bowhunting turkeys

[1jody256]

 :turkey2:this will be my 1st year at bowhunting spring birds,any help would be helpful,i  know camo is a big issue,what about concealing ones self other than a pop up blind.has anyone else tried this?also i will be hunting public ground.

[Ken6]

Good Luck Jody, I am the same way, but i will be hunting from a blind this year. I guess I'll try calling with a box call, and then waiting. I hunt a grown up, young growth area. Just got the property last August, saw plenty of Turkeys last Fall while deer hunting. None this winter. Hope they come back for the Spring hunt.

Any suggestions for me also, would be greatly appreciated.

[TurkeyTom]

I tried hunting them with my bow without a blind last spring after I got my first one early in the season with my 835. It was tough. 

My biggest problem was I was surrounded by deer and couldn't draw when the bird was in close enough to kill with my bow.

I bought a ground blind that I will use this spring for my first. Then I'll try again without it for the rest of the season.

 

[gobbler777]

If a groundblind is not your thing set up behind instead of in front of a tree and use a camo umbrella that they sell for deer hunting. Really doesn't need to be said but draw when they can't see you.

[deersled]

practice shooting from the seat of your pants and judging distance from that position. the distance thing is surprisingly difficult from that low (for me anyways). I bought a bipod so my bow is always in the vertical position, too much movement going from across your lap to the shooting position. I also got a hand release aid to always be hooked up on my d-loop.

[Hooksfan]

The first thing I would say is to study turkey anatomy.  A quick google search should give you some good ideas. 
I personally feel you are setting yourself up for some extreme frustration.  You are already in a complicated situation by hunting public and are further complicating it by adding archery equipment.  Unless you have attained a level of experience that you are wanting a greater challenge, my best advice is that turkeys were made to be blasted with a shotgun.
But......here's my tips for bowhunting.
Set the decoys extremely close and facing you--5-10 yards.
As bad as I hate them, use a blind.
Don't take long shots.
Research broad head types and figure out which one will suit your needs best.  I would go with an expandable or the bullhead designed for head and neck shots.
Practice sitting on a stool from inside your blind.
My personal choice is to avoid gobbler decoys (for sure on public) especially for bowhunting--I don't want a bird jumping around wanting to fight.  I want him displaying for the hen.
Be prepared to have a bunch of birds that would have been sure kills with a scattergun escaping unscathed.
When the frustration of archery hunting starts taking from the enjoyment of the hunt, pick up a shotgun and blast one in the head.

[mebe007]

125grn Bullheads for the win.


you will most likely have to go up in spine, run full length arrows and 4 fletch 4" feathers