If you are looking for an adventurous hunting experience or you are fed up of hunting with your gun, then bow hunting is probably a good option for you. Bow hunting a turkey offers the excitement, thrill and adventure of hunting. You must remember that bow hunting a turkey is altogether different from bow hunting an elk, a pig or a whitetail. You can acquire the skill of bow hunting with a little practice. However, you should learn a few basics before you actually go for bow hunting.
Spring and fall are considered ideal seasons for turkey hunting. However, you need to acquire a permit for hunting turkey. In the fall, you can choose any day in the season to hunt turkeys within the permitted zone. In spring, your permit would allow you to hunt only for a single day out of the 5-turkey hunting days, and that too within the specified area. Turkeys are likely to be found in open pastures. Once you have made up your mind to go for wild turkey bow hunting, you should prepare yourself for it, because bow hunting requires immense patience and a lot of practice.
Choosing a Proper Bow and Arrow
The bow has to be designed especially for hunting turkey. Choose the bow’s draw weight so that it won’t interfere with your ability to place shot. Draw weight can be reduced in some cases by the alteration of limb bolts due to vibrations during the shot. You can use a bow scale to select the right bow. Try shooting your broad heads well before hunting, because the birds will not give you a second chance. Change the color of your arrow fletching to a natural hue. Use bow holders so that your hands are free for slate call.
Practice
Before you go out for hunting, you should practice bow hunting at your range. Consider the challenges that you are likely to face while actually hunting, like trees or other obstacles and practice accordingly. Practice archery wearing the hunting gear to ‘feel’ the real experience. Most archers are used to popping arrow after arrow inside a quarter from 15 to 20 yards, but turkey hunting won’t give you that privilege.
Getting Ready
Do not consider shooting directly through the turkey, instead, concentrate on immobilizing the bird. Drawing on the bird is the most difficult job as the bird can easily pick your movement. The bird will likely try to fly away if the arrow goes through it. Striking the arrow in the wing or on the leg will immobilize the bird.
Shooting
When the arrow hits the target, approach cautiously. As turkeys do not bleed heavily, it becomes difficult to trace them if they fly away. In such case, look for a landmark if the bird has entered the wood. Even if you think that the arrow has critically injured the turkey, do not rush to it, as there are still chances that the bird might run for cover. Approach the bird only when it has ceased to move.
If you succeed at bow hunting a turkey, you won’t resort to any other hunting practice. And even if you don’t, the exhilaration and the excitement of bow hunting will definitely bring you back in the next turkey hunting season.
