I have hunted turkey many times but have never attempted to kill one with my bow. I refuse to hunt from a commercial blind as a personal preference and believe that this will be a great challenge. I was looking for input regarding shot placement and broadhead preference. Thanks

Personal experience very tough to even get shot off when not in a blind. Guys do it, but I just haven't been able to.

Yeah, good luck with that. I think you are setting a very high bar to get over if you don't use a blind. But it's your hunt.

As far as shot placement goes, I always prefer to stick one in the body that will incapacitate them if not kill them. Shooting for the head is pretty small.

I like a broadhead that will make a big hole, and I always use a Zwicky Scorpion to make sure the arrow stays in the turkey. Really aids in finding them. I've had great luck with a string tracker too.

TMBB

warchild, i don't use a blind. I try to find there strutting zone before season and make several setups in advance. I put the decoys about 10 or 15 yards in front of me and try to get a big tree or hay bale between where im sitting and the decoys. I draw when he steps behind the tree. I have killed four turkeys this way. Four with the coumpound and one with the recurve. Ive also missed about 7. Be patient, you'll get one. I use the same broadhead i use for deer. 160 gr ace. I try to shoot them in the hips broadside or straight away when their fan is up. Good luck. Let us know how you make out.

I've only shot the Foam kind, but I'll tell you this....

I always score best shooting at the back of the fan, because it's just a lot easier to figure out where you need to hold.

And you don't need a blind so much if they've screened you with their own tail-feathers.

Problem with a head shot (besides the movement) is that if you can see their head, they can almost invariably see YOU. OTOH, a guillotine head provides some margin for error.

And I'd think that if they're going to react to the shot, the first thing they'd likely do is pull their head back in. So if you wait for the neck to be fully extended and hold at the base of it....

But I think Rick Barbee is a big fan of string trackers....

Bear Razorhead, to the feathers with a 43# 1956 Bear bow

I never made it a practice to hunt turkey, after all, there just birds.

I've taken a number of them, some from the ground, some from my tree stands in the fall, and a couple from ground blinds. The ground blind seems the easiest, and they have always been body hits, never even attempted a head shot.

I'm not good enough shot for the head. I go for the body. I use guille too. I don't like the blinds. You may screw up some and have to pass something but you can do it. I use the same set up as I do for deer etc. it's a rush. Good luck

Great advice all. I just hate to sit in a blind. I don't really care much if I get one as I have never had a turkey season last more than 2 hours. They come to call so easily that with a shotgun it just doesn't seem to be much of a challenge anymore. I would rather get busted drawing my bow 6 or 7 times than shoot one from a blind or with a gun at this point. Advice was what I figured, thanks for it!

After shooting one from a blind I now hunt them, two years now roaming and calling. Last year had a shot about thirty yards and missed. But not by much. I believe you are successful when you call them in. Taking one with a bow w/o blind will be Sweet. I use a ghilli suit.

You don't need a store bought blind, but you do need to be well hidden and don't move. Turkeys are scared of everything since just about everything can kill them. I think the biggest thing is to have your hands and face well camouflaged. Jack Brobst was the best turkey hunter with the bow I ever met, and he rarely use blinds and killed a lot of turkeys with his longbow.

Oh ya I forgot to add, body shot all the way.

Only head shots I'll take is with a gun. Follow the leg up and over to head of wing. From his ass stick it right in his ass. when he's faned.

I had a fall bird this past year I shot him going away from me and 1/4 away at the base of his tail feathers and it was as good a shot as anywhere bird ran and bleed out 40 yards dead bird on the run took out his vitals but sliced the breast on his right side. I never shot a bird there before but now know I can. Bird was close but saw me drawing down on him and he knew he was about to die I guess. When the arrow hit him he was 20 yards din't take but a second for him to go from 8 to 20 yards.

Arrow don't fly the bird aint going to die!

Fake news store bought blind. I was in a natural blind sitting in chair with me Hec's suit on. I couldn't figure out why he didn't perch on a branch in front of me like in the movies Hec's sells BS on. LOL

He was spooky for sure and as I raised my bow to draw the arrow I said to him I salute you who are about to die. I wasn't even drawn on him yet but knew its now or never and he was going to die and that he did.

Another inch over the arrow could have sliced his beard.LOL

Would not be the first time I sliced a birds beard with an arrow. That burns me up but in the heat of the shot anything can go down especially in my bush.

