Let's see those TOMS!!! Would also like to read what set-up you used and what, if any, lessons you learned.

I'll start!!! Took the biggest tom of my life yesterday - Comal County Texas.

Set up: Saluki Ibex 45@30 with a 3 blade 250G VPA up front. Arrow passed through.

Lessons learned - If he don't fly... he's probably done. I still don't have full mastery of turkey anatomy. I need to do better than "oh... about right there..."

USE A SRTING TRACKER makes things a lot easier and more fun.

I've seen those and can see how they'd be very effective... turkey are really tough to track.

Congratulations

Nice bird Jar, congrats!

Nice!! Can you tell us how far the shot was and were you in a blind shooting from a window or thru mesh or brushed in by a natural blind? Did he come in to decoys? How much calling did you do? As many details as you can give us would be great and congratulations - that’s really hard to do!

Should be of some interest. I've heard there is a nationwide reduction in them.

Wey spring has negative impact on the young. Also, more racoons and coyote.

I haven't had the chance to kill a turkey yet with my bow but it's fun to get out and enjoy the day.

Regarding the string trackers, I purchased this one last year and practiced with it on and an arrow tied to it a bunch and had no problem with arrow flight.

Allan, Is that considered a Rio? Great job. MT

Would love to hear the details on distance, setup etc as well.

Big Jim and I are hitting them on the weekend of the 15th here in NM. Merriams and Rios. Will let you all know how we do.

I’m useing a Northern Mist whisper this year and cedar arrows with Magnus classic 1’s and my Waldrop seat and my alpha quiver from riverwolf. A leafy coat and pants and maybe a decoy on certain hunts. Might use my hidden hunter blind in a few occasions also but not likely as I will be running and gunning so to speak.

Here is the pack seat and leafy suit

Congrats jarhead.

Congrats Jarhead!

Cut it out, do you shoot setting down..

Congrats.

Yes I shoot sitting down and pee standing up. Lol. Sorry. Couldn’t resist the lame joke. But yes I do.

yea I want to learn what you do as far a decoy setups

Set decoys close to blind facing blind, so the boss tom circles the decoys.Bust there spine & he won't fly away. Remember hit them high watch them die, hit them low watch them go.Good luck to all.

I've used one avian x jake with pretty good results. Other times I use a jake and two hens, the jake over one hen and the other hen about6-10 yds to the side. Both sets work, I keep them close to the blind 10 yds max and face the jake to me. One of the best turkey hunters I know swears by the one jake setup always. He shoots a lot of birds.

Yellowstone Hunter 60” 46# 500 carbon arrows with 200 grain VPA broadheads

I was blessed with a 3 bearded bird on opening day here in Middle Tennessee with my Widow. he was toting a 10 1/4 , 8 1/8 and a 8 inch beard. I switched to the Magnuss Bullhead this year and shoot them in the head. It worked really well, looking forward to trying it again!

Congrats Crowfoot! Great bird!

Congrats that’s a nice picture…

I have shot 2 in the back.. one I hit the spine, the other I barely missed it and had he not dove in to a brushpile to hide ..and die, he could have gone a long way.

I have shot 6 in the hips. not one bird went more than 10 turkey steps and piled up to die.

Shoot them in the hips with the biggest head you can get to fly.. and sharpen and they can't run so they can't fly..

This bird taken a couple of years ago in Georgia..

BigJIm

Had 3 jakes at 8 yards in March.. Florida Osceola. I was in a blind, had a jake decoy and breeding hen decoy out.. could have hammered two of them as they stayed forever.

Had one tom come in to 50 yards and didn't like something?

Big Mike ground blind 67# @ 32" mountain monarch on above bird. 700 grain Dark Timber arrow tipped with 300 grain BigJim broadhead by VPA. Bird went 5 yards.

BigJim

Dang - BIG JIM kicking wisdom!! That's great advise...

