Crossbow hunters claim that the delicious, feather-armored wild turkey is the most challenging prey to hunt. You can use your crossbow in both the spring and the fall to successfully bag a turkey if you play your cards right. So, what are the secrets to successfully hunting wild turkey with a crossbow? Let’s get started….
First and foremost, make sure you have permission to hunt in the area! You can only hunt on private farmland with permission from the owner. The availability of hunting permits from private landowners varies based on your hunting objectives and preferences.
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife in that region is in charge of overseeing hunting seasons, licenses, and permits on public land. These divisions can tell you which specific species are present as well as the best locations to find wild turkey populations.
In so many ventures, preparation is key to success, and wild turkey hunting is no different. It would be advantageous if you did some research beforehand to find out where turkeys live and where to look for them when the season starts.
Turkeys have places to roost and sites where they forage. You must find the roosting areas in order to find the places where the turkeys congregate; however, be cautious not to disturb the roosting birds. Plus, you can’t hunt a roosting bird. The other hunters won’t be too happy if the newcomer interrupts the turkeys’ routine because they always roost in the same spots.
Just before sunrise or just after sunset, as soon as you approach the roosting area within 100 yards, you can use a turkey call to see if any birds are roosting nearby. You call, and they’ll respond if they’re in the area. Now that you know where they sleep, you can locate where they go to feed and interact.
Turkeys, like any animal, go where the food is, and their feeding grounds will rotate with the seasons. All you need to do when turkey season rolls around is set up an ambush zone near where you think the birds will strut or forage.
Refrain from setting out food or bait to entice wild turkeys to a favorite spot, as you cannot shoot them if they are drawn to it. Baiting turkey is not allowed in most states – always check your local regulations first!.
Turkeys prefer easy-to-reach roosting locations that provide shelter from the weather and predators. While in the woods, keep an eye out and listen for any signs of wild turkey activity.
Turkeys take dust baths to keep their feathers healthy, strut to attract a mate, and graze for food. All these areas provide potential hunting stands. Spotting turkeys engaging in these activities gives you signs as to where the best hunting sites are.
Scrapes on the ground exposing dry soil can make excellent dust baths. Strutting areas generally have short vegetation so the male can display to advantage. Any area can provide foraging, but for hunting purposes, you need open ground. Being prey animals, turkeys will travel across open areas, but they favor areas with close-by cover for protection.
Early in the year, you can identify possible hunting locations by watching turkeys go about their daily lives.
In spring, you can hunt male birds only. In the fall, most states allow both male and female birds as part of your acceptable bag. Common sense dictates that you don’t take out the breeding females in the spring.
Both adult males (Toms) and juvenile males (Jakes) have a characteristic beard that is a tuft of feathers on the chest. The longer the beard, the older the male, and the more enhanced his survival skills. The male turkey or gobbler is almost twice the weight of a female or hen bird. You can expect a hefty 24lbs on a mature male bird.
Crossbow turkey hunting offers a unique blend of excitement, challenge, and reward. While the thrill of the chase is undeniable, success hinges on one crucial element: shot placement. A turkey’s vitals are remarkably small, and a poorly placed bolt can easily result in a lost bird.
This comprehensive guide, drawing insights from both TenPoint Crossbows and Crossbow Magazine, will equip you with the knowledge and strategies to make precise, ethical shots and maximize your chances of bringing home a delicious, wild-caught turkey
Understanding Turkey Anatomy and Shot Placement Zones
It’s important to understand the anatomy of a turkey and recognize the crucial shot placement zones before heading out into the field. The heart and lungs of a turkey are about the size of a softball; this is much smaller than the vitals of a deer. This emphasizes the importance of pinpoint accuracy.
Here’s a breakdown of the key shot placement zones for turkeys:
Quartering-to: Aim an inch below where the neck meets the body and a couple of inches into the turkey’s body from the front of the breast
With your back to you, aim one inch below the neck’s natural stop or halfway between the neck and beard.
Broadside: Take aim a few inches into the turkey’s body and an inch down from its neck.
Facing Away: Aim directly at the tail feathers, where they converge.
