Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: Guru on February 26, 2011, 07:57:00 AM
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Been meaning to do this for a while, and since the seasons will be here before we know it, now is a great time to share some pix and personal experiences.
I'm no expert turkey hunter and certainly not a turkey biologist. But I have been chasing them for a while, and I pay attention and notice the details.
That being said, I'd just like to share some of what I've learned and hopefully help some others along the way.
I have a couple hunts, the shots, and the results to share through text and pictures.
A couple basics with turkeys...
- unlike deer and other four legged critters we persue, and turkey's vitals are at the top of their body, just under and right up against the backbone.
- it's about impossible to hit a turkey "too high", as you'll see in the pix to follow, everything that keeps a turkey alive is in the upper 1/3 of their body.
- like the boys from Double Bull used to say, "high they die, low they go".
- on a broadside bird, I aim to hit a gobbler just in front of the thigh and high. A little high and you sever the backbone, a bit forward and you hit the front of the vitals just behind the wingbutt. If it's a bit back, you shoot throught the thighs, a shot some archers prefer anyway. Just remember, higher is better and in some pix to follow, you clearly see why.
-a shot from the back gives you an even bigger target. A centered hit anywhere from the back of the skull to the base of the tail will almost always anchor the bird on the spot. Slightly off the spine either side still has a chance of punching vitals.
- on quartering shots,remember to adjust where you want your arrow to enter. Further forward on quartering toward, and further back on quartering away. But again, always keep it high!
- don't worry about shooting through your turkey. Turkeys have very hard bones and tough feather quills. I perfer not to add anykind of "stopper" behind a broadhead. Let the blades do the job they were meant to do!
First off, some great anatomy pix I pulled off the web that shows ,by a series of over lays, just how a turkey is put together...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta1.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta2.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta3.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta4.jpg)
Another good diagram that shows the bone structure really well...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta35.jpg)
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Thanks Curt. Looking forward to the rest. I usually know where I am supposed to hit them. i just have to get the arrow to go where I want it to.
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Great pics Curt.
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THATS COOL, WHEN I HIT THE BACK BONE THEY GO DOWN EVERY TIME.
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This first bird was taken about half way through our season here in NY.
I heard two birds gobbling, set up, and purposly left my jake decoy in the shorter grass of the two-track so the gobblers could easily see it as they approached(a hen was set a couple yards in front closer to the blind)...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta15.JPG)
Both gobblers showed up after about 10 minutes of calling and came right to the jake decoy. I shot the strutter at about 10yds, slightly quartering away.
Arrow looked to dissappear right where I wanted it, and both gobblers took off and were out of sight over a slight rise after 20yds.
This is what I found after waiting about 20 minutes(I'd have waited longer had I not been so sure of my shot)...
First sign was right at the spot where the gobbler stood when hit...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta16.JPG)
A couple yards further along, some scattered small drops of blood and a cut feather with no blood where it was cut. Indicating the it was cut on the near side before the bh entered the body...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta17.JPG)
Couple yards further...now the blood is coming out both sides...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta18.JPG)
About 10 yds. into the trail...the arrow where it fell out the far side of the bird(blood from bh to nock)...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta19.JPG)
Going through the tall grass...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta20.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta21.JPG)
The gobbler had gone down just after it went out of sight over the rise...about 25yds...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta22.JPG)
Next we'll get into the shot placement pix, and autopsy...
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On a bird in full strut there is a lot of nothing (feathers) in the top third. Aim just above center over the leg. My favorite shot is from the back like Guru mentioned. Good chance of anchoring and the feathers are easier to penetrate.
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Thanks for posting this Curt. Unfortuntaly, Turkeys are my NEMISIS! Sat in the blinds countless hours (11 hrs at a time) with no success, but when I leave, there they are! Hopefully one of these years if I ever get presented with a shot , I will remember your thread on where to put the arrow :pray:
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Cool thread Guru. Can't wait for more as I finally got permission for some property that has them.
