What do you use for turkeys?

[James Wrenn]

I have played all day trying to get set up for turkey season.I am going to use my warfbow this year because it is no way to fit the longbow in my blind. I think I am going to use the Easton Excels and a 125 snuffer.I am a bit concerned that I am under 400 gns on my arrows but it should be ok for turkeys.What kind of setup do you guys use for birds?This will be the first time I have used a recurve but it works out of the blind better that most of my other bows with metal handles. :)

[Bob Gordon]

I think I'm going to use my 48 lb warfer that I use for 3-D with a big Rocky Mountain Razor compound type three bladed broadhead, should work fine for a nice dumb tom. I will be wearing my track shoes as the birds I hit all seem to want to run the mile and I have to run them down. Getti'n to old for this track star stuff!!...warf

[James Wrenn]

I hear ya Bob.I got this thing backed down to 45lbs so I can get it back in the blind.I have to kinda pull it back in stages because the blind is sort of tight with this long of a bow.I have got so use to these metal risers I hate to use one of my other bows right now. ;) My short ones only weight about 12 onces. With this light weight I can work it around in there at half draw until I get right. :lol:

[Pinelander]

I'm going to use the Warfer with 43# limbs. Beman's only weigh-in at 340 grains, but they're fast. Haven't chosen a broadhead yet, but will be a 3-blader. Some hen decoys and a jake will accompany me every morning. A 3-pin sight is on the bow... decoys setup at specific yardages will provide distance markers of sorts. A high level of patience throughout the morning (late season tag) and ability to hit with near pinpoint accuracy is my goal.

[easternhunter]

i WON'T BE USING ANYTHING, CUZ WE DON'T HAVE TURKEYS UP HERE!!!! :waaah:

[James Wrenn]

Piney we don't have many turkeys on the land I can hunt.Often you see a lot in the fall but by spring they are all up the road about 3 miles where there is more feilds and open places.Our land is all varied stages of cutovers and hardwoods.This fall we plowed and planted several smaller food plots in hopes of keeping some there.We are 2 weeks away and there is a lot of fresh sign in all of them but one is really good.I am going to sit on it about like deer hunting openning day.These birds are real educated to calls so I am hoping more for the guy that likes to strut there later in the morning showing up. :) I am going for the day to wait him out.lol

[Pinelander]

Yeah, they definitely like to get out in the open fields soon after fly-down. And we surely have lots of those around here...

An all-morning hunt can pay-off sometimes. Maybe this little story will keep ya out there a bit longer, if not for a few laughs at least....

It was early May in '85 and I had worked several different toms that morning with no success. At 10:00 decided to go across the creek, setup deke in set-aside field. Started doing some LOUD yelping sessions with double-diaghram... on for a minute or two, then off for about five minutes. About 30 minutes later, I had just started another seires of loud, racious yelping and saw movement in the field to my right. Big boy was half-puffed up, kind of crouching as his hurriedly walked a bee-line towards the deke. He had never gobbled once... just snuck right in. Well, he stopped right in front of the deke... I let one fly right over his back and hit that hollow-bodied plastic decoy! WHACK!!! nearly a pass-through, hehe.... He nearly fell over backwards when he jumped about a foot in the air. Then he just stood there and looked around, long enough for me to nock another arrow. Second one whizzed right by his head so close nearly gave him a crew-cut... he knew then it was time to hit the road jack. What a wonderful day afield. :D

[tuffshot]

#5 hevi shot :D Sorry guys just couldn't resist :p

[Pinelander]

I used #6 buffered, heavy loads for many years...
just got to be too much like, well... like a "turkey shoot". ;)

[James Wrenn]

I used the #5s on my first (and only) turkey but have been trying to get a shot at one with a longbow for the last 2 years.Just not enough birds to make it happen so far.Maybe this year I will get lucky and can let go an arrow with the warfbow. :) Don't you just hate it when one hangs up where all you can do is watch the show with no hole for an arrow to get there! :mistake:

[tuffshot]

If you guys decide to go for the shotgun this year, try a box of Remington Hevi Shot it comes in #4, #5 and #6 shot and can be found @ Wally-World for 20 bucks for a box of 10 shells. They are expencive but I highly reccommend them.

I haven't tried any yet but Winchester is also making their version of a heavy shot load that might be worth a "Shot" also :)

I did kill a turkey with my recurve last fall so I may try it again, but I would like to get a partner to do the calling for me.

[SteveMcD]

Well.. I am new here. But, they say confession is good for the soul! Last year I didn't get out because of timing on surergy. In 2004, I had my broadhead fly right under the big Gobblers legs!!!!!!!!!!! :mistake: I am thankful that was it! This year we'll see. Will be using a 52#@28 Reverse Handle Longbow, 55-60 Parallel Cedar Arrows and Magnus II broadheads. Hopefully ........ :shooting:

[Pinelander]

Hehe... that can be done by anyone. Probably more so by a compounder that doesn't know how to use his pins at very close yardage.

Years ago, my buddy (compound) and I (camera), were hunkered behind some bushes. About 10am, here's come big tom all puffed-up and strutting next to a deke not more than 7 yards away. Buddy lands first shot right between the legs! Nocks another arrow and lands one in the SAME place! I was ducking behind the cover ROTLGLMAO in between each missed shot... I never even got a picture of that fiasco. LOL

Good luck to ya this season, Steve. They sure are one the biggest challenges and mysteries in big game hunting. Yes... I view them as big game. Not for their size, but for the "big game" we must play to finally succeed.

