Longbow Turkeys

[lifeandlongbows]

Hey Gang...I'm new to turkey hunting and to this board as well. Heard from West Augusta this was the forum to be on if you caught the bug. I'm a longbow guy and turkeys are my newest addiction. I hunted late season here in Michigan and had some incredible experiences. Missed a jake and tom after two incredible stalks and a lot of purrring and cutting. I've never had so much fun hunting in my life.

Anyone else use a longbow??

I'm a public land guy too. I don't have any private to hunt unfortunately. Anyways just saying hello!

[West Augusta]

Stalk turkeys with a longbow?  Wow.  Just to draw the bow without a blind is a major accomplishment. Welcome to the roost. Hope to see some dead turkeys with arrows in em.

[lifeandlongbows]

  oh trust me....it wasn't easy. I missed a sex-crazed jake distracted by a hen. Put one threw the tail feathers and ruffled him a bit. Got busted at 25 drawing on a beautiful Tom...by his buddy. I suspect it was my bright fletching. Its been trial by fire thus far. Hoping to learn a lot from yall.

[West Augusta]

Wing feathers make good fletching. Just saying. 

[jbuchin3]

   Like I told you...its like Trad bows...more than just a passion....  and to get to draw on turkeys more than once, after getting within bow range, in the open....I see dead turkeys in your future.  I'll make you a deal...you kill your first one, spring or fall, and I'll do the tail mount for ya...

[Shadetree Callers]

I took my first turkey with a bow when I was 15. I used the bow I learned with, a Bear Kodiak and Bear cedar arrows tipped with Zwickeys. I practiced with that bow every minute I wasn't at work on the farm. Killed my first whitetail with it also and I was heck on the small game on our farm .

[lifeandlongbows]

 Like I told you...its like Trad bows...more than just a passion....  and to get to draw on turkeys more than once, after getting within bow range, in the open....I see dead turkeys in your future.  I'll make you a deal...you kill your first one, spring or fall, and I'll do the tail mount for ya...

Thanks buddy! There are dead turkey's in OUR future. You'll be bagging one yourself now that you're on the path. I really thought about taking my 20 gauge, but I just couldn't do it. I'm a traditional bowhunter. I've never been anything else.

Shadetree...do you still hunt with a recurve? If not, that is pretty impressive. Why'd you stop?

[RW Mackey]

  Welcome aboard, never cared for a longbow, but have shot Recurves all my life. I missed a Longbeard this year at nine steps, that's why I love Traditional Bows, it's never guaranteed. I've shot a truckload of Turkeys over the years, most were shot out of a blind of sorts. My advice, get one of Johns pot calls, and practice till its second nature. Invest in a good portable blind and some Dave Smith decoys, hunting Turkeys is fun, actually killing some is even better.

Roy

[lifeandlongbows]

Got one. And several of ghost5's. I'm practicing a lot. I really got a lot in on Friday on a Tom I missed at 30. 

I'm a longbow guy. Never cared for curves much. I like an R/D longbow though. This one is "Josey". 62" 50@28. Osage and cherry. Previous owner had turkey tracks penned on her custom. I found my first dusting area the day I tried her out stump shooting.

I don't have a popup because I hunt public and can't leave it there. I have one hen decoy...a Hunter's Specialties. Probably not very good.

[RW Mackey]

  If you notice, I never said pop up blinds, I do use them occasionally on private property, but there are several more portable options for us bowhunters. I'm not great at computers, but I will try to get some pics up of my run and gun set up. It's a two sided blind, two 5 X 5 pop out sections that forms a V shape. Weighs about 3.5# and sets up really fast, probably can be hunting in two minutes from start.
  Turkey hunting will definitely humble you, add a bow and it gets really hard, choose Trad equipment and its just about the ultimate.

Roy

[lifeandlongbows]

  If you notice, I never said pop up blinds, I do use them occasionally on private property, but there are several more portable options for us bowhunters. I'm not great at computers, but I will try to get some pics up of my run and gun set up. It's a two sided blind, two 5 X 5 pop out sections that forms a V shape. Weighs about 3.5# and sets up really fast, probably can be hunting in two minutes from start.
  Turkey hunting will definitely humble you, add a bow and it gets really hard, choose Trad equipment and its just about the ultimate.

Roy

Ohhhhhhh!!! I know what you're talking about! I would love to see pics or even a link when you get the chance! I've always been told turkey's spot things out of the ordinary very well. Especially somewhere they frequent often. These work fairly well then huh?

I usually carry camo netting with me and kind of string it between two saplings or something but I'd LOVE to have something that would work when THAT isn't available.

[RW Mackey]

Here is a pic of my run & gun set up. Two sided blind and the decoys I use. I always use a jake early in the season.
The longbeards will just hammer the jake decoy, pay very little attention to the hen.  Takes very little time to set up,
Turkeys don't pay any attention to a ground blind, at least in all the places I have hunted. I try to set up with background cover and stick a couple of branches in front just to break it up.

Roy

[lifeandlongbows]

Thanks!!! That looks fairly simple and very mobile! Man those decoys are awesome. I'll have to look into it.

[Shadetree Callers]

I used traditional equipment for years before switching to a recurve compound bow . Had to take a break from the bow for a couple years to let my shoulders heal up and I started back with a new Bear compound and , knock on wood , my shoulders are still holding up . I have harvested more than 200 deer with a bow and well over 100 turkeys with one in my time . When I was young , ammo was expensive, but I could re-shoot arrows over and over so I got proficient with my gear . Tried tournaments but that just isn't my thing i Guess . I love the bow and will always choose it over my gun when appropriate .

[RW Mackey]

  Bob, sounds like you have been shooting a bow as long as I have.  Glad your shoulders came around for you, I had to have some cortisone injections in mine more than once. They helped a bunch, have dropped back in weight but can still shoot 50 to 54#, which is enough for what I hunt. I shoot a 58", 47# Recurve for Turkeys, does a nice job when you hit them.

 

Roy