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Slightly quartering away shot...
The broadhead took the gobbler high, just in front of the thigh...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta5.jpg)
And came out right behind the wing butt...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta6.jpg)
Skinned out...this is once again where the arrow entered.The knife point(Chris Surtees' "Cutter") is on the wing butt. I've tried to outline as best I could about where the vitals, and entrails lay in the body. The heart, lungs, liver are in the front outlined section...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta8.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta7.jpg)
Where the arrow exited...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta9.jpg)
Next is an eye opener...
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For sure a small target compared to the whole size.Great tutorial Curt,thanks for sharing.I am sure it will help me on my first turkey hunt next April in Nebraska with a fellow TGanger.
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Thanks for the great info I,m sure it will help in the harvestof my first bird.Great picture of your bird.I guess thats how you get it done.What
broadhead did you use??
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Man, that's informative, the skinned bird especially. We don't have turkeys here, I'd love to chase them, tho. The thing I note about the high hit is that the "mess" will be low in the roasting pan. All good meat is saved. Good post!
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Here is where you can see how a seemingly basketball size target gets small real quick!
With the breast meat taken away, entrance...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta10.jpg)
Exit...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta11.jpg)
Also not the chunk of thigh meat missing in the entrance pix..You can also see in these pix that the near leg was further forward when the arrow hit the gobbler.
Easy to see now why a low/forward shot, like you'd shoot a deer, will lead to nothing but frustation! Nothing there but meat, crop, and keel of the breast bone. Keep your shots high!!!
Now with the breast plate pulled away from it's normal position...you can see the the bh went in front of the liver, and into the heart/lung area further forward...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta12.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta13.jpg)
Here's the heart...you can see by the bloody tips on three of the four "hoses" attached to it. Those are the one's cut by the bh as it passed though.The biggest one, I cut to take the heart out for the pix, no blood on the cut.
More to come :campfire:
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta14.jpg)
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Awesome thread.
I have a question, when you position a decoy, I know some that position the Jake so it is facing them, this way they say the gobbler will strut facing the decoy and give you a turkey facing away from you, giving a good back shot ? True or false
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This is really good stuff. I am ashamed to say it took me 3 hits to realize that I needed to shoot higher. Good thing is 2 birds were just feather grazed low beneath wings, but the 3rd was a breast hit that I lost. It's bowhunting, but I had a misconception of where to shoot the bird. Curt has this nailed. Archery turkey hunters should burn this info into their heads. :clapper:
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Excellent thread, Curt. This really helps clarify my mental image of what to "go for." Thanks!
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Wow, amazing Curt and thank you for the info. Keep it coming, I always enjoy the learning experience that comes along with hunting. Every time I go out I learn something new.
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This great! Makes the 3D target zone not
The place to aim for. At least on the few I've seen.
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Excellent Curt!!
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Great thread Curt. I have taken quite a few turkeys and am learning a lot from this.
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This is good stuff; it should be added to the animal anatomy thread for future reference. Thanks for posting.
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Originally posted by centaur:
This is good stuff; it should be added to the animal anatomy thread for future reference. Thanks for posting.
I was thinking the same thing centaur. Good stuff!
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Great pictures Curt! A friend of mine took some pictures like this a few years ago to share with me (and others). I immediately stopped thinking about shooting for the butt of the wing -- lethal but a tiny spot compared to the other kill spots. I've killed one through the back and another through the top of the thigh.
I haven't lost a bird to date (got only back feathers once but killed the same bird 3 days later). But, I'm going with head shots in the future before my luck runs out. While a fringe hit is still possible, as are misses, I want to reduce as much as I can the risk of losing a turkey.
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Good info,ton of knowledge shared,GRACIAS>>>
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Thanx fellas, and I will move this into the shot placement thread.
Here's another bird from a couple years ago...
