Well my spring turkey season started off by haveing a bird at 22 yds without a clear shot and a trespassing neighbor runnin him off. My time is limited and all the people around me think im nuts for useing a long bow. Anyone else ever get the itch to get out the shot gun?
Keep the faith in your bow, and prosecute the trespassing neighbor.
use what you want.
When you're ready to quit....remember why you held on so long...
Use that shotgun on the trespasser and you won't be able to go turkey hunting for a while.
Be patient and stick with your longbow and birds :)
Use what you want man. It should be fun
What's more important to you ? Harvesting a turkey each year, or first (among the buddies) or hunting them your way, enjoying the hell out of your hunt time (and maybe not getting one at all) ?
If the first, dig out the shotgun. If the last, enjoy smelling the roses and carry your stick.
ChuckC
I missed two turkeys yesterday with my longbow. Both would have been extremely dead with a shotgun. Use what you want, but the longbow gives you more time to observe the birds and enjoy your time afield. For me, missing two birds with a bow trumps killing one with a shotgun.
QuoteOriginally posted by ChuckC:
What's more important to you ? Harvesting a turkey each year, or first (among the buddies) or hunting them your way, enjoying the hell out of your hunt time (and maybe not getting one at all) ?
If the first, dig out the shotgun. If the last, enjoy smelling the roses and carry your stick.
ChuckC
Absolutely right. If the result is your main concern, then the most effective method is probably the shotgun. If the experience holds more value than the meat, then there is no better way to hunt than with your stick and string.
Either way, the choice is yours and yours alone.
In my experience of turkey hunting I have had just as much success with my bow as with a shotgun... :rolleyes:
;)
I took my scattergun this year because I am losing my lease and thought I would up my chances. It sat in my camper the whole 4 day hunt. That was near the start of the season. I did not even bother to take it the rest of the season!
Btw, I would have had at least 2 more birds had I taken it to be blind and used it! I do not regret that one bit!
Bisch
Had another shot this year and went right through the fan. Swing and a miss. Certainly would have gotten it with a shotgun and probably most every year but nowhere near the same experience. After listening to them gobble for the first hour in the tree then the fly down. The next two hours I waited patiently in the blind I constructed while the boss hen took over the calling almost continuously a couple hundred yards away. They finally began moving but were heading away. I knew they were following a cleared forest trail so I decided to head them off. I got to the trail ahead of them but they were only 50 yds away and coming. I was on my knees 8 yds off the trail when they cleared the small knoll with the hen leading and still squacking. She saw the glint of my bow since the sun was facing me and turned with the tom still fanned out. I got a shot through some small growth white pine at the buthole as he turned to leave. 4" high got me nothing.....but a whole lot of excitement. They scattered with a few flying up in the trees and other moved 10 yds off and still strutting.For the next 30 minutes they surrounded me not knowing what happened, as I called to try to bring them in to no avail. That certainly would not have happened after a shotgun blast. A great day in the woods with my 68" Northern Mist with absolutely no thoughts of returning to the gun.
Fact is, turkeys aren't that hard to kill with a gun. I can't go into all of the details of my turkey this year, but I took a buddy who's never shot one.....he got his and the other two birds hesitated.....I could've easily shwapped mine with an arrow. If it wasn't for the moment and being able to double, it'd been the bow no doubt later in the week. I mean I even had to turn around and grab the thing off the tree it was leaning on. Fun for the moment, but not how I wanted it.
I gave up on the gun a few years ago,not fun for me anymore. Just do whatever makes you happy.
I have used a gun when long trips were involved. My wife pressures me to bring home game. I think she has some sort of primal way of thinking. I hate it when I here stuff like "that was a long way to go just to sit in the woods". So I take a sure thing to harvest whatever as not to cause marital discord if you know what I mean.
well im back in the blind as we speak my trinity rogue long bow leaned in front of me and the old double barrel sits in her case at home. thanks guys
:clapper: :clapper:
"There is no great fun, satisfaction, or joy derived from doing something that's easy."
