Shotgun or Bow - help me decide

[nbadger23]

I'm very torn on what weapon I want to use this year for turkey season. On one hand, the allure of a 25 day opportunity when using a bow is hard to resist. On the other hand, I bought a new shotgun last year and it's yet to draw blood so that's hard to resist as well.

My original plans had been to use my bow in MN and then spend some time in WI with my gun but things are working out that well to plan the WI hunt.

Where I hunt factors in to this a bit as well. We have 5 acres and there are turkeys around. I have a small, secluded food plot that I plan on tilling a few days before D season opener to draw them in to the bugs and worms and such. Given the proximity, I could hunt many, many mornings before work and I work from home so that gives flexibility even during a lunch hour or after work as well. My other location is a 45 minute drive away so when I hunt it, I want to spend a good chunk of time there. I only got there twice last season because of time conflicts and I'd like to get to know it better.

Pros - longer season, don't have to hunt "hard" for 5 days, can pick and choose on weather.

Cons - smaller kill area, learning the vital zone and adjusting to that depending on the position of the bird, confined to a blind.

That last one, being confined to a blind, is a tough one for me.

What's your vote for me :-)

[1eyeReD]

With the amount of time you have (many mornings before work) and the 5 acres you are about to til, I'd go with archery gear and a blind.

I thought about archery gear myself, but I have literally only 2 days to hunt during the D season this year on public and a 2 hr drive away so I gotta up my odds and go with a shotgun. If I had at least two full weekends in D and E, I would've gone with bow.

[sticknstring]

That's an easy one... bow! On a property that size, you won't be tempted to run/gun and shots should be close if they're coming to the plot.

[bobbymalone]

I'd go with bow too.

This 5 day season / zone nonsense is why I don't even bother with MN gobblers. I didn't know there were different rules for archery.

I get my turkey hunting fix in the Missouri Ozarks.