This gobbler came in right off the roost. Strutted right into the decoy and did a lap around "Floyd". As he came around the back side and quartered toward me at 8-9yds. I put the arrow right, tight behind the near wingbutt and it exited just in front of the opposite thigh(just the oppsite of the first bird I described earlier).
He only made it about 20yds., and when I got out of the blind this is what I found...
Immediate blood, it blew out the exit and hit "Floyd"...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta23.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta24.jpg)
How I found him, note the arrow just hanging out the off side exit hole...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta25.jpg)
You can see, he didn't go far. He actually ran right at me in the blind after he was hit. I thought he was coming right in with me, but turned about 1 yd. from the blind. He actually left a couple spots of blood on the blind as he passed...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta26.jpg)
Entrance...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta28.jpg)
Exit...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta27.jpg)
No skinned pix of this one, but just imagine the same holes as the last gobbler pix. Just the arrow going through in the opposite direction.
Up next...A shot a lot of bowhunter prefer...The "through the thighs" shot...
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Thanks Curt great thread :)
:coffee:
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Great thread Curt!! Nothing like pics to confirm the shot placement.
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Thanks Curt, awesome details I'm really looking foward to spring! :thumbsup:
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Great thread Curt! That was very helpful.
GLENN
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Great thread Curt and an important one.
Do you use Snuffers? What do you think of the Big Jim 3 blade for turkeys?
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Thanks Curt. It looks to me like you know how to get it done. I was looking forward to a thread like this. This will be my first year turkey hunting. Ken
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Thanks for the info Guru. I hope to bag one with my bow this year. I bought a Double Bull blind and I hope this gets me closer to the birds. :thumbsup:
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That last pic ought to answer the questions posted recently about blinds too. Great thread Curt...it's all in the details and you've done a great job with the anatomy and lethality lessons for sure. :thumbsup:
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Is that "string tracker" thread I see in those last pics?
Great thread Curt. Hard to get folks to think about back and high....
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Great thread Curt!!! This thread ought to be a prerequisite to anyone wanting to chase birds with a bow. If I would have gotten a shot opportunity last year I know I would have lost the bird after looking at the pics. Thanks to this thread I know which spot to pick in the future.
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Great info. thanks
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Nice info Curt! Your threads always get me fired up for turkey hunting. My problem is i never get em close enough for a shot.
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Great stuff Curt! VERY helpfull!!
Eric
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Good eye Huntschool! I went back and looked at that photo again. Sure looks like a great example of string tracker use!
I tried the string tracker on bears in the mid-1980's. My best friend had a habit of snagging his line around his tree moving to and from. The tree stand was nick-named the "Birdnest" because of the tangle he created.
I've never used the device on turkey. I haven't even seen them for sale in years.
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Very informative ... great presentation, turkeys can be tough. Shot placement is key !
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Great great thread. Like someone mentioned, it is haaaaard to get yourself to shot back and high on an animal but your pics really hammer that point home.
Thanks!
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When Guru talks about turkeys I listen!!
Last year I made the mistake on a jake quartering away in a half strut. Aimed too far forward and just scraped the breast and took off a few feathers. Didn't take into account jakes are smaller and he was in half strut too. Very sad lol.
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Good stuff Guru...
Killed my first bird without a string tracker... a whopping 3.5 yard shot...
used one on every one since and it sure makes a difference... turkeys can be hard to find if they make it to cover...
Jonathan
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This thread is getting bookmarked...
Thanks for putting this together Curt!
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This thread is getting bookmarked...
Thanks for putting this together Curt!
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Originally posted by JimB:
Great thread Curt and an important one.
Do you use Snuffers? What do you think of the Big Jim 3 blade for turkeys?
I do use Snuffers Jim...this year I'm going with the VPA 1 1/4" solids. The Big Jim head will be awesome one turkeys! I really preferr multi blades, and as long as they well, nice big one's too!
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Someone asked about string trackers...here's a how to I did a while back based on an article I wrote for TBM...
http://tradgang.com/noncgi/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000094
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Thanks for the much needed info.Great pictures as well.