I remember the last deer I shot with a rifle. I looked at the dead deer, looked at the gun in my hands, then decided I could never do that again. The thrill was gone.
If you get a kick from gun hunting, by all means, do it! No regrets. If the day ever comes to give it up, believe me, you will know it.
Have fun and don't worry about it. Good luck!
Good luck.
Hi . I have been hunting turkey in Maryland this week . I am using a long bow , strap on tree seat , and leafey bug suite top .Easey in , easey seat up .Today I worked 2 birds . The first one gave me a shoot I would have taken with a shotgun ,but no bow shot . The second one put on a show for me just out of bow range . It was a great morning , and I have no regrets not having a shotgun .
I have never hunted turkeys in east tx. Just not a lot of them around my area. But I have been hog hunting quite a bit lately on a neighbors property where I have taken dozens of hogs with "other" weapons in the previous years. Gave up the ole smoke pole and training wheels last fall. I have yet to take anything with trad gear. 1 unrecovered hog, several misses on hogs and a missed whitetail! Been busted by several old wise boars in the last month or so. My friends and wife keep asking why I don't just take a gun or the compound. I tell them that NOTHING gives me a rush like I get when I get within range with my longbow. Idc if I get busted or even miss! I enjoy it above all else! And that's what it's about! Do what brings YOU the most enjoyment! Good hunting!!
Just shoot the neighbor....2 birds with one stone!
In all seriousness I would call the game warden @ the very least.
Don't give up on the longbow!
QuoteOriginally posted by Bladepeek:
Use that shotgun on the trespasser and you won't be able to go turkey hunting for a while.
Be patient and stick with your longbow and birds :)
You always have a way with words my friend. :)
Just got my first turkey with the bow after trying off and on since the 1980's. What a rush! I have called in and taken many with the gun. I also don't have a lot of time in the spring to devote to turkey hunting. Hang in there it may only take seconds when it happens.
Bowhunt until the last day, then gather i. Your meat and some raw fletching
Ha I missed two nice Gobblers at ten yes ten stinking yards! A shot that I can make 98% of the time!!!!!!! :thumbsup:
I just got back from my first real wild turkey adventure. i could have taken a dozen nice birds easily with a shot gun. Hunting these things with a bow is one of the most humbling things i've ever hunted. Those birds can read a news paper at 100 yards i swear.... I tried the gilly suit, and used different kinds of camo screens, and got busted a LOT. the wind blowing the bind screen was enough to part those birds like the red sea. The only time i ever got to full draw was in the gilly suit, and the wind decided to blow that grassy stuff over my eyes. i had the hood up and could shoot fine with it, but the wind was not kind to me. i'll bet i saw 60 birds in 3 days of hunting, and never dropped the string on one.
I did have a blast though....If we want to be perfectly honest guys, turkey isn't the best eating stuff anyway. But i suppose if you were real hungry a shot gun would do a better job.
I'd say stick with the bow & enjoy your hunts, and if you want a turkey dinner real bad go buy one of those butter ball turkeys in the store to tide you over until you score.
Thankd everyone. the shot gun is staying home.only saw 1 bird tonight way out to far but the thought of him at long bow distance is enough to.keep me goin. I did get to draw in a hen lol it was cool. good thing i am able to control that release instinct or i woulda been in trouble
Turkey hunting isn't easy no matter what you use. I've never even gotten close with any type of weapon.........
Agree-turkey hunting is not easy. I hate sitting in a blind. I really enjoy still hunting, setting up, moving, and playing the chess game. I sure am impressed when guys consistently are able to harvest toms without the losses- which are all too common.
I know the guy who really is comfortable and fulfilled with bow hunting turks when he does NOT need to explain his lack of a bird was because he was bow hunting.
Bravo to you for trying. I give it a few attempts early each season, then resort to the best turkey call I know in the woods. . . BOOM!
Dan in KS
Up to you, Brandon. Depends on how much time you have to hunt, how many birds you're seeing, if you just want to kill a bird, how frustrated you are.