Had success this morning in the Northern Virginia country side. Sat in a ground blind and hammered him from 7 yards. A fatal hit but a little far back. He ended up flying 200 some yards across the field and then nosedived like a shot down aircraft just inside the wood line. Even though I saw him auger in I was thankful for the 3 Rivers Archery string tracker. I won’t hunt turkeys without one. He was one of 3 Gobblers who came into my Dave Smith Jake, lay down Hen and Feeder Hen. I also used for the first time a Struttin 360 decoy motion motor. Worked like a charm. I use a Blackriver hybrid longbow, 53#@26” with a 650 grain Victory 550 arrow and a Grizzly single bevel broadhead.

That's awesome. Congrats.

I'm no pro, but I have seen what works. Heading to New Mexico on Thursday.. Going to be tough with high winds forecast for the entire time I'm there. Been there and done that too. I guess cold and wind never nocked the horny out of me.. maybe the birds will feel the same.. :)

Shot this bird about 7 years ago in absolute miserable weather. It was about 40 deg with impending sever storms.. we had to stake down the blind and put the feet of our chairs on the skirt of it to keep it from blowing away.

I watched those crazy birds sway back and forth like a tetherball at the top of the trees. I had no expectations, but only one morning left to hunt so I hunted.

Typical Kansas weather, but the birds did what I hoped they would do. Again, this one was shot in the hips.. went 7 yards! BigJim

The above bow was a 58" thunderchild. 66lbs at 32"s.. also a 700 grain arrow with a 300 grain bigjim broadhead by VPA.

A rio I took a few years back in Oregon while on a wood buying trip. 66#@ 32" thunderchild 700 grain arrow with 300 bigjim by vpa head. You can see this hunt on my YouTube page. Bird went about 10 yards.

Bearded hen.. same bow and arrows as above.. Nebraska.

Bird went 3 yards... also shot in one hip. BigJim

Va Turkey black widow pch goldtip 500 w dirtnap 125

Black widow plx

Black widow plx

Black widow plx

Oh man this thread has me amped up for our opener!!! I’m just excited to run around the mountains with my longbow in hand more than anything.

Oh man this thread has me amped up for our opener!!! I’m just excited to run around the mountains with my longbow in hand more than anything.

I am a big supporter of using a string tracker. I won’t hunt without one. Here are some older pictures and more recent kills.

I might have gotten carried away. I really love spring turkeys!! I will stop posting pictures. Good luck to everyone! Shoot straight!!

Bull heads work great to. Here are some bullhead kills.

This was a complete decapitation, but he didn’t make it very far.

My personal hang up with bullheads is carrying them and they cost me a shot at a coyote. I just can’t pass up them yote opportunities.

Wow great pics. Seems you have some good spots to be that consistent. Way to go!!

Camoed my pac seat today. Needed to be lightened up some as the all black can be mistaken for a turkey around here. Lol.

WOW, Warden609, you are one Turkey killing machine. Don't stop sharing and showing your pics. What ever you are doing, you are certainly doing it right. That kind of success on Turkeys with Traditional equipment deserve a tip of the Ole Camo cap. Congrats

Tony Sanders/aka"SNUFFER"

I've never given much thought to turkey hunting, but it sure looks like it could become addicting awfully fast!

I’m with Big Jim…take out the drummies and they sent gonna get far

I’ve killed most of my 13 birds over the years with 3 blade heads in the hips…it’s a deadly combination

Apparently scent control is key and part of the success factor? What products are people using?

EZ Archer. Scent control does not apply to turkeys. Not saying they can’t smell but they do not care about human scent.

TTT

I got a jake in Oklahoma on opening day using an all osage r/d bow (54#@28" 70"long) I made, out of the old Double Bull Recurve model blind. I was using a broadhead I made that is similar to a Howard Hill broadhead. The shot was short and the turkey went about 20 yards. It was a fun day!!!

Gordon , so glad to see you gettin it done!

Congrats on the great bird Shootalot!

Really neat you used a bow and broad head you made.

I agree with Snuffer. Post all ya got. A turkey killing machine.

warden609 What weight are you shooting? I've had drop to 50# and it doesn't seem to be working, hit one this week right at the base of the neck and he just walked away. With 60# it took heads off.