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This is a bird that came in with a companion..shot was about 10yds, dead broadside.
Arrow hit a little further back than I wanted, but still high. At the shot he dropped with incapacitated legs, and managed to get about 20yds. away using his wings.
His partner hung around for a little while trying to figure out the decoy...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta29.jpg)
Arrow entered high into the thigh, through the entrails and hip/spine, and out the other side same as it went in...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta30.jpg)
Without the skin...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta31.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta32.jpg)
This shot worked just fine as the turkey wasn't going anywhere. But by the time his partner left five minutes later, I looked behind the blind and he was still alive. The bh had done a good job anchoring him, but since the shot was further back, through the intestines, it wasn't a shot that killed him quickly...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta33.jpg)
You can see the liver, lungs, nor heart were touched by hitting too far back...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta34.jpg)
This is a good shot, and I suppose if I'd broken his leg bone/s, I probably would have hit at least one femoral, and he'd have died quickly. But that didn't happen on this shot.
If I'd have hit just an inch or 2 further forward, it would have been over in seconds.
More tomorrow...
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Very useful info. Thanks.
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Great information, very helpful. Thank you.
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Thanks Curt.I've never hunted turkeys or shot one.Great information.Shooting deer doesn't prepare you for this.
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A good read, and a great eye opener. I'll be reading and rereading this as the season comes closer...
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I have shot a few birds in the past with my bow but until you really get to see this kind of in depth pictures it really puts where you want to hit one into perspective.
Thanks for this thread learned a lot!
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I try to wait until the bird throws his fan my way while addressing the decoy. That's when you send an arrow up the old anal opening. The "Texas Heart Shot" is deadly on birds and makes it easier to PICK A SPOT!
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Curt's pic with his knife laying on the breast is the PIC! Gives a great shot view of NO NO Land ...the breast and how much room it takes up broadside. for those interested in getting a copy of the turkey anatomy overlays, they are available from the National Bowhunter Education Foundation. I think I paid 15 bucks or something several years ago.
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Curt,
Thanks for the informative post.
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Each year, this question is posted and I also have this question PM'd or asked several times a year.
You have covered it far better than any of my explanations. Yes, this thread needs to remain in archives.
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Great thread. This is the best info on shot placement for turkeys with a bow that I have ever seen or read. Excellent. I thought I had a good idea about shot placement, but this really narrowed it down for me. I definately will be more aware of shot placement this spring.
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AWESOME, curt! thank you!
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Great job Curt.
My 2 cents-hit em high! The angle in my opinion, is not as important as trying to hit that wing butt or that same level depending on which way the bird is facing, taking out the ability to fly and his vitals.
Years ago I had problems with arrows blowing right through birds and losing them. I tried "stoppers" behind the broadheads, BIG MISTAKE. No penetration-more lost birds.
Shoot a straight forward hunting arrow with ultra sharp head and "HIT THEM HIGH"
Good luck boy's, Bill
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Awesome, curts turkeys looked like they were struck with an axe! Gotta love the snuffers!
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Thanks again fellas...
This is another great pic that I've had for a while, just dug it out of an old file. Really shows the bone structure well...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta35.jpg)
The next gobbler is a good example of what happens when you break their back and get through the vitals...
This is the biggest gobbler I've killed to date with my bow. He came strutting into my dekes just before noon time(quitting time here in NY). I spotted him and a hen earlier from a hill, moved in as close as I dared and set up. Over an hour later as time was running out here he came, without uttering a peep!
Shot him quartering away, strutting, just before he reached my jake deke...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta36.jpg)
As you can see he went nowhere, and was dead within seconds. A minute later his hen came in to see what was going on. She stayed around a minute, then just wandered off...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta37.jpg)
I got out and snapped some pix of the set-up...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta38.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta39.jpg)
Just as he layed as I walked up to him...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta40.jpg)
Entrance very high up and quartering down and in...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta41.jpg)
BH just made it out the other side. The backbone took a lot of steam off the arrow...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta42.jpg)
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I can't say anything but AWESOME! Thanks Curt.
