Turkey with your bow?

[Austrian Hunter]

Hi Guys,
Who is going after the birds with your bow?  I am considering this year to hunt with my bow instead the 12 ga.  Have you killed one or more with a bow?  If so, what broadhead do you use for the birds?  I have enough tails on the wall so I thought it would be awesome taking an extra chance and take the bow. 

[quadrafire]

I have not taken one. Hunted archery turkey last year for the first time. Hopefully this year will be a different story.
Good luck! Hopefully we can both post pics next yr.
I just used thunderhead 100s. same as my deer setup. Can't tell you how they perform. i think it is more about shot placement.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

I will be hunting with my recurve, I will be using a Pearson Deadhead on a cedar arrow with a stringtracker for the elusive Eastern Wild Turkey near my home here in the South West of Washington State, If I get lucky enough to draw a Spring Bear Permit, I will also have some Bill Sweetland compressed cedar arrows tipped with Grizzly Broadheads in my quiver (just in case).

[Tom Tamer]

I just came in from whacking my foam target out to 30yds. I have yet to tag on with archery, I did lose a jake a couple years back, and last year I clipped a limb and took off a tail feather from one bird, the next one started walking as I loosed the arrow and it ended up glancing off his back.

 I used the two blade Rage last year and after explaining my glancing shot with an extremely good archer , I think the two blade may have deployed at an angle causing the arrow to go awry. So I just spin tested and shot( Practice head) the three blade Rage....looking forward to it. I always pack both gun and bow, if I'm cruising a lot of country then I gun it, If I'm setting up in an area I know they frequent I pack in a tent and bow it.  I go usually with a tent it keeps me comfortable to set longer.

[Wayne1]

I've taken Birds with my bow.....  I always turn my bow down, and put a Judo Point behind what ever broadhead I'm using. I really don't want a pass through........  want the arrow to stay in them

[Tom Tamer]

I've taken Birds with my bow.....  I always turn my bow down, and put a Judo Point behind what ever broadhead I'm using. I really don't want a pass through........  want the arrow to stay in them

 Not a bad Idea, do you notic much of a flight difference adding that weight?

[Wayne1]

I always have to re ajust my sight's, with turning down the power, and the Judo Points don't weigh that much more...  if your using 125 + gr. broadhead for big game..  then just switch to 100 gr. I've never taken a shot more than 15 yd's, so not much speed loss.  At least it all work's for me... I also always hunt out of a portable blind when hunting with a bow. Good luck this season...  want to see some pic's of the Boss.   
 

[D-Rock425]

I'm going for the first time this year.  I was told just to use the same set up that i would use for deer or elk hunting

[SpokaneSlayer]

I'm going to try the bow again this year.  I missed one last year and need a little redemption.  Haven't decided what broadhead I'm going to use.  I may put a grasshopper behind my deer broadhead or go with the Spitfire Gobble Getter 3 blade.

[fishermanjoe]

yeah i got one with a bow, I used a whacem 100g three blade. Hit him in the back but still had to "finish" him.

[hillbilli]

i have hit a turkey with a 1.5" mechanical, and had him fly, found him, and had him fly off a second time. my point is just that they can be tough. study well the vital zone- it about the size of a tennis ball, and be able to locate it from any angle, and i would almost consider gobbler guillotine if it's allowed in Wa

[Turkeyman]

I took two birds in Kansas in 2007 with my bow. I used a three blade mechanical gobbler getter. A must is a good blind i have a double bull ground blind. Adjust your poundage down on your bow so you can comfortably draw and hold for a long time waiting for that perfect shot. Shot placement is key. As discussed turkey's kill zone is about the size of a baseball. Decoy's are also key for setting up your shot. Use a hen and Jake or gobbler decoy. I put my Jake decoy at 10yrds facing the blind a gobbler will almost always come to the Jake or tom decoy first. They will face the decoy head on this is when you want to draw. If they are strutting looking away from you am for the base of the fan. Broad side am for wing but. I shot both of mine at 10yrds. right above the base of the beard. Both birds went 15 to 20 yrds and died. The hole the mechanical three blade was two inches pretty devastating. Good luck and have fun. Bow hunting turkey's is allot of fun with the right tools.

[lokidog]

I've gotten one on the wetside with the bow, 22 yards, no blind, wasp 100gr., side shot, broke wing, hit lungs, didn't go more than 5 feet.  Last year blew a bunch of feathers off one near Spokane on a straight away shot, again, no blind, 8 yards, shot too high. 

I am pretty sure the gobbler guillotines are legal here since mechanicals are for turkeys.

I'll try again this year with the bow but will also bring the ML shotgun just in case....

[Phantom Gobbler]

Killed my first Tom with a bow hunting the late Fall season last year in NE WA, with Turkey Slayer.  We used a ground blind in the right location with some calling.  Made the mistake of not turning down the poundage on my Hoyt so I could not come to full draw in the blind without Slayer's help pulling on my arm!     Tom was quartering towards us and the broadhead hit him 1 in. below the beard and he piled up right there!

We also bow hunted last spring without a blind, and went 0 for four shots.  One bird was hit and feathers flew but not a kill shot.  The birds usually pick up the movement of drawing your bow without a blind setup.

Will do a combination of shotgun and archery hunting this year.  It's all good!    Good Luck all!

[boneaddict]

Killed one with a satellite 125.