Turkey Hunting: Recurve Bow Basics

Hunting wild turkey with a recurve bow is a challenging but rewarding pursuit. It requires excellent hunting skills, patience, and persistence. While modern technology has made it easier to hunt with gear like compound bows, crossbows, and guns, traditional bow hunting with a recurve bow harkens back to the methods perfected by our ancestors. It demands a deep understanding of the behaviour and daily routine of turkeys, as well as the ability to locate and call them effectively.

The setup, effective range, and shot placement differ significantly between hunting with a bow and a shotgun. Bow hunters need to get much closer to their target, typically waiting until the bird is within 20 yards before taking a shot. This proximity to the prey makes the hunt more thrilling and intense.

To increase the chances of success, hunters should use a ground blind to conceal their movements from the turkey's keen eyesight. When it comes to shot placement, bowhunters should aim for the body to hit vital internal organs, as the head is a small and challenging target for an arrow.

Selecting the right equipment is crucial. A recurve bow is simple to shoot and has few working parts: bow limbs, string, arrow rest, and riser. Hunters should also choose suitable arrows and broadheads, with options like expandable, fixed, or guillotine-style broadheads available.

Locating birds and setting up strategically

Locating and calling are vital techniques for hunting turkey with a recurve bow. It's important to be in the right place at the right time to get a shot. In the mountains, it often comes down to persistence, patience, and a bit of luck.

In the fall, hunters can locate birds by studying food sources and the daily routine of turkeys. Scouting ahead of time can also help take some of the guesswork out of planning your hunt.

Turkeys have excellent vision, so it's essential to remain concealed. Most bowhunters use a ground blind to hide all the moving parts of an archery shot. A good setup for a ground blind is in a brushy fence row, with a clear shooting port straight ahead into a harvested field.

Another successful setup includes locating an inside corner of a wooded area bordered by a field. Set up your blind on the edge of the woods under a tree, with a decoy placed in the field about 10 yards in front of the blind. Turkeys will often approach a decoy head-on, giving you a clear shot.

Lethal shot placement

Firstly, it is important to understand the effective shooting distance for a lethal shot. Bow hunters should typically wait until the turkey comes within 20 yards before taking a shot. At this range, you increase your chances of making an accurate and lethal shot.

Now, for the shot placement itself:

• Forget the Head: Unlike shotgun hunting, where a head and neck shot is ideal, bowhunters should avoid aiming for the head. The head of a turkey is a small target, and the bird's nervous nature may cause it to jerk its head when it hears the sound of the bowstring being released. Therefore, aiming for the body increases your chances of hitting vital internal organs.
• Aim for the Body: When aiming for the body, look at the turkey's legs and shoot above them. Even if your shot is a little low, you will still take out the drumsticks, ensuring a successful hunt. A high shot on a broadside tom will usually drop the bird.
• Avoid Shooting Too Far Forward: Shooting too far forward on a broadside tom can be ineffective. Their breast is large and lacks vital organs, so aim for the area above the legs instead.
• Consider the Bird's Position: The ideal position for a lethal shot is when the bird is broadside or quartering away. A shot from the rear or straight-on can also be effective with good alignment.
• Use the Right Equipment: Choose a broadhead that will cause sufficient structural damage to bones and muscles. Expandable or mechanical broadheads are a popular choice for turkey hunting due to their accuracy and large cutting area upon impact.
• Practice and Prepare: Ensure you are confident in your shooting skills and comfortable with your equipment. Practice with your chosen broadhead to understand its flight path and point of impact.

Using a ground blind

• Choose a spacious blind: Select a ground blind that offers ample space to draw your bow, hold it, and swivel for moving targets. Ensure that your movements do not brush against the blind or its limbs. Consider choosing a large blind designed for multiple people and extra gear, such as camera equipment.
• Opt for dark clothing: Wear black or other dark-coloured clothing, including a hoodie, gloves, and a facemask or face paint. This helps eliminate any movement inside the blind by blending with the dark interior. Avoid wearing normal camouflage clothes, as they tend to be too bright in a blind.
• Select the right blind type: Some blinds are not designed with bow hunters in mind. Choose a blind with enough windows to take a shot while also providing a dark interior to minimise movement. A pop-up ground blind is a versatile option, as it can be set up quickly and turkeys generally pay no attention to it.
• Practice shooting from the blind: Get accustomed to shooting from a sitting position inside the ground blind. This is significantly different from standing up, and you want to ensure you don't hit the ground blind or your gear when drawing the bow. Practice shooting at a turkey target to familiarise yourself with the vital areas of the bird.
• Consider using fixed blade broadheads: If you're shooting through the mesh windows of a pop-up blind, fixed blade broadheads are safer than mechanical blades. Mechanical blades may deploy prematurely due to catching on the mesh, so it's best to avoid them when shooting from a blind.
• Choose a comfortable seat: Finding a comfortable and silent seat inside the ground blind can be challenging. Consider investing in a specialised ground blind seat, such as a swivel-ease ground blind seat or a folding tripod ground seat.
• Be mindful of your surroundings: While a ground blind provides excellent concealment, remain vigilant about observant hens or other factors that may alert the turkeys to your presence. Draw your bow at the opportune moment, such as when the gobbler is committed to the decoy or when multiple gobblers are breeding/fighting.

Choosing bows and accessories

The modern compound bow is the most popular choice for turkey hunting, but traditional recurve and longbows are also used. Hunting with a crossbow is illegal in Oregon. If you already have a bow you use for deer or elk hunting, it will work for turkey hunting. However, many turkey hunters like to reduce the draw weight of their bows to 45 pounds or less. This is because you are likely to be sitting when shooting at a turkey, and a lighter draw weight is easier to manage.