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Good stuff. :thumbsup: :campfire:
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Excellent Curt. Thanks for taking the time.
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Those are good anatomical photos. They are tough birds.
The tom I shot last fall had it's back to me at 20 yds.
That made it easier for me to guess where to shoot.
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Thanks Curt. I needed this one if only for the green pictures. Its currently raining here and we have 4 inches of snow on the ground. Hope springs enternal, for the turkeys and for nicer weather.
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Very informative . I didn't know that a turkeys vitals were in the upper part of their body .
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"Hope springs eternal"...you bet buddy :thumbsup:
Thank you guys, I'm glad I can help. It really is amazing how different turkeys are put together compared to most critters we usually hunt.
This next turkey is one I killed in Georgia with a friend. As you'll see in the video, he came in and circled around behind the decoy.
I shot as he quartered toward me. The Woodsman tipped woodie entered, up high, just in front of the wing butt.
Went through heart, lungs, liver, and exited out the back of the opposite thigh...
http://www.tradgang.com/videos/curtturkey.wmv
As you'll hear, my buuddy Germain was a little excited after the shot, he was flippin' out!I mean crazy!! I actually had to tell him to shut up as the bird was coming in...he was losing his mind with excitement!
Again, quartering angle doesn't really matter, front-to- back, back-to-front...the important thing is to keep your shots HIGH! In the upper 1/3 of the body and you'll be just fine.
One other thing about wing butt shots, I know it's a shot a lot of folks like. But my personal experience is that it's not reliable.
A direct hit on the butt of the wing, right on the ball and socket will lead to unpredictable results. That is, without a doubt, the hardest to penetrate spot on a turkey!
I shoot pretty substantial gear, and I have had two arrows stopped cold on direct hits. One with a WW tipped 600gr. woodie out of my 63# KS, and the other was a Snuffer tipped 580gr carbon out of my 58# KS.
It took me a while to learn for myself. When I started to bowhunt for turks it seemed thats where everyone reccommended shooting turkeys.
But now I really don't see the need to shoot for the wing butt, as the vast majority of the vitals are more rearward anyway.
Yes, you might break a wing, but I know for a fact that if your arrow stops right at the socket of the wing after breaking it, the gobbler can still easily get away!
Up next, my only try at a straight-on shot...
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Awesome Curt Awesome
Thanks for putting that together
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thank you for posting this thread, guru. i've learned a lot!! :notworthy:
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Guru- I must thank you again for such an explicit display of the targetted area. My most confindent target areas are quatering facing, side shots and targetting ~1" above the leg, and rear shots. I do ,however take the very 1st shot which presnts a lethal mark once the tom breaks my self imposed 15 yard barrier.
I have taken them in nearly all angles with exception of a rear shot while in strut. The frontal shot reguires a little fire power. I was fortunate to one-cluck in a bird from ~150 yards and drilled him ~1 1/2"s above the beard and just made it thru the breast bone. The bird just faell back with his wings wide open and never twitched. I may have been lucky,
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This is good info, I wish I would have had this years ago!
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Great thread Curt. Never seen this on turkeys. Whitetais "yes", turkeys "no". Very educational. :thumbsup:
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This was a super infomative thread. This will be my first year trad hunting turkeys and I've been practicing all wrong. Shot plenty with a shotgun,but they were all head shots. Thank you very much for the great pics.
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Originally posted by PSPOORSHOOTER:
This was a super infomative thread. This will be my first year trad hunting turkeys and I've been practicing all wrong. Shot plenty with a shotgun,but they were all head shots. Thank you very much for the great pics.
