Recovering from shoulder surgery, so I’m out of action for a long while ( but so far, so good. Out of sling). . I’m living through other people’s adventures to get me through this stretch.

Since I’m not going turkey hunting this year, what are YOU using for a bow ? ( details please : make, model , amo , draw weight, arrow, broadhead ).

I'm not big into turkey hunting but I'll be going turkey hunting a few times this year and will be taking my 1972 Bear Super Kodiak, 60"amo, 55#@28", cedar arrows ( 550gr. ) I made, and zwickey eskimos.

Sarrels Blueridge, 62”, 52#@29.5”, Goldtip traditional classic 400, 78 gr insert, 125 grain Magnus stinger.

BW PLAX,62" 47# @ 28", GT traditional XT arrows with Grizzly heads.

Border riser with Max 4 limbs.

This one...Tice and Watts Spartan Hunter. 58" and 44# draw.

1916's with Zwickey Eskilites.

The 44# is easy to draw...

As strange as it may sound, if we are talking about minimum poundage, you'd need more poundage for turkeys than deer.

The darned things just absorb energy and you don't get a lot of penetration.

Bowmania

Mike Robin of Kititinny Archery gave is 54" Chaco recurve to me so I could play with it a few months. Hopefully I can put a tom down with this shooter

A Handle with # 1 Limbs

Has worked well in the past !!!

Browning cobra.

Using the bow Peal sent me. Haven't taken a bow out yet, waiting for some leaves to come on.

Bowmania I agree.

I shot this one yesterday with a 60# compound.(shhhhh)

Notice the lack of a pass through. He dropped right there though.

They're tough to get penetration on.

I'll be carrying this one if I ever get a chance to go!

Browning Wasp.

Slick Stick 55lbs. Old School Woodsman head. First time with the stick, long history with the Woodsman. Good Luck to you guys!

Took this will out on this mornings hunt, the trusty Browning Wasp.

I'm using a 56-inch Bear TD, 45#, and Woodsman or Snuffer heads. Obviously a bad choice this year because I missed, TWICE!

Must be something about the bow that causes me to melt down when I have a gobbler, which will never stand still, a few yards in front of me.

Had a string of five straight going. Now I can't seem to hit anything. Still have permits for the next two weeks. I'll get it back.

My BW PSAX 47#@28" with my own wood arrows and VPA 3 blade 160 grain broadhead.

Used a special bow this year. Javaman Helms Deep. 54”44# Ol’ Green that was owned and hunted by David Peterson. It did a nice job on this SE KS long beard!

This one again. Hopefully Sat. Only been out once and I blew out the target bird in the dark on the way in. He wasn't in his usual spot. Saw three more toms but they were too far out in an open lot and they made haste when I spooked two deer past them. Found this very close to the same spot as first roosting tom coming out. 200 yds from the house.

Using a Bob Lee recurve. I got this jake this morning after missing a big longbeard on Tuesday.

I am sitting in my improvised turkey blind watching an empty..at the moment..hay field. My turkey bow is a sweet little 52in..42lb Red wing Hunter..with a Legacy 1916, tipped with a cheap W Mart Insert head...worked fine last year. Sandy

Ps..note the custom arrow holder. S

Hopefully I'll have my Cari-bow Amisk by next weekend, that's the first chance I'll have to get out. 46# with D&M custom Black Eagle Vintage shafts tipped with 200gr VPA 3 blades or 150gr Woodsman's, whichever I can get tuned quickest.

Congrats to the guys that scored already!

51# Checkmate Firebird, 56" long, a great blind bow!

Black Widow PCH 58" 60@30 30.5 inch Easton 2216 XX75gamegetters with a weasel woodsman. Great little blind bow.

oops

Some guys on this forum will have you thinking you need 60# to kill groundhogs. I shot through an adult turkey with a 45# bow, cedar arrow and Bear Razorhead and never did find the arrow. Arrow went through both wings as well, where the resistance is greatest on a turkey. Use a bow you can comfortably handle and is legal in your state, and have your arrows flying perfectly. Most guys, in my opinion, who don't get good penetration on game, are not getting optimum arrow flight. If that arrow is flying perfectly straight on the hit, all the onus will be on the very tip and allow for great penetration. If there is any wobble at all, then energy dissipates quickly.