A recurve bow, often called a traditional bow, is simple to shoot and has few working parts – bow limbs, string, arrow rest and riser. It does not require much strength from the shooter. A longbow, on the other hand, is the most challenging kind of bow to shoot. They can be almost as tall as the hunter, making them difficult to shoot from a blind. They lack arrow rests and sights, making accuracy tough to master, and they don't have the arrow speed of a compound or recurve bow.

When buying a compound bow, it's important to find one that fits you properly. The best place to find a properly fitted bow is at an archery pro shop or specialty sporting goods store. The experts at these stores will help you select the best bow for you based on the following factors:

• Draw length – the distance between the bowstring when at rest and at full draw.
• Eye dominance – selecting a left- or right-hand bow will depend on which is your dominant eye.
• Draw weight – the amount of weight you feel while pulling the string of the bow into shooting position. Your optimum draw weight will depend on your size and strength. Draw weight, together with draw length, will determine how fast an arrow will travel.
• Let off – the small percentage of the draw weight that you’ll need to hold the bow at full draw longer and with less fatigue.
• Brace height – the distance from the bowstring to the grip when at rest. A shorter brace height can mean a faster arrow but is more difficult to master. New or beginning archers will benefit from a longer, more forgiving brace height.

The top accessories for any turkey bowhunter are a rangefinder and a camouflage glove or paint for your bow hand and fingers. Turkeys have excellent vision, so it's important to conceal yourself as much as possible.

There are many options when it comes to choosing arrows and broadheads for turkey hunting. If you already hunt big game, you can use the same arrow shafts. If you're new to bowhunting, select an arrow shaft made of a lightweight, fast-moving material like carbon fiber. An arrow that weighs about 6 to 8 grains per pound of draw weight (on a compound bow) is a good guideline. This will maximise kinetic energy, accuracy and penetration.

There are three styles of broadheads popular with turkey hunters:

• Expandable, or mechanical, broadheads – these are the most accurate because the blades are tucked tight to the arrow shaft, decreasing air resistance and drag. Upon impact, they open up, creating a large cutting area and resulting in consistently lethal shots.
• Fixed broadheads – the same broadheads used in big game hunting. The cutting surfaces on fixed broadheads are not as large as those of expandable broadheads, but they are more durable if your arrow hits the shoulder or thigh bone of a turkey.
• Guillotine-style broadheads – with cutting diameters of up to four inches, these are designed to shoot a turkey in the head and neck, resulting in a quick, clean kill if you connect. However, the long blades can get caught up in twigs, branches and fingers, and the head is a small target. These wide-cutting broadheads will not penetrate the body of a turkey.

Selecting arrows and broadheads

Arrow Selection:

When choosing arrows for turkey hunting, consider factors such as arrow spine, weight, and fletching. Select arrows with a spine suitable for your recurve bow's draw weight. Heavier arrows tend to fly more accurately and penetrate deeper, so opt for arrows within the 5-8 grains per pound of draw weight range. For fletching, choose a configuration that provides stability and precision, such as 5.5-inch shield fletchings.

Broadhead Selection:

Broadheads are the lethal component of your arrow, and there are two main types: fixed blade and mechanical. Each has its advantages and devoted followers. Here are some considerations to help you decide:

Fixed Blade Broadheads:

• Pros: Fixed blade broadheads are known for their reliability and durability. They deliver better penetration and don't rely on mechanisms to deploy. This makes them suitable for higher arrow speeds. Additionally, they can be more cost-effective since they don't require frequent replacement.
• Cons: Due to their larger surface area and drag, fixed blade broadheads require precise tuning and setup to achieve accurate flights. Any small variation in arrow flight will have a significant impact on your accuracy.

Mechanical Broadheads:

• Pros: Mechanical broadheads offer larger cutting diameters, which can increase the likelihood of a lethal strike. They have a lower profile before expansion, making them more forgiving in terms of bow tuning. This means you won't need to fine-tune your recurve bow as meticulously.
• Cons: Mechanical broadheads are generally more expensive and may not always open reliably, especially at higher arrow speeds. They are also more complex, requiring proper care and maintenance to ensure the mechanism functions correctly.

Key Factors to Consider:

When selecting broadheads, consider the following:

• Cutting Diameter: For turkey hunting, a larger cutting diameter is advantageous. Look for broadheads with diameters of at least 1.5 inches, with some options offering diameters of 3 to 4 inches or more. This increases the likelihood of a lethal strike, even if your arrow placement is slightly off.
• Accuracy: Accuracy is crucial when hunting turkey, as their vital area is relatively small. Choose broadheads that fly true and deliver consistent results. Practice with your chosen broadheads to build familiarity and confidence.
• Durability: Consider the materials used in the broadhead construction. Stainless steel blades, for example, are known for their sharpness and ability to hold an edge. Aircraft-grade aluminum ferrules provide superior reliability and durability.
• Shock Effect: Some broadheads are designed to maximize shock upon impact, increasing the likelihood of immobilizing the bird. This can be a crucial factor in ethical hunting, ensuring a quick and humane kill.
• Personal Preference: Ultimately, the choice between fixed and mechanical broadheads may come down to personal preference. Try different options, seek input from experienced hunters, and reflect on your past hunting experiences to determine what works best for you and your setup.

Remember, the key to successful turkey hunting with a recurve bow lies in careful selection of arrows and broadheads, coupled with practice to refine your skills and build confidence in your equipment.

Frequently asked questions