# Turkey questions



## ckamanao (Mar 20, 2010)

I'm in the Police Academy and a couple of my classmates are talking about going turkey hunting this spring. I'd like to get a tag and use my bow but I have a couple of questions about it. I currently have my bow set at #72, is this too heavy? Do i need to dial it down or just shoot a different bow? Also, what arrow head should I use? The guys I'm going with are both experienced callers so I'm not worried about that. Thanks for any help.


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## Puddler (Apr 30, 2009)

Pickup one of these bad boys and slice that head clean off.

http://www.arrowds.com/guillotine/guillotine.htm

Even if you don't buy the broadhead you've got to at least watch some of the video's on the site. o-||


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## ut1031 (Sep 13, 2007)

If you can easily draw from a sitting position then use it as is, otherwise, back it off.


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2011)

i'd turn it down to around 60-65 lbs. i also wouldnt shoot a guillotine if you arent very experienced with them or if this is your first rodeo with turkeys. shoot a large cutting broadhead. Rockets or Rages work great on them. aim for the body, but remember "hit him low, he'll go. hit him high, he dies". aim for the wing butt on a broadside shot. @$$ whack him if hes struttin facing away. through the back if hes walkin away. or right above his beard if he is facing you.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Bah! A head shot is the only way to go. I've seen SOOOOO many birds get R.B.I'd with a body shot it's not funny. Their head is about the same size as the vital area anyway. If you miss, you miss clean. If you hit him, he's dead. Period. If you can't hit em in the head with a bow, use a shotgun! Besides, turkeys are BIRDS, you shoot BIRDS with a shotgun. :O•-: 

* R.B.I = Running Bird Injured


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## ckamanao (Mar 20, 2010)

How far away can the G.G. broadhead be used? It seems to be a pretty close range head, within 20 yards?


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2011)

they are defintely not designed to launch bombs. 15 yards and under....


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

I am not a bow hunter for reasons we won't get into at this time, and this is probably a stupid question, but why don't you bow hunters use a "reel and line" like they use for fishing with a bow on these turkeys...seems to me that would virtually eliminate this..R.B.I. business??


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> I am not a bow hunter for reasons we won't get into at this time, and this is probably a stupid question, but why don't you bow hunters use a "reel and line" like they use for fishing with a bow on these turkeys...seems to me that would virtually eliminate this..R.B.I. business??


 :lol: I know you have held down a flopping tom that you clobbered in the head, remember how strong they flop, now imagine just wounding that sucker and him taking off running, better wear gloves to prevent rope burns. :lol:

If you bow hunt, it is helpful to get a ground blind and hunt out of it.


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## Shockgobble (Apr 22, 2010)

BPturkeys said:


> I am not a bow hunter for reasons we won't get into at this time, and this is probably a stupid question, but why don't you bow hunters use a "reel and line" like they use for fishing with a bow on these turkeys...seems to me that would virtually eliminate this..R.B.I. business??


To me, if you need a "trap" to ensure your game doesn't get away after taking a shot, then you probably are taking a horrible shot. Plus it would be a mess to either pick up all that string and or trying to reel him in across dry land like a Blue Marlin deep sea fishing. Turkeys can haul a$$, they would snap that line around a tree or be dragging 40 yards of line to get caught up in. To me, there are too many variables to make a mess. Like Tex said, just make a good shot and he will drop and flop.


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## ckamanao (Mar 20, 2010)

TEX,
what kind of broadhead would you use for that head shot?


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Well, I hadn't really envisioned a classic battle between you and the turkey at the end of a pole, I sort of envisioned the line just stopping his running off long enough that the hunter could run out and get a foot on his neck. Just a thought. 
I have read that native Americans used to dig pits and hide under cover in ambush of turkeys. As the birds walked by, the hunter would reach up and grab the bird by the legs..now that would be a battle! Most of us have grabbed a not quite dead by the legs(normally you only do this once) only to take quite a beating from those wings. Those where real men back then, either that or they were a lot hungrier than we are today.


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

I just use my deer broadheads. I practice all year with my set up and I prefer one simple, kill all, set up. I haven't shot a bird yet though so take that for what it's worth. I would try a head shot but the bird would have to be within 20 for me.


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2011)

BPturkeys said:


> I am not a bow hunter for reasons we won't get into at this time, and this is probably a stupid question, but why don't you bow hunters use a "reel and line" like they use for fishing with a bow on these turkeys...seems to me that would virtually eliminate this..R.B.I. business??


i have always wanted to try this! i just dont know if it would work out to well 


bullsnot said:


> I just use my deer broadheads. I practice all year with my set up and I prefer one simple, kill all, set up. I haven't shot a bird yet though so take that for what it's worth. I would try a head shot but the bird would have to be within 20 for me.


i really would not take a head shot with this being your first experience. hit one correctly in the body and they wont go far. ive killed 18 turkeys with my bow, 16 were shot in the body and all traveled less then 20 yards before they tipped over. its just like any other animal, if you hit it well, it will die.


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## sagebrush (Sep 8, 2007)

if you want to use the Arrowdynamic Solutions Gobbler Guillotine, or the magnus bullhead turkey broadhead you will need to use a different than what you use for hunting. this is so that the broadhead will fly like your normal broadheads. 
do a google search on this, the arrows are like $10.00 apiece no more than any other quailty arrow.

also your arrows need to be about 3" longer than what you normally would use to clear your sights.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

ckamanao said:


> TEX,
> what kind of broadhead would you use for that head shot?


Any broadhead will work fine, just make sure it flies good. I wouldn't use a broadhead, I'd use a big steel blunt. Or may be something like this...


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## bullsnot (Aug 10, 2010)

kill_'em_all said:


> bullsnot said:
> 
> 
> > I just use my deer broadheads. I practice all year with my set up and I prefer one simple, kill all, set up. I haven't shot a bird yet though so take that for what it's worth. I would try a head shot but the bird would have to be within 20 for me.
> ...


Just curious but why would it matter if I've never shot a turkey with my bow before? I kill grouse all the time with my bow and lop their heads off without a problem. I'm not the best marksman in the world...but within 20 yrds I can hold my own.


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## Guest (Mar 7, 2011)

bullsnot said:


> kill_'em_all said:
> 
> 
> > bullsnot said:
> ...


you do whatever you want. all im saying is the body is a bigger target for someone who has never done this before. you can still "miss" on a body shot and still kill the bird. more room for error and still be successful.


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## ckamanao (Mar 20, 2010)

do you guys think G5's T3 would be ok for a body shot on a turkey? its what i use for deer and elk but i'm wondering if they will expand properly with a thin skinned bird.


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## Guest (Mar 8, 2011)

you bet they will open. those are another good broadhead that i like. i shot a goose with one in november and it opened up just like it should, so a turkey should be no problem


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## bowhunter76 (Sep 10, 2007)

Last year I hunted turkeys for the first time and used a bow. I used the guillotine broadhead and the turkey was at 22 yds. The head was not totally separated but it did the job. The turkey didn't move from the spot I shot it. I plan on doing it again this year.


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