Turkey Anatomy and Shot Placement

[Guru]

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.

[Flingblade]

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

[Trumpkin the Dwarf]

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.

[redpepper49]

Thanks for the great thread good information .

[Terry Green]

I have added Curt's info to the Shot Placement thread featured at the top of the PowWow.    

[JWA]

These pics were very helpful especially the turkey ones. Thanks for sharing this imformation.
John

[Altiman94]

We ought to make this a sticky...very helpful.  I will need to review this thread once again come spring.

[Guru]

Since the seasons are here, I thought I'd bring this ttt to hopefully help some of my fellow archers.

[AkDan]

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!!!

[Guru]

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  

[highPlains]

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.

[FarmerMarley]

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!

[AkDan]

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...

[TWP]

Great thread! Learned a lot.

[magnus]

Bringing this one back up.

[Dirtybird]

TTT season is open

[Gen273]

Thanks for the info!!

[awbowman]

GREAT thread.  Thanks