Yep same here. This is one of the best threads ever! Thanks for taking the time Curt! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper:
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Great thread Curt!!!!! I can vouch for low shots not being good, I hit one with a 160 grain snuffer two year ago just forward and low of the wing butt. I was able to get that bird due to two things, one is that the snuffer put a huge hole through and through, the second was the string tracker I used following your directions....
Two feet of snow on the ground here, and on the way to work this morning I saw two jakes strutting and gobbling for a lone hen in a field by my office!!! It will be here soon!
David
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Excellent shot placement thread Curt, I've hunted turkey's for several years with trad gear and have strictly been a head shooter, I either kill'em dead or they walk away unscathed( usually the later)LOL!
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Curt,
Would it be possible for you to post pictures of turkeys in different positions and put a photoshopped spot on where you would aim?
Ive only killed a couple with my bow and I did lose one as well. I think if I saw where I should pick a spot at different angles I could memorize those photos and I would never miss again! The game dept might have to shorten the season!8^)
Thanks,
Rod
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Great stuff thanks!!
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Love me some turkey hunting! Congrads.
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Don't want to hijack the thread by any means, but what do ya'll think of the thoery that says go down in poundage or use a head that will not allow exit of the arrow to slow the turkey from traveling further?
Ya'll cam PM me with ya'll thoughts. Thanks
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Originally posted by Rod in SC:
Curt,
Would it be possible for you to post pictures of turkeys in different positions and put a photoshopped spot on where you would aim?
Ive only killed a couple with my bow and I did lose one as well. I think if I saw where I should pick a spot at different angles I could memorize those photos and I would never miss again! The game dept might have to shorten the season!8^)
Thanks,
Rod
Something I can certainly work on...
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Curt, i believe i saw what you are looking for somewhere on the net a while back! There were black and white photos of turkeys in various positions and a yellow dot was placed over point of aim!
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You're a good man.
Thanks,
Rod
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The "head on" shot..
My one and only attept at this shot happened two seasons ago...
Opening day, I called a jake, three hens, and a longbeard in all together. It was kinda crazy for a minute or so.
Then the gobbler stood, about 8yds away, stone still as the other birds looked to be about to leave.
I knew if I made a good shot and hit dead center, between the beard and bottom of his waddles, it would be "game over".
Not a shot I'd usually take, but with him so close, and standing so still I drew and shot...
Arrow hit a touch higher than I was looking, but dead center...he went nowhere. Just flopped 3-4yds as he was dying...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta43.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta44.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta45.jpg)
The big Snuffer almost completely severed his neck...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta46.jpg)
Because the neck was in an S-shape in strutt, the arrow came out the back of his neck skin in the fold and re-entered continuing along his neck, into his body...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta47.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta48.jpg)
Where it continued into his body along his neck...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta49.jpg)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/ta50.jpg)
This shot worked out this time. But to be honest, I'm not sure I'd recommend it or try it again myself.
If you hit dead center and the right height, you're OK. But because of the way turkeys are put together, their bone structure is kinda like a wedge from the front.
An off-center hit has a real good chance of not entering the vitals.
Just my take on this one...
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Originally posted by awbowman:
Don't want to hijack the thread by any means, but what do ya'll think of the thoery that says go down in poundage or use a head that will not allow exit of the arrow to slow the turkey from traveling further?
An arrow isn't going to stop a turkey from flying or running off just because it in him. They are tough, very strong birds!
The only thing that is going to stop a bird from getting away is the damage the BH does while going through. I personally don't think an arrow in the bird makes a bit of difference in recovery.
As for dropping weight, well that goes right along with what I stated earlier...no need for the arrow to stay in the bird. Turkews are tough, shoot what you normally shoot for deer. Let the bh do it's job and get it out the other side, two holes are better than one.
I'd rather have the confidence to know I have enough horse power to shoot all the way through, than drop down to "hope" the arrow stays in.
Just my take on it...
