Taking Aim at Turkeys With a Bow

For hunters using a bow and standard fixed-blade or mechanical broadheads, take everything you know about shooting turkeys with a shotgun and scrap it. Blood loss—not shock and trauma—from a dense, blasted projectile is what is going to kill your bird, and anchoring the bird is the most critical factor to keep it from escaping. For this reason, if the bird is strutting and facing you, aim just above the beard and let the arrow fly. If the bird is strutting and turned away from you, aim right for the anal vent. Avoid side shots at strutting birds, as it can be difficult to positively determine where the body is aligned beneath all of those feathers.

One of the best shots to take when the bird is not in strut is a broadside shot aimed right at the butt of the wing feather. This will pin the wing to the body and prevent it from flying away before it expires. Many hunters like to reduce their draw weight to prevent pass through shots. With turkeys, a hunter wants the arrow still stuck in the bird.

There are always broadheads that literally decapitate the bird. The videos of some of these in action are, well, vivid. They certainly do the job, much like a shotgun, but typically with less head available should you wish to take some photos. For coverage on top broadhead choices, check out this article from Outdoor Life.

Related