"They come to call so easily that with a shotgun it just doesn't seem to be much of a challenge anymore."

Can I come hunt with you?

Come to a call so easy that's some real live fake news right there.LOL

You obviously must be hunting Jakes then.LOL

Now on any given day a bird can come to a call like you have them on a sting and are pulling them in. Birds everywhere are different.

Go hunt world class birds and see how easy they are especially when other toms are with them and they have hens with them.

Every day is different and every circumstances is different.

The one thing you want is really sharp heads and the other thing you want is to study the birds anatomy and try to visualize in your head the angles of the vitals so when the shot is presented you can hopefully execute the bird!

I love how others talk about killing and don't have squat to show for it. Makes me laugh real hard that's the liberal crap that others are swallowing.

I had 7 jakes literally walk on me last season while the monster tom was behind the hedge in thicket. I was sitting on ground saw birds running into us and down i went as my buddy called behind me. Next thing i knew is down the deer trail here they come singal file and said oh know they will see me and putt. They didn't putt when they looked in my eye I could have spit and hit him in the lead birds eye. Next they are pecking around me and talking to each other and said no way is that big bird coming might as well get up and bust them out away from me and move. Big bird watched them my buddy could see the bird as he strut back and forth on the other side of hedge will these juveniles screwed me.

Big birds aren't dumb for the most part and they will use the juvinials to route out danger as well as their hens.

Everyday in the turkey woods is an adventure that's what keeps us going back.

I second that George about Jack Brost. I tried to duplicate his methods many times and although had a lot of fun just could not close it like he did. I then went to decoys and blinds and then started to kill birds.

He was going to take me out several times then he got sick. He gave me his book and signed it for me.

I learned a lot off Jack about arrowing birds.

In Jack Brobst book he explained a lot about type of broadheads,shotplacement,decoy and blindset up.Turkeys are tough to call,some days they come in to calls but a lot of times their hard to figure out.Rymancat looks like you had some good times hunting them Boss Gobblers.It might be worth your while warchild to check out Jack's book.Jack was also interviewed by Bow hunting magazine editor Dr. David Samuel.Best of luck warchild.

Jack did seem to like using camo netting for a blind and decoy.He also tried to set up so there would be a tree the bird would pass behind allowing him to draw undetected.

If you are planning on hunting at all from a natural blind make sure you that you your check your game laws. Here in PA natural blinds are illegal, as well as fanning.

I’ve hunted spring turkey with a bow for the past 20 years and they can be really difficult to kill with a body shot. The vitals are actually smaller than the head and neck. If just trying to make a hit and hope for the best than a body shot is the way to go. If you want a guaranteed kill or miss than head shots are the way to go. That’s how I hunt them now...either a clean miss or a guaranteed kill.

The last one that we tried a body shot on went 300 yards and we were darn lucky to find him. My son hit him just a tad behind the vitals with a rage head. After that we decided either head hit or clean miss. JMHO

You or your son ever try a line tracker ? They seem to work pretty well.It will get you fairly close or in the right area or Usually does. Just if you use one test it for maximum efficiency for longest distance.I find that hard to believe that a neck is larger than the vitals.

Seems Mr. Rymancat suddenly became the turkey expert on here!! As far as the HES suit, have you personally used one, or are you just assuming?? I'm pretty sure that you're using your own opinion without using them. Seems many folks have remarkable experiences with them. Any way you'd like to explain their experiences??

I don't do the head shot, why? Break bones and a bird isn't going anywhere. Get them birds in close, use a big head, and break the hips or wings and you'll kill em. And yes, I've killed my share of birds, and do have pictures to prove it, in case you ask!!

Yeah, Everything is fake news. I hunt a private farm and have NEVER failed to call any Tom within gun range in 3 years of hunting. I am 3 for 3 and have never hunted more than 2 hours per hunt. The birds walk or run right in, more often than not multiple birds walk in. Like I said, so easy it doesn't feel sporting with a gun anymore. Never have seen a jake in the woods let alone shoot one.

well if you want a challange then hunt somewhere else,,,it does get to almost impossible in some areas,, and you will get to hunt more more than 2 hours,,for sure,,I promise,, I have had some 2 hour hunts my self, and some 2 week unsuccessful hunts too,,but I have hunted lots of different places across the country,,and the level of difficulty will vary,,

the photos with the shotgun are for a different site,,

If you hunt public land where birds are educated,it will be much different.It won't be fake news,and you may even see a jake.

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