Mastering the Art of Crossbow Turkey Hunting: Key Strategies
1. Practice makes perfect, so make sure you’re at ease using your crossbow and skilled at shooting from a variety of positions before going on your turkey hunt. Practice regularly at different distances and angles to hone your accuracy.
2. Be Patient and Observant: Turkeys are notoriously wary creatures. Patience and observation are crucial for success. Examine their actions, spot any patterns, and bide your time for the ideal chance to try something.
3. Use Decoys Effectively: Decoys can effectively lure turkeys within range and distract them, allowing you to set up for a clean shot. Consider using a hen decoy to attract toms and a jake decoy to draw in gobblers.
4. Choose the Right Broadhead: Opt for fixed-blade broadheads for turkey hunting, as they provide better penetration and are less likely to deflect off feathers. Ensure your broadheads are razor-sharp for clean, ethical kills.
5. Ethical Considerations: Always prioritize ethical hunting practices. Ensure you have a clear shot and are confident in your ability to make a clean kill before taking the shot. Remember, a wounded turkey can suffer unnecessarily.
Crossbow turkey hunting is an exhilarating and rewarding experience. By understanding turkey anatomy, mastering shot placement techniques, and employing effective strategies, you can increase your chances of success and bring home a delicious, wild-caught turkey. Remember to always prioritize ethical hunting practices and respect the animal you’re pursuing.
With dedication, practice, and the knowledge gleaned from this guide, you’ll be well on your way to mastering the art of crossbow turkey hunting and enjoying the thrill of the chase.
View to a Kill
Your approach to bringing a turkey into the range of your crossbow depends on the hunting season. Use a mix of decoy models and turkey calls to attract the birds to your hunting area in order to achieve this outcome. Recognize that other hunters might try to sneak up on your decoys, thinking they are the real thing. Safety always comes first whenever you’re carrying your bow.
Spring
The spring hunting season focuses on the male, and the male turkey is intent on attracting a female. You would think that by imitating the call of a female turkey you would attract the males. This sometimes works, but males call to females during turkey courtship, so your chances of success might be higher if you use a male bird’s call and create competition among the other male birds.
Fall
Fall turkey hunting can be approached as an opportunistic catch because there are many different birds to hunt. If you have enough turkey tags available, this can be done. Alternatively, you can go out specifically to bag a Tom. Because turkeys are gregarious, hunters can take advantage of this behavior during this season by finding groups of birds that are feeding.
Dispersing the flock and using your caller to lure the birds back in one or two at a time will make it easier to line up your shot.
Turkeys have a range of sounds they can use to attract a mate, let others know where they are, or alert others to danger. To reproduce the noises that live birds make, you can opt for several different turkey callers.
Mouth or Diaphragm Calls
The advantage of these horseshoe shaped callers is that they leave your hands free to hold your crossbow. Plus, it minimizes movement and avoids alerting the bird to your presence. You need to practice, but this one caller can produce all the turkey noises you need.
Friction Calls
Typically, these require two hands and consist of a sounding box and a striker. Scratching the striker across the surface of the sounding box produces realistic turkey calls. Depending on the material, they may not work in wet conditions. You have to put the caller down in order to pick up your crossbow, which might scare your intended victim into running away.
Your other option is to pick up one of these, it’s an electronic turkey call that features 5 different calls without you having to blow into it or spend time and energy working it. Just hit a button and you can keep your hands on your crossbow. It’s designed to be easy to carry and it’s made for one hand use. It features digital turkey calls, and is made by a trusted company with over 20 years in the business. I’d give it plus as a definite add to any turkey hunter’s backpack.
The Right Gear Matters
The ideal crossbow for hunting turkey will have a few key characteristics. The perfect bow should be lightweight (between 150 and 175 pounds at draw weight), quiet in its shot, small in width for enhanced maneuverability, and camouflaged. For hunting turkeys, a crossbow with a draw weight of at least 150 pounds should be suitable.