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Thanks for the detailed anatomy lesson and your personal experience. Much appreciated. I'm going to be chasing the turkeys in KS pretty soon and will hopefully have a chance to put your lessons to use. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Super post Curt....thanks for all the inputs. One other question; have any of you ever tried using the guillotine type of head. On a Kansas hunt a few years back a compond friend had them, but found out that his arrows were not long enough (they hit the sight window as he drew the arrow back). Well, he gave them to me to use, but after I got in my blind I chickened out at the last minute and stuck with my old Bear razorheads. Thanks again.
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Great info Curt! Thanks, I hope to put it to use on an Osceola this month.
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Good luck fellas, I envy you guys that get started soon...we have to wait till May 1st here in NY...
Last but not least, my gobbler with Cade last spring. I hunt that means more to me every day that passes...
This gobbler came in from the side and was circling Floyd when the arrow took him, quartering away, about 15yds.. Arrow entered just in front of the near thigh, and exited just under the opposite wing butt...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler3.JPG)
The arrow dissappeared on impact, and the gobbler tumbled, rolled, flapped for about 20yds and it was over...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler5.JPG)
You can see in this pic that the arrow must have hung up just before exiting and he dragged it with him for a while...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler6.JPG)
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler7.JPG)
Entrance...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler8.JPG)
Exit...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler9.JPG)
The bloodtrail was short, but sweet...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler11.JPG)
Cade pointing out the entrance again...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler12.JPG)
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My boy...
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler19.JPG)
"Hit them high, and they die"
• (http://www.tradgang.com/upload/curt/cadegobbler20.JPG)
Someone asked earlier about decapitation type heads...
No, I've never used them. I've seen anough video proof to know that they work great..BUT...only with sufficient energy in the arrow. I've seen enough video to prove this to myself as well. They just don't work well with ligher set-ups.
I'll stick to a big 3 blade to the vitals for now.
Here's some video from daybreak of the morning Cade and I killed "Neight"...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6cjeKHvSQ7c
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Guru - Your system can't kill them any deader.
Great thread and thank you.
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Good stuff Curt ! Good luck to you and Cade this Spring :thumbsup:
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Good stuff Curt. Thanks Randy
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Thanks for the great post!!
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Thanks Curt. My first attempt will be this year and this is just what I needed.
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Wish i wouldve beat ya to it on this thread, oh well you nailed it better than i couldve with the scientific evidence! Great job!!!
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Curt,
Very good thread. Has me pumped for turkey season! I also am now thinking about trying a string tracker. One question. Can the string tracker be shot through the shoot through netting on ground blinds or do you have to take the netting down?
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Fling,
I've shot both turkey and deer in the fall thru the netting, and have had no problem with the string. It just goes thru with the arrow and feeds out after just fine.
But, in the spring, when targeting turkey exclusivly, I don't use the netting, and don't really care to look thru it if I don't have to. I've never seen the need with it for turkeys.
The netting on a blind was started to cover up the "black hole effect" that really bothers deer, but doesn't seem to bother turks at all.
I wear black on the upper half of my body, gloves, facemask, and hat(if cold enough to need). Also my bow has black limbs.
If you shoot a bow without black limbs, black hockey tape works great for turkey season.
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Curt,
Thanks for the tips. I'll give it a try without the netting this spring, and I will need to get the hockey tape for my bow limbs as I'm shooting a graybark BW. The limbs are dark but not black.
Gary
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Excellent thread! I am really glad I read this before trying to take a turkey with my bow. I would most definitely have shot low without even knowing it.
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Thanks for the great thread good information .
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I have added Curt's info to the Shot Placement thread featured at the top of the PowWow. :campfire:
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These pics were very helpful especially the turkey ones. Thanks for sharing this imformation.
John
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We ought to make this a sticky...very helpful. I will need to review this thread once again come spring.
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Since the seasons are here, I thought I'd bring this ttt to hopefully help some of my fellow archers.
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Good stuff Curt! We should have a turkey forum as unique as they are....these threads should be tacked to the top! This and the string tracker thread at a minimum!!!
