Crossbow Turkey Hunting 101
More and more people are discovering the thrill of taking a turkey with a crossbow instead of a shotgun. Some states even have an early archery season and crossbows are allowed. You need to check your local regulations to be sure, but where it is it can be especially rewarding. We will be having a special email promotion soon with lots of turkey hunting sale items but in this week’s tip, we will cover some basic tips for the newcomer just getting into turkey hunting with a crossbow.
Most any crossbow that you would deer hunt with will work for turkey. Our Bruin Ambush 370 in camo is a perfect setup. It comes with everything you need except broadheads to get in the game. Speaking of broadheads, most hunters prefer a fixed crosshead over a mechanical. Not that mechanicals won’t work it’s just that the turkeys' feathers and quills can clog up those at times. There are of course broadheads that have a combination of fixed and mechanical and these work well also.
In the world of turkey hunting, shot placement is very important as the bird's actual body is much smaller than it’s profile especially in full strut. The actual vital area is slightly larger than a softball. Your best shot, believe it or not, is with the bird facing straight away from you. Aim directly at his vent for maximum chance of entering the chest and even severing the spine. A broadside shot can be done by aiming approximately where the wing joint meets the body. Quartering shots can be a little more difficult but studying the anatomy of a turkey and where his vitals are can aid in making the perfect shot.
Finally, as you well know, a turkey can be alerted to the slightest movement and holding a crossbow for an extended length of time can be challenging. A good way to avoid fatigue and spooking your bird is to have a comfortable sitting position and using a shooting stick to steady and support the front of the crossbow. Having a lightweight and easy deployable chair can also help. If you haven’t joined our email program you really should do that soon. We have some great promotions and specials for our email members. Our turkey hunting email is coming soon with many specials.
Please be sure to check back in with us next Tuesday for more tips from our expert staff and pro staff around the country.