Buck Hollow Sporting Goods - click or touch to visit their website Midwest Habitat Company

first timer..

CntryPride5608

CntryPride5608

New Member
well gonna try gettin a turkey for the first time with a bow, lookin for all the tips I can get, As far as what decoys to use and how many, better to hunt mornins or evenin...etc..etc
 
I learned to turkwy hunt from my dad and another guy his age. They both sleep in most of the time and go out around 9-10 am. They kill their birds every year.
I enjoy listening to the woods wake up to much to miss out on all the morning hunts.
When bowhunting turkeys. Put your decoys close to the blind 5-10 yards close.
I've had more luck with a dave smith jake and a feeding hen than I've ever had using a strutter. When using a strutter and a bird commits to it, its truly exciting but watching two yr old gobblers leave at the sight of it can be frustrating.
Set up where you regularly see birds. Its a lot easier to call a bird to where he already wants to be.
Call sparingly and as excitedly as possible when u do call. Scratch the ground and generally sound like a turkey.

Shoot the biggest expandable head you can find. Turkeys are tough. Hit them high, watch them die. Hit them low, watch them go. When u whack one. Get out of the blind and get ahold of that bird. I've never lost one but I've had a few close calls.
If you grab a flopping bow shot bird be aware that the arrow may still be in the bird. Keep the broadhead in the bird, not in your leg.
Goodluck and have fun, it is a blast with a bow and that much more rewarding when it all comes together.
 
Patients!!! If you know turkeys are in the area and have seen them where you are set up wait them out.

Decoys I like a jake and hen. Strutter in fields and open areas. Set the jake for your shot they usually come to it before the strutter decoy. Movement in your decoys is a big help if possible.

Mobil Cooter using IW
 
When bowhunting them, find a good spot where the birds like to frequent (this is key!)and sit there all day. Make sure you have a good ground blind with no glare and preferrably black on the inside. Wear black. Pack in a lunch, pop, coffee, some magazines, a book, more food, more magazines...you get the picture. Use realistic looking decoys. You want that gobbler thinking they're the real thing so he doesn't leave your setup. Dave Smith Decoys are hard to beat for bowhunting turks. Call sparingly. If you get bored, read a magazine or a book.

Probably the most important part of bowhunting turks is practicing shooting your bow. Their kill zone is tiny, and your nerves will be shot when they're 5-10 yards from your blind. You'll need to have your bow dialed in and your form good to seal the deal at crunch time.
 
I have a few hen decoys nothin to fancy though, I was thinkin of the funky chicken decoy for a less aggressive decoy as well, my blind is an ameristep, where I plan on hunting is a timber I deer hunt and there are a lot of Turkey, my broadheads are rocket hammerhead 2 inch expandable which seem to be really accurate out of my bow, this sound like a decent set up? Got a trip planned to sportsmans and bass pro to get anything else that might be needed..
 
Rocket Hammerheads are awesome on turkeys.

Patience has killed more turkeys than lead. Set the decoys close, 8 yards, and hope for the best. Quality decoys seem to make a difference when bowhunting them. I personally use 3 Dave Smith decoys and a full strut mounted gobbler.

Keep asking questions.

Shot placement is KEY. If they're broadside, shoot right thru where the wing butts attach to the bird. If facing away, right between the wing butts. Facing dead on, right thru the beard.

I just posted a new link for shot placement, watch it.
 
Another thing, ive been shooting my bow at 70, I've always shot 70# draw, would I want to back off to 60 so I have less of a chance of pass through, or would it be better left at 70# and just let em have it?
 
I shoot 70. If you're able to sit down and pull it normally in the blind stick with it there. If not, turn it down, won't hurt a thing on turkeys.
 
Which would be better, to brush in my blind, in the timber where I know turkeys pass through or just carry my pop up blind in and try to locate a Tom and set up quick and start calling?
 
CntryPride5608 said:
Which would be better, to brush in my blind, in the timber where I know turkeys pass through or just carry my pop up blind in and try to locate a Tom and set up quick and start calling?
Click to expand...

No reason at all to brush your blind for turkeys. They pay no attention to them at all.
 
I always face my strutted deke or my jake deke caving me. Seems like the toms like to confront them head on which gives you time to draw your bow.

sent from super hunters I phone
 
Tons of great advice added so far.

Only thing that might not have been mentioned is to not shoot your blind! Remember that your sight plane is different than the arrow trajectory. Aim through the top portion of the window. ;)
 
Like Limb Chicken said they pay no attention whatsoever to a blind so you can put it absolutely anywhere. Right out in the midde of a pasture or field works just fine.
 
CntryPride5608 said:
Which would be better, to brush in my blind, in the timber where I know turkeys pass through or just carry my pop up blind in and try to locate a Tom and set up quick and start calling?
Click to expand...

Carry in your popup blind to where you know the birds like to go, and set up. That's it. Do it while its still good and dark, before they start gobbling. They won't know you're there. You may think it sounds noisy setting your blind up but its never seemed to ruin my hunts ever if I'm in early enough.
 
Make sure not to set your blind so the sun shines in on you. Learned that the hard way.

-}}}---------->
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom