45 min shotgun hunt last year, Bowhunting this year??

it flies it dies · 02-27-2006, 08:20 PM

ok, so last year, I went turkey hunting for the first time. I wanted to go with the bow then, but I had my doubts about whether I could pull it off... after all, i had heard they were tuff to get with the shotgun, and being that it was my first time I elected to go with the gun. after months of patterning and scouting the birds I was to hunt, i couldn't wait til opening day... then it came and I set out for a long, tuff hunt.... 45 minutes and one 23lb tom with a 9 inch beard later i was kicking myself for not going with my bow.... anyway, to my point... this year I decided that I am going to use my bow, but I have only a slight idea of how to set up my bow for turkey hunting. Is there anything special that I need to know about bowhunting the turkeys vs. gunning them? Right now i have a Hoyt MT Sport set at about a 70lb draw weight. I use carbon express arrows and 4 blade 90 grain Muzzy broadheads. Do I need anything special? I thought about getting the gobbler guillotine, but i am not sure about how they would work if I was to take a body shot vs. head shot...

Thanks for any help oradviceyou can give,

It flies it dies

killmeatm · 02-28-2006, 10:04 AM

I turn my mathews down to 60 pounds and shoot the spitfire mechanical broadheads because they hav a very large cutting diameter. I don't see where the muzzy 4 blades wouldn't work but I like the bigger cutting diameter of the expanding broadheads. Don't expect every turkey hunt to be a 45 min. hunt, when I first started turkey hunting I killed my first turkey on a friday afternoon and my second one the next day about 1:00. I thought turkey hunting was the easiest thing to hunt you just sit down call a couple of times and they come running. It hasn't been near that easy for the past 10 years.

TeeJay · 02-28-2006, 10:47 AM

It is a challenge. You have to learn where and when to shoot them. They are decieving when in full strut! The guillatine, well do what you will I dont and wont shoot them. They are awkward, take a different arrow, and are spendy! Like the post above I would recomend getting a retractable head with a BIG cutting dia. The head that is way to big and flimsy for deer, usually makes a nice Turkey head.

deer-hunter18 · 02-28-2006, 12:30 PM

It is not like a deer, you don't want a pass through. You want the arrow to stay in the turkey. I always used Thunder head 125's with an adder point behind it, but i have never shot a turkey with it

. I cant get them close enough.

Good luck they are very hard to get with a bow.

Mr. Longbeard · 02-28-2006, 02:36 PM

I'd lower the weight down a lot... Around 50 pounds...

Criggster · 02-28-2006, 05:24 PM

The first turkey I called in was on my first spring hunt. It took all of 10 minutes, and my buddy had a second one on the ground 50 yards from that spot 10 minutes later!! It was and still is the fastest and best hunt I have ever been on for spring gobblers. Fast forward 6 years later. The hunt I just spoke of has only replayed twice since then.

So, Iwill bet that you had some great beginner luck, andyou WILL be humbled if you continue to hunt these elusive birds. Good luck no matter what you pursue them with (except a rifle).

fl.huntress · 02-28-2006, 06:49 PM

i'm bringin' both my bow and my gun but my goal is to get the first one with the bow...but i'll have my gun in case a nice gobbler comes by out of bow range....i hope you get one...i've been tryin' and tryin'...just can't seem to get the job done....when you get one with your bow you should definitely think about having it mounted...especially if it's a monster....good luck and be safe.