Turkey with Traditional Bow Equipment

[bonefish]

I'm considering taking my next gobbler with my recurve but I'm not sure about what type of broadhead to use. Have any of you got a bird with traditional archery equipment? If yes, did you stick with a 2 blade head, or was it something else?

[T&KK]

Here's my .02. Your best chance of killing a turkey with an arrow is getting it to stick in the bird or hitting the head. It is fairly common for them to jump up and fly away if you pass one through. I'm not to trusting of the Guillotine (sp check) nor have I tried it so I can't say much. I would use a wider broad head and crono your arrow speed so you know what speed you are shooting to have a better chance of sticking it. Remember though weight carries momentum which helps an arrow pass through but with a turkey, its likely that you will be taking a 25 yard + shot.

Just an interesting side story - I drilled a coyote between the eyes turkey hunting with my bow at 35 yards on our farm back home. Came right into some periodic yelping with some intermitent clucks and putts. Threw me off guard when i saw his head pop up over the hill Thought to myself, now that's a weird turkey!

[bonefish]

I've had the same thing happen. I've had both fox and coyote come to my call and stop within 10-20 yards of my hen decoy with a look of confusion.

[DonBo]

Whatever you're comfortable shooting for equipment will take a turkey. If you're having good luck on deer with a certain type broadhead, use that.

The biggest issue you'll have is getting drawn on one without him spooking. A pop-up blind is a great tool to help you get by with that movement, but very few blinds on the market today are big enough to shoot a stick bow from. You may try to make your own blind from camo material and available brush, branches etc.

I've found that being able to draw when the turkey is behind something and then holding (sometimes for a LONG time) till he is in the clear is a great option. Sadly with your chosen weapon it is a poor option for you. What you're trying to do will be very difficult and frustrating, but hugely rewarding if and when you succeed.

I would have to disagree with T&KK, I would wait for a shot at under 20 yards. I place decoys very close, like 10 yards, to try to get the birds in CLOSE. I'm not comfortable even with my compound beyond 20 yards. Turkeys rarely stand still for very long offering you a decent chance with archery tackle beyond that.

Good luck!

[T&KK]

My reason for saying 25 + is that it's very hard to get a turkey in that close and especially to draw back when they are that close. I would much rather take a 10 - 20 yard shot, but in my 10 years of turkey hunting, I have learned that a lot of practice and a quiet bow before the season can pay off when you get the opportunity. If I waited for a 10 yard shot, I might still be out there... I shotgun hunted in Michigan a few years back with my old man and I had to set up 100 yards from the decoy with my dad 20 yards from the decoy. All birds were hanging up 100 + yards out. He still had to make a 55 yard shot through a split in a tree to get the bird. Was very rewarding since we had to plan it out so precisely, but turkeys don't just march right in. At least not where I have hunted.

[T&KK]

The best part was, I was set up on a gobbler and he went quiet so I kept on him for an hour and decided to pick up and move. I was walking in the clearing (middle of the woods) to my decoy when my buddy said here he comes. Heard the coyote but thought it was the turkey. So there we were middle of nothing, wide out in the open and I was locked and drawn before he popped his head up. My buddy does (swearword), its a coyote! We had a 5 second stare down and I couldn't move on him and he turned to leave. So I putted at him with the diaphram call as I took aim. He snapped his head around and my buddy wispered over my shoulder, TAKE HIM! And that's all she wrote for that mange!

[Archerysniper]

The farthest I have taken a turkey with bow was 15 yards and that was this year out of the blid and he hung up last year was 13 yards from a blind but I have taken them at 10 and 5 yards without a blind it's called patience wait for the right shot if the bird is coming in strutting just wait for the right shot he will give it to you just be patient set your decoys close and face them towards you they will come in between you and the decoys most time I like to set mine at 10 yards giving me about 5 to 8 yard shot. As far as broadheads if it was a compound I would say NAPspittfires but the recurve porbably won't shoot them well mine don't I use a Magnus stingers. And remember hit high watch them die hit them low watch them go.

[Greybeard53]

I agree with DonBo and Archerysniper. Ten yards is about right for decoys. In my thirty years of turkey hunting, probably 90% of my birds have been less than 15 yds., both shotgun and bow. I've taken several archery birds without a blind, but the Pop up has definitely made it a ton easier. Part of the challenge for me personally now, is to pull them in as close as possible. Last Spring my Tom was as close as 2 yds. I shot him at 5 yds.

As far as broadheads, most will do the job just fine. Concentrate more on shot placement. Unless you're using a Guillotine, stay away from the head. Get a solid mid body shot and any decent broadhead will do the job quickly.

[Hoyt4]

Zwicky are good heads for traditional bow's for turkey's.I have seen many birds taken with this head recurve or longbow.Double blinds make one for traditional archery so check that out.I know my matrix worked just fine from center for longbow.Recurve would probaly work fine in any.I would agree with Donbo if using a bow make sure to have the decoys 10 yards or even less from the blind so if they do hang up they might be in shooting range.I do not use any decoys just because the birds do like to hang up at times.