Got this jake with a homemade longbow. Bow is 62" 58#@26 arrow was a cheap-o carbon, 5gpi weight tube, 125gr stinger. 13ish yards. I was standing in a shelter belt. Wind was howling hard. Birds dont like their feathers ruffled, is a lesson i guess.

Awesome job!! Congrats

1st bird with an osage bow I made this winter. A small Jake. I was after a bearded hen or Jake. Leaving the longbeards for the kids hunting my place.

One of the youngsters hunting my place. Got his first bird yesterday

Good stuff Jay, congrats to you and that young man on some fine looking birds!

That’s awesome!!

Tagged out last Thursday with my new to me 70"s Kodiak Hunter! Had a great time chasing them this year. I have saw more Jakes than I have ever seen in my life here in middle Tennessee. I watched them run Long beards off on my set ups multiple times this year. We should have a bunch of two year old Toms next year. This one didn't make it to be a two year old but he tasted mighty fine!

I refuse to use a blind…and I’m super impressed with any Turkey killed with a Trad bow no blind. I tried for a few years.

This morning

Well opening day started out real slow. I only saw one bird in the morning so at 11am I decided to give it a break. I went back out this afternoon and was able to call this fine tom into my DSD decoys. My Howard Hill longbow with a wood arrow tipped with a 160 VPA 3 blade put him down. He weighed 22 pounds, with a 10-1/2” beard and 1” spurs. What a day!

Nice. Congregations Jim.

Turkeys are by far my biggest challenge of all the things I hunt. The kill zone isn't as big as a softball The season is all but over where I live and the lesson I learned this year is to use oversized broadheads and a string tracker.

.....that's about all I'm going to say about that.

Ours opens May 1. :)

Nice 21 lb. Northern NY Gobbler, taken opening morning, Schafer Silvertip, 500 FMJ, with Wensel Woodsman on them pointy end. Shot thru heart at 13 paces.

Nice bird Scott.

Extraordinary, Scott....and all you guys!

Nice bird and Pic Mr Scott. Love it.

Very good love it

Congratulations Scott.

I had some Tom's starting to come in. But got chased out by the Girl's axillary welcoming party, just before they were in range. I'll keep at it. One has a 8" beard. I'm hoping for him.

Congratulations fella’s! Love seeing these pics

Congrats everyone,some great pics. This one is late April

SD bird.

Bryan he’s pretty. Good job

Almost got a shot opening day of PA! Maybe next time!

First Turkey of 2022, short out of a Blind at around 10 yards over DSD decoys (Jake and 2 hens). Magnus Bullhead they rarely go more than straight down.

Turkey #3 for 2022, same setup as above

Turkey #2 of 2022 season, same setup as above

Opps posted Turkey #3 twice, here is #2

Here was my set up on a oak ridge this morning. Been getting real slow going every day since the first week. First week was very action packed but no shots.

Congrats on the bird Fred!!

(Fred’s pic)

Nice gobbler Fred!

I’ve been trying to kill a turkey since 2017 when I shotgun hunted a private farm in IL. I missed so many opportunities that year. “That’s way too many gobbles to be anything but a hunter calling” prevented me from going after several turkeys, and not knowing what a Jake was prevented me from pulling the trigger when I had one at 7 yards. Ultimately the only thing I brought home was a bunch of morels which admittedly was awesome.

The next year I moved to MN too early to hunt IL but too late to have my new drivers license in time to hunt MN.

I did some scouting in 2019 but had no idea where to find birds and never bought a tag. At the end of that year I sold my compound and bought a Southwest Spyder XL and committed to traditional archery.

In 2020 I got some intel on some public that was a bit further than I’d like, and opening morning, with my son in the blind I called a turkey in to 15 yards… and then put an arrow in the dirt right next to it. I never got that close to a bird that year. In 2021 for reasons I won’t get into I wasn’t able to get back to the spot where I almost killed the previous year, so I scouted hard closer to home and found some birds. I saw some nice toms but wasn’t able to get any to come in.