Homemade 55-60 lb longbows. Arrows are either wood with wire wrapped behind the point or, lately, gold tip 500 arrows with a Zwickey Scorpio behind the point. Turkeys are the only game for which I ever use other than wood arrows -- the idea is, the wire wrap keeps the arrow from passing through, and the carbon arrow is less likely to break, therefore making it harder for him to fly away. I've never gotten to test the system because, so far, they've all been dead within a few feet of being hit.

our season just ended on 5 May...but I used a bow I bought used this past year to add to my collection because I hurt my shoulder and could not pull my heavier ones without discomfort. I sold my Habu and bought two others. THis one is a Blacktail Elite VL...originally purchased by Joe Lasch. Great shooting bow...

Keep em sharp,

ron herman

I killed one turkey in my life with a recurve bow. Now adays, I just use a shopping cart. :) Store bought birds taste better to me too.

Just not as much fun. :)

2016 bear Grizzly...I love my new and vintage grizzlys but chose the newer model bc it's so smooth....45@28 and I'm drawing almost 30. My season has been full of turkeys just none in close. I got two more sits before spring Turkey is over here

Didn't see a bird until four days after season ended, while pig hunting. But this is the bow I toted around the woods while turkey huntin. Bodnik Super Slick Stick and Easton 2117's tipped with Bear Razorheads.

Should've added it's 53# at my draw.

Cleland Stick Bow 55#@27" Magnus 4

ChekMate Raven 52" Recurve 41#@28. A great turkey blind bow.

1956 Kodiak 54 @ 28

20 ga. single shot,Full choke,copper plated 6's. I gave up ever trying to shoot one with a stick bow!

A 12 gauge if I even go out anymore. Turkeys have been so scarce where I hunt you're lucky to even hear a gobble.. Don't know if it's coyotes, disease or what but they've seemed to have disappeared over the last 10 years.

I am going to be using my Blacktail Sitka in 2019. Ken

51# Yellowstone Hunter with Herritage 150s with 200gr Bear Razerheads. Or my 58 cal flintlock tradegun that = to a 24 ga with no 6 and no 5 mixed. Been awhile since I got a turkey. Maybe this year.

Proven killer Northern Mist Baraga 52# or my new Sierra Blanca Corsair 50#.

It worked out well last season, so maybe another go this year. 66" Freeman Longbow 51#@27". The arrow last season was a Cedar Jeff made tipped with a Zwickey I believe. Not sure if it will be a carbon with a Razor head, or a woody with a zwickey this spring. Just hope it plants a tom.

-Bones

BW SAIII 47#@28 (as long as my new limbs get here). FMJ 470 limited edition w/75 grain insert, Steel Force 125 4 blade and Drifter string tracker.

Black Widow -64”, 50#@29”.

Probably a 2016 or Gold Tip with 125gn Outback Broadhead , RMSG Cutthroat 125gn or a Snuffer.

Foxbo you’re the only guy I ever heard say store bought birds taste better. Wild turkeys imo and everyone else’s opinion Ive ever heard are vastly superior. Ive even had people that weren’t turkey fans instantly covert once they tried the wild game. I wonder why you feel that way?

Whatever equiptment we use for deer is fine. Nothing special bout turkey bow imo

Used my DM last time. Before that, I went with the Shadow, but its longer and not as easy to maneuver in brush.

"I killed one turkey in my life with a recurve bow. Now adays, I just use a shopping cart. :) Store bought birds taste better to me too."

Although I have killed gobs of turkeys, I couldn't agree more about the taste. Wild birds don't hold a candle to farm birds when it comes to roasting. I make my entire wild bird into jerky and enjoy it that way. Otherwise they are dry, have much darker white meat and have zero fat to add flavor. At least up here they grow that way.

I also agree with that assessment PEARL. I like the wild turkey meat but it is dry like pheasant breast (they are like a giant pheasant), so I put the dark meat in the crockpot and make stew, and the breast I try to make gravy for but you have to improvise and add some kind of seasonings and butter. It is dry. I can eat farm bird all day, esp. the dark meat. I am not a big white meat fan anyway. Its dry, even on farm birds, if not done correctly. It has to have gravy.

