Where to Shoot a Tom
When hunting for turkeys with a bow, knowing where to shot them is as important as when hunting any other big game. The biggest problem with hunting a turkey with a bow is that there is little or no blood trail after they are shot. That is why we want to kill the bird or cripple it to make sure that it can't fly away. A hunter doesn't only want to hit the vitals but also wants to break wings, legs, or the spine. If you have been coming to this webpage, you will know that you don't shoot a turkey in the head like you do with a gun.
A bow hunter doesn't have to wait for the perfect shot like with other big game. A hunting arrow can get to the vitals from almost any direction. The hunter has to visualize where the vitals are and place the arrow in the right place. Too help you I have some photos for you to look at. With each photo we will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of each shot.
The first shot is shoot from the front. The hardest part of this shot is pulling back the bow without the turkey seeing you do it. A blind will help a lot. This is a great shot. If you shoot high you will hit the spine, the neck, or the head all lethal shots. If you shoot low you will break the hip or leg. This will prevent the bird form flying away and give you a second shot. A left or right shot will hit a wing, also giving you a second shot. The best way to remember where the vitals are is to aim for where the beard comes out the chest.
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The second shot will be a broadside shot. Like a deer this is the best shot. If the shot is a little high it would hit the spine. If it's a little low it will hit the legs. Both shots will drop the turkey for a second shot. A clean shot though the wings and vitals will kill the turkey in seconds. The shot is bad if it goes to the left or right. A hit on the wings would allow a second shot. A shot through the back will pass though without hitting any vitals. The turkey would fly away and you would never find it.
The back shot is a great shot. The arrow would hit the spine and the vitals. This shot is a no brainer so take it. This shot is like the front on shot only backwards.
The turkeys are not like deer. They will not jump the string. For a turkey to fly they must jump into the air. A hunter that breaks the legs or hips will keep a turkey on the ground.
What a target. This is a shot you live for. Putting a broad head where all the feathers end would drop this bird in it tracks. If you're not hunting out of a blind this is probably the only shot you will be able to take with a bow. The reason that this shot is so good is because the bird's vitals are in line with its back side. If the arrow goes high you will hit the head, go low you will still hit the vitals. I'm still waiting for this shot.
Another great shot is strait down the middle. This bird will go nowhere. Like the other front on shot this will kill it dead.
The hunting setup cold be just like the setup that you use for your big game. I would not go out of my way to buy turkey broad heads. The broads head that you use for your big game hunting will do fine. As always buy new blades for your broads heads. Hunting turkeys with the bow can be a lot of fun. Hunting turkeys with a bow will allow you to hunt more land and give you more opportunities to kill turkeys.
Good Luck!
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