Bow Hunting Turkey Tips

[Great White Hunter]

Well, I'll be going to my friends family farm about 1/2 hour North of San Angelo on Thursday evening. We'll be hunting Friday through Monday.

I have killed a number turkeys in the past but never with a bow.
This will be my 1st bowhunt for turkey. The guy's think I'm crazy. They are taking shot guns and rifles (you can use centerfire rifles here for turkeys). I feel like there isn't much of a difference between bowhunting and shotgunning, both are at close range (15 - 40 yards). Does anyone disagree?

I think bow accuracy and concealment are the two biggest factors.

Does anyone have any tips for me on my 1st turkey bowhunt?

I'll be using my Ameristep TSC Brickhouse blind. I was going to use Slick Trick broadheads but am thinking maybe mechanicals would help keep the arrow in the body so I may use my tropy Ridge Bullet mechanicals or Shockwaves. Any thoughts about broadheads (I'm too chicken to try the guillotine this weekend)?

Any ideas about shot placement? I plan to aim where I believe the drumstick meets the body at wing or right square in the back.

Any advice would be great to optimize my odds of success.

If I don't have one by Sunday afternoon I'll be switching over to the Shotgun!

[MJewell]

I'm in the same boat as you when the season gets going here in Ont. I'll be using my bow also. Took it out acouple of time last year with no luck, this year it is going to happen with the bow or not atall as the gun is going to be for the last week only.

Matt

[oneshot]

sounds like a good game plan to me. good luck.

[ACPOSSETIM]

good call on the blind! It's hard to get drawn on a bird w/o being seen much less if there are several birds around The blind helps a ton! I would recommend the mechanical heads, the shockwave would work well if you have them. Or NAP makes a version of the spitfire called the gobbler getter (I think) with a dulled tip so they don't over pentrate. Just remember it's not like shooting them with a shotgun, the broadhead needs time to work! Arrows kill by cutting so just like deer the bird needs time to bleed out, I made that mistake the first time I shot one with a bow I shot one (not the greatest hit) but took off after him immediately, and it wasn't hard for him to outrun me! I ended up following him for a LONG way before I finally found him under a pine tree -- from then on I give them a while!

Whatever you choose GOOD LUCK!

[bullmoose38]

I have been using the spitfire gobbler getters with great success. If you are using decoys put them between 5 and 10 yards. Make sure you keep the blind closed at your back. Other then that your game plan sounds pretty good. Go out there have fun and kill some gobblers!

[Great White Hunter]

Do the Gobbler Getters fly the same as field points? Are they a mechanical as well? My NAP Shockwaves open to 1 3/16" if I remember correctly. What do the GG's open to?