This year I hunted a little in the early season but decided l would take this week off to have a chance at really understanding what birds are doing and have a better chance to make it happen. I hunted every day but Wednesday, and was able to get a good idea of what was going on. Friday AM was horribly windy (25 with big gusts) but I set up in a spot where I had seen birds move from the roost on Monday and sure enough about 7:15 there were 4 toms gobbling their asses off at about 40 yards. I did a little soft calling and they listened for a bit but ultimately decided to skirt me on the way to where they were going. Fortunate a bearded hen took interest, circled around my blind to where my decoys were, and gave me a shot and the rest is history.

I love seeing turkeys up close. They’re a weird looking bird but their feathers are absolutely beautiful.

I got her plucked, butchered and packaged, clipped all the wing feathers to use for fletching arrows, and have the beard and fan salted to display. Made a batch of broth with the carcass and ate a small piece of breast as well, and the rest is in the freezer while I think about what to do with it.

It was an incredible feeling taking this bird for so many reasons. Obviously the waiting, hard work, and anticipation made a big difference.

This was my very first tag filled with my recurve and my first turkey, and I was so happy this bow got a chance to eat because it is about to be replaced by the St Patrick Lake Longbows Pacific Styk (an ASL with yew cores) I have on order, and otherwise might never have taken an animal.

Making it even more special I killed the turkey with my dad's old 2117s that sat in a box since the 90s, and field dressed the bird with the Buck 119 he bought me when I started hunting.

I can't wait for next spring!

I’ve been trying to kill a turkey since 2017 when I shotgun hunted a private farm in IL. I missed so many opportunities that year. “That’s way too many gobbles to be anything but a hunter calling” prevented me from going after several turkeys, and not knowing what a Jake was prevented me from pulling the trigger when I had one at 7 yards. Ultimately the only thing I brought home was a bunch of morels which admittedly was awesome.

The next year I moved to MN too early to hunt IL but too late to have my new drivers license in time to hunt MN.

I did some scouting in 2019 but had no idea where to find birds and never bought a tag. At the end of that year I sold my compound and bought a Southwest Spyder XL and committed to traditional archery.

In 2020 I got some intel on some public that was a bit further than I’d like, and opening morning, with my son in the blind I called a turkey in to 15 yards… and then put an arrow in the dirt right next to it. I never got that close to a bird that year. In 2021 for reasons I won’t get into I wasn’t able to get back to the spot where I almost killed the previous year, so I scouted hard closer to home and found some birds. I saw some nice toms but wasn’t able to get any to come in.

This year I hunted a little in the early season but decided l would take this week off to have a chance at really understanding what birds are doing and have a better chance to make it happen. I hunted every day but Wednesday, and was able to get a good idea of what was going on. Friday AM was horribly windy (25 with big gusts) but I set up in a spot where I had seen birds move from the roost on Monday and sure enough about 7:15 there were 4 toms gobbling their asses off at about 40 yards. I did a little soft calling and they listened for a bit but ultimately decided to skirt me on the way to where they were going. Fortunate a bearded hen took interest, circled around my blind to where my decoys were, and gave me a shot and the rest is history.

I love seeing turkeys up close. They’re a weird looking bird but their feathers are absolutely beautiful.

I got her plucked, butchered and packaged, clipped all the wing feathers to use for fletching arrows, and have the beard and fan salted to display. Made a batch of broth with the carcass and ate a small piece of breast as well, and the rest is in the freezer while I think about what to do with it.

It was an incredible feeling taking this bird for so many reasons. Obviously the waiting, hard work, and anticipation made a big difference.

This was my very first tag filled with my recurve and my first turkey, and I was so happy this bow got a chance to eat because it is about to be replaced by the St Patrick Lake Longbows Pacific Styk (an ASL with yew cores) I have on order, and otherwise might never have taken an animal.

Making it even more special I killed the turkey with my dad's old 2117s that sat in a box since the 90s, and field dressed the bird with the Buck 119 he bought me when I started hunting.

I can't wait for next spring!

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