"Bow Hunting Gobblers- Old School Methods"

Hunting the wild turkey is a challenge no matter how, when, or where it takes place.  In recent years it has become America’s fastest growing hunting sport.  Growing in popularity not only because it is interactive and fun, but also because it is a challenge.  Michigan hunters enjoy an average success rate of about 30%.  Turkey hunting is a sport where you never quit learning.  Each time out you learn something new, no matter how many years you do it.  For 13 years now I have been guiding on a full time professional basis.  While I feel walking with nature full time has taught me well, it has also shown me that the gobbler will put a whipping on me too from time to time. 

            I have accepted his challenge in other states.  Although I have hunted all four subspecies on both private and public lands, I still find the biggest challenge to be chasing the mighty gobbler with the bow.  Michigan has more bow hunters than any other state in the union.  Seems only natural that after harvesting a couple gobblers with a gun, you will want to try it with a bow.  I mentioned Michigan’s average success rate was only 30%, but once you pick up a bow that rate drops to a mere 5% or less.

            My job (host of A-Way Outdoors on the Outdoor Channel) finds me hunting all kinds of game throughout North America and encountering many different challenges.  In my opinion, there is no tougher challenge than bow hunting turkey. 

            The hardest part is not actually hitting the bird (although I will be the first to admit that I do sometimes miss), but rather getting away with the movement of the draw.  A turkey’s eyesight is ten times better than that of a human.  Where the deer relies on its nose, the turkey relies on its eyes.  They are extremely good at picking up movements.  A good idea when hunting turkeys from the roost is to use a portable blind that can hide your draw.

            I have found that turkeys pay little or no attention to tent blinds, and have actually had them only inches away at times.  So once a roost is located and the turkey’s travel pattern is discovered, I will set up my Lucky’s Tent Blind setting up 80-100 yards in the direction that the turkeys normally travel when they leave the roost.  I usually set up my blind a good hour before daylight, giving the woods time to get back to normal from my intrusion. 

            Preferring to use two hen decoys, I set one in a feeding position and one in an upright position.  New school dictates that I use one in each position or risk scaring birds with two in an upright position appearing to notice danger.  Ever notice how turkey and geese raise their heads up when potential danger is spotted?  Also, I like to position my decoys 10 yards from my blind with both facing me.  This way the incoming gobbler believes that the hens (decoys) are walking away from him, enticing him to hurry up and catch them.  F you face the decoys toward the gobbler and he may believe that the hens are coming to him, causing him to strut out of your range and stay in that location waiting for the hens to come to him.  Since a bow hunter needs both hands on the now it is also a good idea to master the use of a mouth call, or at the very least a push button call that requires only one finger operation. 

            As for bow hunting, I use the same equipment that I use when deer hunting.  The old school of thought was to crank the bow down to 50-pounds, use dull blades and a stopper behind the broad head.  The theory behind this was to try and keep the arrow in the bird so that he would not fly away.  Although true, for the most part a bird with an arrow in him will run instead of fly, I ended up losing a couple of birds because I did not get good enough penetration.  Every other animal that I hunt I try for maximum penetration.  Therefore, I went to new school methods by using my regular big game set up of a 70-pound Alpine Bow and Game Tracker Carbon Express Arrows tipped with sharp three bladed 100 Grain Muzzy Tips. This has proven extremely effective for me, as I have not lost a single one of my last eight bow killed gobblers. 

            Another good idea is to use a Game Tracker Tracking String.  Since turkeys do not leave much of a blood trail for tracking, this also has proven effective many times.

            The kill zone on a turkey is not very large, about the size of a tennis ball.  Should a broadside shot present itself, I aim at the butt of the wing where it meets the body.  From the front I aim at the base of the beard and hope that I don’t directly hit my mark, as this would cause loss of one of the keepsakes.  Now if the lovesick gobbler is fanned around my decoy with his butt facing me, I aim at the big round spot that he uses to sit on (yes his butt).  This shot will break his back and enter the vitals.  After the shot the old school would have you chasing the gobbler upon arrowing him.  However, many times this has given the gobbler adrenaline, causing him to fly away and evade capture.  Best, even on a bad shot, is to just watch the gobbler as he slowly walks off.  A good shot will either drop the gobbler right away or within 25 yards.

            Upon being hit in an undesirable location, he will, more times than not, lay up within 50 yards until he dies.  Should he keep moving, slowly pursue from a distance trying out of his sight until he lies up and no movement is seen from him.

            Once you have collected your trophy, you can be very proud, as you have just accomplished, in my opinion, the greatest North American hunting feat.  No matter the size of the bird, they are all trophies with a bow in the New School.