Should You Try Bowhunting Turkey?

Whether you typically shoot turkeys with a gun or you're getting ready for your first turkey hunt, hunting with a bow is a challenge many hunters embrace. 

Archery hunting spring turkey has become more popular, but it's not easy. Getting a bead on a tom with a shotgun can be hard enough, but that challenge becomes significantly higher when you decide to do it with your bow. With a little preparation and the right archery, decoying, and calling gear, getting a close shot on a turkey with a bow is easier than you think. 

So, if you love bowhunting whitetail, here are a few reasons why you will love bowhunting for turkeys.

The Beauty of the Bow

Bowhunting turkeys is similar to bowhunting deer. Bowhunters can use the same equipment used on a deer hunt or when hunting other big game animals – it just takes some tweaking to adapt and get set up to rock and roll once spring rolls around. 

You don't have to break the bank by buying all new gear just to hunt turkeys. Shooting turkey the "old fashioned" way with a stick and string comes with plenty of challenges, but it's also a thing of beauty to harvest your turkey with this weapon choice. 

However, bowhunters do not have the luxury of using run-and-gun tactics like the typical shotgun hunter. You must know the land, how the gobblers use the land, and how to ambush the turkeys from natural cover or a ground blind. Mastering the fundamental differences between a bow and a shotgun for hunting turkeys requires understanding shot placement, effective range, and setup.

What You Need for Bowhunting Success

Bowhunting seasons for turkeys are often generous, offered in spring, fall, and winter, state depending. While turkey hunting might seem as simple as setting up your blind and calling until a gobbler struts in, there's much more that goes into a successful turkey bow hunt. 

Here are some of the basics for successfully getting into bowhunting turkey.

Bows and Broadheads

If you already have a bow, arrows, and broadheads you use for deer hunting, you can use the same gear for turkeys. However, some bowhunters prefer broadheads made specifically for turkeys. 

Next, while a shorter axle-to-axle bow length and less poundage can work better for hunting turkey, you don't need a special "turkey" bow. Shorter bows can simply be more manageable in a tight space like a hunting blind. However, ensuring a kill is often easier with the biggest mechanical broadhead you can find. 

For turkeys, think of close shots and large cutting diameter broadheads to improve the likelihood of hitting the small vitals.

Camo Clothing

It is said that a turkey's eyesight is five times better than that of humans. Their 80-degree peripheral vision and color vision help turkeys see the woods in great detail. To fool that keen eyesight, hunters need full-coverage camo that helps them blend in with the surroundings. 

This includes face paint or, a facemask, and camouflage hat, gloves, pants, and long sleeves. Additionally, because the turkey's head is red, white, and blue, for safety, never wear those colors while hunting them.

A Hunting Blind

Bowhunters must exert more movement than hunters using guns. With a turkey in sight, you'll need to raise your bow, reach full draw, and then release an arrow, which can be challenging without a turkey noticing your movement. So, most bowhunters conceal themselves and their movements by hunting from a ground blind. 

However, unlike when hunting deer, you don't need to set up your pop-up ground blind days (or even weeks) ahead of the day you plan to hunt. 

You can pop up a ground blind literally minutes before turkeys walk within feet of you – and they won't pay any attention to the blind. Make sure your blind is big enough to accommodate the archery motions described above so you don't hit the walls or stick out of the blind and create additional movement a turkey might see. 

Also, be mindful of the weight of your blind. Depending on how far you need to walk to get to the hunting spots you marked ahead of time, a heavy blind can wear you out before you get there.

Calls

You can't shoot a bow while holding or using a call, so hands-free diaphragm calls are a necessity. Pick one up and learn to make the basic yelp, purr, and cutt sounds. 

However, calling is not a substitute for scouting. 

No matter how good of a turkey caller you are, you can't call a bird where he does not want to go. Make sure you're in a spot you've pre-scouted as a place turkeys roost or frequent. Then, use calls to get the attention of turkeys and trigger them to search or pursue your decoys.

Decoys

For bowhunters, the use of decoys is almost mandatory. 

Using decoys strategically consistently (and avoiding mistakes) pulls birds into range and position for a clean shot from your bow. A decoy attracts the birds to your location and takes their eyes off you while you go through the drawing motions. Place the decoys close (5-10 yards away from where you are) and out of the line of sight of your blind or natural cover.

Tips for Bowhunting Gobblers

With the equipment we already covered, you're almost ready for your first (or next) hunt with a bow! 

Here are a few additional tips to boost your chances of successfully harvesting a turkey this season.

Scouting

Using a hunting blind limits your mobility in the field or the turkey woods. So, before you set up your blind, make sure you're in the right spot for turkey activity by scouting your locations. 

Once you identify the general area you want to target for your hunt, spend some time e-scouting those areas from the comfort of your home using the HuntWise app. 

Use the satellite and topographic map layers to identify funnels, benches, choke points, and other topographical features that can influence turkey movement. After you identify the best spots where you expect to find birds, mark those locations in the app with markers. 

Then, in the field, you can download and use your maps offline and keep tabs on property lines by using the public and private land layers, which are also in the app.

Practice, Practice, Practice

If you're new to using a bow as your hunting weapon, or even if you consider yourself an experienced bowhunter, we always recommend practicing with your bow before hunting day. 

Turkeys have a small "vitals" area, which requires careful shooting and practice. To practice hitting the right spots, get a life-sized turkey target and make sure you know the best shot placement for turkeys. 

Practice from a hunting stool, standing, kneeling, and sitting positions until you are sure your form is solid and you can consistently hit the target with the broadhead. 

What's the Best Shot Placement for Turkey?

As with deer, the best place to shoot the bird is the turkey's heart and lung area. 

Turkeys present this shot when in profile or broadside. A turkey's heart and lungs are just behind where the wing joins the body. Think of it as the turkey's shoulder. 

As with a deer, the ideal shot strikes a turkey right behind the shoulder. Headshots, frontal shots, and even rear shots can also be lethal. 

Practice to improve your accuracy for lethal shots to avoid wounding a bird or causing it unnecessary pain. Becoming a competent, ethical bowhunter requires a lot of practice and trial and error. 

All in all, bowhunting turkey requires more patience than typical shotgun hunting but is incredibly rewarding! 

Bowhunting Turkey is More Successful With the HuntWise App

While turkeys are a challenging species to bow hunt, even if you don't release an arrow, hearing a gobble and seeing their tracks in the woods is worth those 4 a.m. wake-up calls. 

Spring turkey season is an excellent time to be in the woods! It's also an excellent time to practice bowhunting techniques before trying big-game hunting. 

To start your turkey hunting adventure, check your state wildlife agency’s website for laws and season dates. You can find that information online or through the HuntWise app, so make sure you download it before it's time to hunt! 

Content updated January 24, 2024.