don't you trade it in for a bow!! ;D

I just smiled and went back to hunt. I didn't get one but he didn't either!!!

[BT]

I got two shots on turkeys during deer season over the years.

One was a 40 yard shot and it was perfect placement.
Problem was that the bird jumped the arrow as it closed to within 20 yards and all I got was a few feathers from under the chest

The second one just ducked out at 20yrds.

I couldn't believe it! .... just like a deer except it was ducking an incoming arrow due to the fact that it saw it coming.....at 300+fps!!!

[shaman]

Turkeys have incredible eyesight.

Calling:
You should have a blind or a portable camo umbrella.
Set your decoys at about 17 yards and that will give you some space beyond them.
You want to take your shot as they are approaching/strutting for your decoy. They will come in at a zig zag usually giving you a side shot. But not always. sometimes they just run straight in and if you set up behind the decoys you may only get a frontal.
That is what happened with my spring turkey. I thought they would come in a different way, but they came straight over a little crest and only presented me with a frontal shot. If they make it to the decoy it is likely they will realize it is not real and peel off.

As soon as the tom's respond and seem to be approaching, get your bow up and ready.
You want to draw taking as little movement as possible. It is possible for them to see into a blind if they are not wholly concentrating on the decoy. This is where people drawing their right draw weight have an advantage. In a blind you can move a little more and having to draw skyward because your shooting too heavy can be forgiven to an extent. But sitting behind the umbrella too much motion of the head laterally across their vision will spook them.

Once the toms see your decoy and start approaching, do not call again unless you see them veering away. Calling while they are in visual range will lead them to look towards you and not the decoy. Sometimes this will cause them to hitch up and sometimes not.

Umbrella
You need to set up the umbrella so that you are shooting parallel with it.
You don't want to draw and then try to peek over the top.
You want to be sitting beside it, draw, and then have the turkey walk out into your shooting arch.

Fall Hunting
Fall hunting (non mating season) really is about getting ahead of the flock.
Find or pattern a flock and get ahead of them. I prefer sitting behind a tree with one eye out kneeling perfectly still. As they get into range, I duck my head back slow and draw, waiting for them to come around the view of the tree and getting off my shot.
They get less spooked by the movement of the small portion of your head going back behind the tree because it disappears. Whereas if you try peeking out and back thinking you are hiding, they will see your head coming in and out and will stay away.

[michihunter]

Just put in for my Spring Turkey application. Thanks for the reminder BT!!

[BT]

Thanks Shaman

[Greg Krause]

I am pumped and ready for this spring. I just put in for my 3 CT tags and already have my 2 for NY. I'll probably only take 1 or 2 though.
I have yet to get a shot at one with my bow in the spring.
I passed a boomer of a Tom last spring with the Trykon because he was headed towards Ray who had the scatter gun and had never killed a turkey. He didn't get a shot.
I got one with the gun and worked birds everyday I was out. They all seemed to hang up just out of range.
They have GREAT eyesight. and FAST reflexes. They remind me of a coyote in this aspect. they leave deer in the dust!
My favorite shot is a turkey facing straight away. it gives you an edge over thir eyes and reflexes in the draw and the shot. It also gives you a better target than broadside. the killzone on a turkey is about the size of your fist. Now thats a decent size target at the ranges we are talking, BUT, you have to be able to pick the exact location of the vitals. This can be tough on a broadside turkey, there is a lot of area there, under a lot of feathers. When they are facing straight away, the vitals are the same size yet the overall size of the surrounding area is smaller. Making it easier to pick the right spot. If you hit dead center in the vitals you will also break the spine, a little left or right of the spine and you will catch part of the vitals. If you are off a bit, high or low you still may catch the spine or lower neck. Pretty much there is more "good" stuff to hit located in a smaller area. I have not taken spring gobblers, so I have not shot one strutting before. I am told that you aim for the "vent" when one is facing away and strutting. I think this will be my prefered shot.
I also would recomend shooting a big head. the spitfire dropped the hen I shot this year in her tacks. I also would not turn down my bow. people seem to think turkeys are "soft" but I have had my arrows stop in them with my deer set up. shoot as much as you can without sacrificing accuracy or being able to stay at full draw for a while.

[Greg Krause]

I pulled this from another thread to show my point.



So as anywhere, on this site we have talked about turkey set-ups. I have held firmly with my belief that turks are tough critters. I don't believe that your bows should be turned down in weight. A set up for deer is perfect for birds. The only thing I may change is going to a mech head. After seeing what a spitfire does on deer and turks, they seem like a great choice.
Here are some pics from a good Tom I shot last fall with my bow. The shot was 20yds and he was on a stone wall, level in height with me. I was on the ground. He was facing straight away, getting ready to jump off the wall and down a steep slope. I was shooting my deer set-up. Hoyt Ultra- tech, 70#'s, Axis 340 and a 100grain Wasp Hammer SST. I was getting KE in the high 60's. The shot hit the turkey center as he was facing away. He jumped off the hill and glided on open wings for 200yds. I thought I may have made a bad hit, but upon finding him and cleaning him, this is what I found.










I had centered his heart and lungs. I entered the back of the ribcage and just barely pushed the tip through the front. This is the same set-up that blew through a good bucks ribs at 47yds and still had enough energy to explode the very durable axis arrow on a rock on the other side.

Food for thought.

[shaman]

Yea. I get the impression that the people saying to turn down the poundage are either hunting over feeders and get LOTS of shots and hope that a slower arrow will stick and hold them down for a boot stomping or they are just listening to other people that repeat it.

I was shooting 65# and my rocket hammerhead pretty much bounced off the breastplate and the one I hit in the back with the GobblerGetter flew off with my whole arrow. They are very muscular birds with pretty small vitals.

Frontal Breast Plate shot:



And people have to remember, the vitals are only about the size of a fist like Skip said.
And despite a lot of internet bragging most bowhunters still consider themselves good when they can hit a 6" pie plate at 15-20yds. 6" inches on a deer can still be in the vitals. 6" on a turkey could be a clean miss.