turkey: shotgun or crossbow

[canamscott]

I have hunted turkey for years with shotgun. I am considering using the crossbow this spring. Is there a good reason to use a bow or should I stick with shotgun? I am not interested in guesses. I would like to hear from experience that has tried both.

 

[phylodog]

I was hoping to give my bow a try this spring but shoulder surgery has eliminated that possibility, I'll be luck to draw it for deer season.

My opinion is that shotgun is easier and much more likely to result in a quick kill with no tracking. I've killed 8 turkeys in the past three seasons with a shotgun and none of them took a step after I pulled the trigger.

 

[Leadeye]

With my poor calling skills, I have to depend on stealth and a big shotgun. Guys who can bring those birds right in close with a call get a lot of respect from me.

 

[Hookeye]

I'm no caller, but can get 'em in close on private ground.
Double reed diaphragm.

Shotgun is the king when it comes to anchoring birds around here.
A bow would make it more sporting IMHO.

But sniping one from a blind with a bow is kinda cheating.
Think if one wants to accept the challenge then go with a vertical bow, and trad at that. No tent.

F&S did an article last year? About how to bow pop turkeys, decoy setup that should allow you to draw on them.
Worth checking into.

 

[DEC]

"Cheating" LOL ... some argue that it isn't real turkey hunting ... whatever. I have been flamed publicly because "real" turkey hunting is a shot gun, a mouth call, no decoys, sitting against a tree, wearing out boots running and gunning, and then shooting the first bird that you call within to a certain range and have a clear shot.

First ... I got bored with shooting birds with a shot gun years ago. It was too easy, even the sit on your butt against a tree and call them in to 20 yards. Second ... most of my properties I am lucky if I have 20 acres, so where the hell am I going to "run and gun" so what is the point in sitting on the ground. Third ... I have killed more birds than I can even recall to count. I have killed them every way possible. I have killed all four of the Grand Slam versions. So I really don't give a **** what people think "real" turkey hunting is or is not.

When I made the move to bow hunting them I decided I was going all in and never looking back. I have killed a few without a blind, sitting on the ground, but I prefer the blind. I just cannot sit on the ground very long anymore. It kills my back, butt, and legs. I just physically cannot sit like that for any real length of time anymore. So sitting in a chair in a blind works. Further I video every hunt, generally I am both the hunter and the videographer at the same time. It really is the end goal. I won't shoot a bird that isn't on video. So I have to first be the hunter from a set up and calling perspective. The set up has to be right and the calling has to work the birds no different than any other turkey hunt. But then I have to be the camera man. I have to call and video all at the same time. That means reading the bird, reacting to the bird, panning, zooming, focusing, and framing the video all at the same time. When that bird is finally at 5 yards, I then have to shift from camera man back to hunter. I have to get the bow up, drawn, lock my pin on him ... all while watching the video screen out of the corner of my eye. If he moves in that process, I have to let down, go back to being a camera man, and then hopefully go back to being a hunter. All of that has to accomplish quickly, efficiently, smoothly, and in ninja stealth mode in the matter of a few seconds. But yea ... that is cheating ... LOL.

Calling a turkey with or with our decoys to 30 yards and shooting them with a shotgun is one of the easiest things in all of hunting to do ... but yet I am cheating ... LOL

 

[Hookeye]

You are mixing video with hunting.
That's your problem.
Doesn't change the fact that sitting in a blind makes it way easier to kill stuff being called to it, esp since turkeys don't use their nose.

Maybe it's cool to pick up a bow, then claim bowhunting challenge accepted..........and then work to make it easier.
Many do it. Many do other things too.

F&S posted a way to nail birds, supposedly with high success, with no blind. I would figure those that bowhunt would gravitate to such a setup.

 

[Hookeye]

Blinds work, no doubt.
Great things when the rains come.
Just don't think sitting in one turkey hunting, bow or gun.............to be anything special.
Crossbow from blind then the intermediate nothing special.

 

[Hookeye]

I have a spot 10 mins from my house I can kill birds, no ticks, beer in the fridge when done.
But my bud and I go to public ground down south where it's horrible. The bugs, the other people, the terrain. The drive alone messes up my back.
We go because killing a bird in that one particular spot is an accomplishment.
It aint about simply punching a tag.

 

[DEC]

When you go 8 miles deep into the Turner River Unit in the Everglades, with no guide, camping in a tent, no decoys, shot gun in hand, never scouted it till you got there, and you kill an Osceola turkey ... then brag to me about your public land hunting in Indiana hunts. Don't lecture me on what is or is not turkey hunting. That is exactly how I killed my Osceola. Oh and I've killed three birds on Indiana public land (2 gun and 1 bow) and have spent a combined total of 4 1/2 hours on all three birds. Yea public land birds ... real tough.

You want to get in a wiener wagging contest that is fine. I can go all day long. I have hunted and killed birds darn near every way there is to do it.

There is NOTHING difficult about turkey hunting, blind, no blind, shot gun, bow, crossbow, private land, public land ... and that is coming from someone who LOVES to turkey hunt. The reason that I video my hunts is to actually make it challenging. Having to get the camera on the bird and then the bow ... or gun ... is a whole additional layer to the hunt.

Telling people that using a blind is "cheating" is a joke. That would be like me telling all of these guys excited about the new HPR deer regs that using a 30-06 for a deer at 200 yards is cheating because I only bow hunt. The reality is that comments like yours simply pit hunter against hunter.

 

[DEC]

To the OP ... either shot gun or xbow is fun. You will probably want to pull them in closer using the xbow, and if you want body shoot them with the xbow then study turkey anatomy in various positions. On a body shot birds can be very deceiving on where to aim. Or you could shoot them in the head. Clearly defined point of aim, instantly deadly, no meat damage. My youngest daughter has shot them in the head on multiple occasions out of her xbow ... using a blind of course because I need to "cheat" so she can get a bird.

 

[cschwanz]

Ill be using my compound again this year. Got a couple good chances last year but couldn't seal the deal. Its def more of a challenge with a bow, but I like it.

 

[Bradsknives]

There is no "cheating" in hunting as long as you are within the laws and regulations. Hunt the way you want to hunt, and ignore what other people say or think.

 

[Willie]

If it is legal it is not "cheating".

Hopefully we all hunt to please just one person, ourselves..

 

[midget]

There is no "cheating" in hunting as long as you are within the laws and regulations. Hunt the way you want to hunt, and ignore what other people say or think.

Thank you!

I will be bringing the bow and the shotgun. Bow is first priority, but if they don't get close enough, I will use the shotgun...

 

[Willie]

I turkey hunt KY and IN. I'll usually chase them with the shotgun in KY (two bird limit) and after one is down I'll go back the next day with the crossbow.. If I kill one or two in KY It will be all the crossbow in IN...