Turkey season is almost upon us here in the Midwest and its gonna be a cool start. I have yet to ever shoot a turkey with a bow, still stick with a shotgun. How many here on Tradgang have had luck harvesting a turkey with trad gear. Do you use a blind or some sort of natural cover, I rarely hunt from a blind with a gun usually just use natural cover.
In the last four years I've killed both a Spring and Fall bird with my trad gear. Two were by stalking. It's very exciting to get one even moreso when you take one in the open on the ground.
I've had a lot of close calls, and three successful harvests. Set up and decoy quality is key. I had a lot of birds skirt outside my range with my shotgun decoys(they all would have been dead with a scattergun). I plan on trying with the tadgear again this year.
I'm hexed when it comes to turkeys with a stick and string. Many, many with the shotgun. I've hunted them with a recurve/longbow for about 15 years, off and on, and with trad gear only the last 4 years. So... it has been 5 years now since I've killed one.
It will be trad gear only this year. I would not go back to a shotgun as I still get some turkey by calling for my grandkids (while they hunt with a shotgun).
The bow is just too much fun!
Put the gun down 2 years ago, and I'm 1 for 2 first year it was almost too easy, last season I put more birds in my lap than I ever have in 20 years of turkey hunting but... I was one missing fool haha!
I am one for two, I hunted them two times and shot one with a stickbow. The first time I had one coming into the set at ten yards and our beagle decided to help me by joining the hunt. Turkeys have always been easy, too easy. Years ago I would call them in just to see their reaction to the decoys. I have guided several people over the years that wanted me to call them in. I think we have an advantage in the mountains. If you find one to gobble, you can bet were he will come to a mouth call by the terrain. Elk, on the other hand, avoid me. I am cursed.