There are a few things that you can do to any crossbow that will improve your odds when it comes to hunting turkey. First, check that everything is tight: all of the fasteners, scope mount, quiver brackets, and rails. Applying a bit of this stuff to the bolts can help to reduce any rattling noise – just don’t over do it!
If your crossbow doesn’t already have string / limb stops, consider picking some up. Bow string silencers work similarly; you will definitely perform better if you use anything to make your shots as quiet as possible.
Because heavier arrows have greater stopping power, it will be easier to penetrate the turkey’s natural armor. While you’re at it, spend a little time honing the silent on and off motion of your crossbow’s safety switch. You can do this every time you target practice. It’s something that many hunters overlook, but the turkeys exceptional hearing won’t be so forgiving.
When using any kind of bow to hunt turkey, even though the quality of the scope might not be as important in some circumstances, it is imperative to use a high-quality scope. If you can, consider upgrading your scope if you’re currently using a budget model.
Many experienced archers still miss shots because they sight in the wrong range, even after hours and hours of practice figuring out target ranges. A rangefinder is one accessory that’s a must have when you’re out in the field.
There are many great rangefinders that are affordable these days, with this one being my go to recommendation for anyone looking to pick one up. Trust me, just get one before you get out there and miss that clean shot you had on that gobbler!
Every year many turkeys are shot, but never tracked down. Their feathers shield the turkey from your bolts, but they also effectively conceal the turkey’s critical target area. The area that you’re targeting is somewhat small, especially at increased distances.
Because of this and the fact that their hard quills and feathers act as effective armor against any arrow, it is therefore easy to lose a bird that you have shot. You must rehearse your shots with the broadheads you plan to use in the field because they will shoot differently than your field points.
It may seem obvious that knowing where to shoot a turkey is necessary for an ethical kill. There are challenges with a feathered target that you do not get with a furred one. Before heading out to bag a wild turkey, make sure you know where and how to shoot one.
The best way to gain proficiency with targeting the turkey is to get in some range practice with a life-sized 3D target of a magnificent gobbler. This one is my favorite. You can practice shooting your bird from every angle and a range of distances up to around 30 yards.
Practice all the shooting positions – standing, crouching, prone, and inside your blind. Practice your ground, uphill, and downhill shots because you never know when you’ll get an opportunity to fire in real hunting situations. Just don’t use broadheads on your 3D targets, practicing with broadheads is a separate exercise!.
Obviously, the target doesn’t respond the same way as a live bird. The wild turkey has honed survival instincts, excellent vision and is alert to predator movement in its vicinity. But practicing your killing shot on a target helps your mind and body to recognize the correct shot when it’s needed.
Crossbow Turkey Hunting Considerations
FAQ
Where should you shoot a turkey with a crossbow?
Where do you aim to shoot a turkey with a bow?
What is the best broadhead for turkey hunting with a crossbow?
Is it hard to bow hunt turkey?
How do you shoot a Turkey with a crossbow?
If you want a straight-on shot, place the decoy facing away. Upon seeing a hen decoy, toms will often strut around it, trying to get in front of it so she can see him. This is where stopping the turkey for the shot precisely where you want it is easy to do with a diaphragm call. A crossbow affords both mobility and setting up wherever you desire.
What is the best crossbow for turkey hunting?
The ideal crossbow for hunting turkey will have a few key characteristics. Ideally, you want a bow with a small width for more maneuverability that has a quiet shot, is camouflaged and has a draw weight between 150 and 175 pounds. Generally speaking, any crossbow with a draw weight of 150 pounds or more should be adequate for turkey hunting.
Do turkeys get shot with crossbow bolts?
Each spring, many turkeys are shot with crossbow bolts, but some are never recovered. In most cases, poor shot placement is to blame, as a gobbler’s feathers hide the outline of the turkey’s body while it is in full strut, making it difficult for the crossbow hunter to determine exactly where the vital organs are located.
What is the best shot placement for a turkey hunter?
If you’re looking to be a successful turkey hunter, your best shot placement for bows and crossbows is the heart and lungs. Some turkey hunters prefer going for the neck and spine for quick kills, but it’s harder to make those shots successfully, especially with a strutting tom. 1. Broadside Shots