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Dan, my posts here on this thread are part of the "Animal Shot Placement" thread stickied to the top of the Pow Wow. Terry moved them there last fall.
I'm glad you found them useful :thumbsup:
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This is a great thread Curt. If you don't mind I will share my experiences, they totally concur with yours.
I am lucky enough to have access to great turkey hunting. I have been a part of maybe 40-50 turkeys shot with traditional gear (I can count 39 and I know I'm missing a few). Like most people, we always aimed for the wing butt when we first started hunting them. That was the "common knowledge" at the time.
I have shot them myself with broadheads that range from a narrow two bladed Grizzly, to a big three bladed Snuffer, to a Bullhead, Simmons Shark, and large 4 bladed broadheads. I have personally hit them about everywhere you can hit a turkey, and unfortunately lost way too many (which is easy to do in the Colorado mountains or the brushy, hilly country of Nebraska). I have not lost a bird in a few years now, and I attribute this to being more picky on my shots and my broadheads.
Common themes I have observed:
-Shooting them in the breast makes for very "iffy" chances of recovery, at best.
-Taking out a leg has resulted in 100% recovery rates.
-Larger broadheads do work better.
-Keeping an arrow in the bird makes me feel better, but I'm not certain that it is a necessity.
-Aiming for the wing butt is not reliable. If you hit them there they can die within seconds, but if you hit the actual butt, where the bones all connect, you might not even get an inch of penetration.
My broadhead thoughts (due to success rate and damage):
-Bigger the better. I have killed them with a Grizzly, which was just what I had set up for elk/deer at the time. But I don't hunt turkeys with small two blades anymore. The WIDE Simmons Shark is the only two blade I use these days.
-I love big, wide 4 blades.
-I like large three blades.
-Simmons Shark, my experience - 100% success, 100% keeping the arrow in the bird, and 100% of them dying within sight.
-Snuffer, I've never seen so much damage, it has ruined some meat.
-Bear Razorhead with bleeders, I've used them a lot because I have a lot of them, I always use the bleeders, and while the main broadhead is razor sharp, I never cared if the bleeders were sharp. That has worked very well.
-Any large 4 blade
-Any large 3 blade
-Magnus Bullhead, until this weekend I never seen a bad experience, now I've seen one...
Shot placement:
-One word, HIPS. Shoot for their hips and you have the largest margin of error. Looking at the diagrams that Curt posted confirms my theory that if you shoot straight up from the legs, at just above beard height, from any angle, from any position the bird is in, you will get vitals.
-The higher the better, as long as it's in the body.
-Facing towards, or facing away shots have led to immediate death, 100% of the time (in my experience).
-Strutting toms are super difficult to pick a spot on. Their body is just so much smaller than it appears when they are strutting. If they are facing away I shoot for that big ten ring. Facing to me and I aim for their beard or just above it. I don't like broadside shots on strutting toms, but if I feel it's now or never, I shoot for the tops of their legs.
Like always, I am in a constant search for more information, and while my experiences have led me to certain beliefs, they are all prone to change with adequate evidence or other experiences.
This is a great thread.
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This is a great thread! I am trying to dial in my first turkey hunt. So far having more issues getting access to properties than anything else...Gotta keep making phone calls!
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Guru,
A turkey forum itself as often as this is talked about (yearly) and these threads dug up...would be good to have all in one place....enough of us turkey hunt that could benefit from it.
Quite frankly its impossible to find the experience of posters that have posted on your threads alone, let alone the host of others. We know how unique turkeys are!
Hopefully I can put it to use again this spring. Got my string tracker, and the ams mount...debaiting if I want to go that route or the sling route, gonna tinker with both over the next couple of weeks. Now if I could only get my shaft supplier to answer his phone....ordered stuff weeks ago and now no word. grrr...
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Great thread! Learned a lot.
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Bringing this one back up.
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TTT season is open
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Thanks for the info!!
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GREAT thread. Thanks