The comparison to pheasant is a good one. If I can get a tom this year, I 'll try my mom;s recipe for browning then braising the pieces of the cut up birds in a dutch oven with carrots , onion, celery, spices and a half stick of butter for several hours. I'm inclined to go after them this April with the 1956 Kodiak, 57#.

Pearl Drums they must have some dif birds there. Wild birds here are way more tasty and less bland. Much more juicy too. I wonder are you guys cooking the wild game like the domestic stuff? It’s not cooked the same. Doing so will dry any game out because of the lack of fat. I tell my girl it was killed once, don’t kill it twice. On second thought move over I’ll cook it lol

Mike, would like to know your secret because I'd rather eat wild... :)

Caribow Featherborn. 64”. 53# cedar arrows with zwickey deltas

I will be using my super kmag. 48, 45lbs. It will be my first year turkey hunting with a bow. It will be fun. Good luck to all who are going to try bow hunting for turkey. Sincerely Buckhunter.

Browning Explorer 56" 40lbs.

Interesting comments on the difference in taste of wild birds vs farm raised birds. Wild ones can be dry but I generally smoke them and drape bacon over the top to keep moist. Some have been the best I ever ate. Have killed some in other parts of the state that have been unfit for human consumption no matter what I did. My opinion is that the diet of the birds has as much to do as anything regarding the taste of wild birds.

That little 54" 53# Chaco from Kititinney Archery came through fine. 2117's tipped with the large 160 gr Snuffer

Like these spurs 2 inch

Great Plans bow

Glenn, those spurs would do a competitor in .

Probably my Bear Montana

I have killed many easterns and rios never one with my long bow or recurve. Now working in new mexico im gonna be chasing merriums for the first tine this year if i am able to find one i will be trying with the recurve this year. Sky skyhawk 50@28 drew to 30"

I'll be using my new to me Black Widow PL 111. It's 43#@27 62"

Black Widow PSA, Goldtip arrow, and Thunderhead 125.

I'll take pheasant over wild turkey any day, even rabbit for quality meat. As for farm-raised turkeys, they are damn good when prepared right and my wife knows how to do that. Usually at about 79 cents a pound or less on sale, farm turkeys get my vote too. I'm like Mr. Parker...."The Old Man" in A Christmas Story. I pick at the turkey when it comes out of the oven. )

I'll also be using my Jack Kempf 58" 55# Trophy Hunter longbow

If I use broad heads,4 blade Herters, I may take my 62" Robertson out. If i do what the area biologist wants me to try again, HTM with a nickel glued on it, I will use my faster 58 pound longbow. I know a couple of guys have put turkeys down hard with the loaded HTMs, the DNR boys that were involved with the testing years back swear by it. I have tested it on chickens and then one farmyard turkey, all of which i purchased from the farmer, with my 64 pound Schulz Legend and it seemed to do exactly what the state biologist said it would do. On the wild birds, I used the four blade Herters anyway. I may try it if I ever loose a turkey with the Herters heads.

I am in East Linn County, Oregon. We have turkey all over, even in town. I like seeing them. Mine have names. I have some coyotes that like to eat one once in awhile. If feral cats weer not tastier and easier prey then the coyotes might eat more turkey. When they poop on my brand new roof or on the steps leading out my back door. I think about ending one. problem is that Oregano has a wanton waste of wildlife law. No way would I pay the money for a tag and then do the work to prep a bird to eat. Turkey is very cheap in the store. my feeling about turkey is about how I feel about scotch broom,people who drop their beer bottles in the river, and the loss of traditional wildlife habitat to greedy realtors.

I am getting really close to finish on a 50" Osage bow, bend in the handle. If this bow holds together and I can shoot it, I will have my turkey bow.

Currently 60lbs @ 22", trying to get it reduced down.

Taking My Pika again. 56" 50@28, CE 150 150gr Woodsman. Running and gunning (calling) wearing leafy suit. Almost got my first that way last year. Choked. Lots of fun. Good luck.

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