[James Wrenn]

Well my openning day did not go like I planned. :) No birds to be seen or heard.It was cool and rainy then the wind blew about 30 mph the rest of the day.They would have to stick there head in the window for me to hear a gobble. :lol:
My buddy got lucky and took a jake that morning.His first turkey and he got a good 7yd shot.We had his blind setup in a thick pine bottom close to where we thought some were roosting.It work out great with the bad weather as they seemed to stay in that bottom instead of coming out into the food plots.Oh well I will try it again about Friday and see if the weather is better.

[Pinelander]

Have patience James and stick one! I learned a long time ago that gobbling from roost and after fly-down is much less on cold rainy days. But don't be too discouraged when the wind is up. I've seen 'em fanned out in open fields on VERY windy days. The wind catches their fans where you'd think it would blow 'em over... but they keep on struttin' anyways. :D

"They would have to stick there head in the window for me to hear a gobble"

Hehe... needed to be downwind of roosting area. Amazing how the wind carries the sound, and also very confusing when they keep turning different directions while still on roost. One gobble sounds like he's real close, the next gobble sounds like he's a lot further away.

[James Wrenn]

Yeah Piney as long as some are there I will keep trying.My buddy heard a bigger bird that morning after he shot the jake so I know one is still there. :) They have moved some from where the most activity was 2 weeks ago but are still close to an area I can hunt.Often they move off our property to different land where I can't hunt when they start nesting and that is what shuts me down. :( Just need more land and more birds! :lol:

[SteveMcD]

Piney, Jim, Bob... I find the hardest thing about turkeys is getting to draw without getting busted!

Best of Luck! :shooting:

[swampy]

I,ll be useing my hummingbird LB with phantom BH,s.couldn,t get the big snuffers to fly well and I,ve never hunted turkeys with a landcannon.

Good luck guys our season doesn,t open till May

[Pinelander]

Good luck to all... Swampy's goin' after 'em too!

James, how's it been going? you hunting all week or what?

When and how long is season open for everyone?

Steve, ain't that the truth. Hearsay is that Bob doesn't need a blind, turkeys out there are so dumb they actually strut right up to him and challenge that over-sized bird. LOL

I've decided to procure a blind soon and do some practice shooting out of it. Might do a bit of hide-n-seek down near the creek, buts odds will be much better out in the field inside a blind. My buddy's season runs through this coming weekend and I'll get some early scouting reports no doubt. When he's done, I'll then have it to myself and do early morning reconnaissance before work during the weeks prior to my late season May 5-12.

[James Wrenn]

Piney I have not been this week.I plan on going Friday morning if things work out on the job.Our season last about 5 weeks and this is the first week.I hope my new warbow riser gets here tomorrow so I can use it Friday. :)

[swampy]

Our season runs for the whole month of May from sun rise till noon with a 2 bird limit for the season.

As for blinds my wife made me 2 10' walls that have 2 windows each 1' down from the top.I liketa set it so I can shoot over if standing and thru the windows while sitting.

Genrally I go out with my nieghbor who does the calling and carries a more effective weapon than I LOL. I get first crack if I,ve got a shot and he backs me up should I mmmmmmiiiii.................HAHAHAHAHAHA

[Pinelander]

Several items of good news this week... buddy at work is gonna let me borrow his Double-Bull, very cool... no need to buy one just to use for a max. of 6 days.

My huntin' buddy out at the farm tagged one this morning with shotgun. Said the main flock was at north end of field as usual and he called 2 toms down to his position. Bird was just over 20 lbs. with 10" beard. Said the other one was a big boy too and the main part of flock stayed up to the north end of field. Seems logical, as they roost in big oaks just east of there.

Sounds like DB blind at north end of field will do nicely. Now for a bit of silent spying and photography during the next 2 weekends before it's my turn. :)

[Pinelander]

Oh, one other thing... I'm gonna have to make sure EVERYTHING (bow, shirt, headnet, etc. is BLACK. With all black inside the blind, movement won't get picked up as easily. Think I'll fletch-up arrows with blue feathers.

What about bow limbs? These silver FITA's are gonna have to get covered-up one way or another. Maybe some of the wife's old worn out black hosiery would work? Ahaaa... I see the limbskins are available in Black.

[CallMaker]

Well, I won't be going today 'cause it's been raining so long my goldfish want to go outside to play...

However, when I do get out I'll be using my 47" wapiti recurve with 1916 aluminum shafts. Broadheads are a collection of whatever multi-bladed I collect during the year. Bow is fitted with a string tracker and I cannot promote the use of this device enough. These birds are hard to anchor with a bow, don't bleed much and hide well. The string tracker improves recovery by about a zillion percent. :amen:

Will be hunting out of my Double Bull blind and a couple permanent blinds I have built.

[Pinelander]

Making Whoopy?!?!? :D

Think this will work late season when most hens are starting to nest?


:luck: ... Ed

That's not a typo is it? 47" bow? wow... now that's a REAL shorty!

[CallMaker]

Of course that's a typo. The "too many thumbs" syndrome I had just gotten out of bed, grave shift, hate them. Should read 47# (60" bow). Though I did shoot a 48" Bear for a while, some advantage to be a short draw person. Good for hunting out of blinds with those short bows.

Like the picture. I don't see why a little implied sex will not result in dead birds...

To me it seems that I have better luck calling later in the season in any case. That's why I'm not crushed about staying at home today...