hunting

[robert40a]

how hard is it to hunt turkeys with a bow and do you have any tips for someone new?

[Archerysniper]

Turkey hunting in general is tough,add archery into the mix and it gets frustrating.

Tips I can think of now and I will add too.

#1 Safety know your area and anyone that maybe hunting or trespassing onto where you are hunting. Always try to keep you decoys to your side instead and in the open so you can see someone approaching them,you don't want a 1.5 ounce load of 4's in the face if someone shoots at your decoy. Also no red,white or blue items in the woods,pepsi cans are a great example. They have the same bright colors as a Toms head in the spring.

#2 practice,practice,practice and more practice with your bow.

#3 get a quality blind

#4 spend more time scouting and patterning the birds before your hunt then you plan on hunting.

#5 keep your decoys CLOSE if you use them 10 yards or closer FACING you.

[DonBo]

Yep, what he said. A blind makes it leaps and bounds easier. GOOD decoys are a must as they help get the birds close, but none of this matters if you're not set up where they want to be. For me, most often that means the edge of a field. Somewhere that your decs can be seen from a ways away.

Learn to call with several different types of calls, then learn when to use them and maybe even more importantly, when not to use them.

I think a large mechanical broadhead is the way to go, but whatever you hunt deer with will work.

Enjoy the show and try to learn something new everytime you're in the woods.

[Cheetah]

do you have any tips for someone new?

Start with a shotgun if you are hunting public land. If you have a hot private spot with a big flock of dumb birds, then starting with the bow might work out for you.

[Ravine Flies]

nice

[IlliniWalli]

are you new to turkey hunting or just new to hunting turkeys with a bow? big difference in the learning curve.

either way, getting out in the woods and getting after them and learning is what its all about.

a blind is a must if you are an inexperienced bow hunter. deeks are a personal preference - i rarely use them gun hunting - but they will help bring in a tom the extra 25 yards or so you need to get a good bow shot.

practice calling, do some preseason scouting and ideally roost some birds. then set up your blind in a spot where the turkeys want to go, call softly, put the hammer down, then post your picture.

[benbosh]

Stay out all day, at least all morning anyway. In my 4 years of turkey hunting I have shot 3 birds. 1st one at 9ish AM, 2nd at 11:50 AM, and last years with the bow was taken at about 11 AM. Also, last year, the day before I shot mine I had him come in at about 10 AM but he didn't present a shot. As you can see, majority of the action I have seen has been in mid-late morning. Seems like by then the hens are heading to sit on the nest/lay and the toms get pushed away.

[Archerysniper]

I agree with staying all day. I sit dark till dark or my tag is filled. Most of my birds have been middle of the day.

[sticknstring]

Be where the birds frequent, call sparingly, and be patient. Aim small.

[benbosh]

If you aren't hearing/seeing birds but know they are in the area, stay put and call every half hour or so and wait them out. Took 2/3 of my turkeys with that method and called in 2 more, one was a miss and one didn't present a shot.