With wild turkey season fast approaching, we are focusing on some common questions we often receive on bowhunting these wily birds!

I’ve been lucky enough to pursue them for almost thirty years in our province of Ontario and hunt them exclusively with traditional bowhunting equipment. During those early years, I learned through trial and error.

You may have heard me say that the greatest teacher is failure.

If any creature I have hunted has taught me more lessons from failure, it is the eastern wild turkey.

I was successful but I will say for every bird I arrowed another 4-5 evaded my efforts and I blew many chances.

They are tough birds to hunt, from the moment they come out of the egg, just about everything else in the woods is trying to get after them.

It should come as no surprise that folks that chase them with shotguns can have issues pinning them down. I am often told that hunting them with stickbows is next to impossible.

I tend to avoid absolutes in anything, these birds were being taken far before gunpowder was used to take them in North America.

Yes, it is harder- simply due to the movement that tends to be the big issue when drawing on one of these “thunder chickens”.

The defense mechanisms these birds have on there side is acute eyesight have an almost 270-degree vision and can see in color and UV spectrums.

They tend to be in my opinion, more nervous than Whitetails and make for an erratic target simply due to the avian nature of their movement and locomotion.

Combine that with an ability to hear and locate the direction of sounds with an almost super sense quality, they can run at speeds up to 25 miles an hour and fly up to 55 miles per hour to make their getaway!


Here is a compilation of questions I often get; I hope they help you in your pursuit of these incredible birds! I am better hunter due to there wily lessons.


1. Best call to use turkey calling?

Soft yelps with clucks and purrs! Less is more with turkey calling especially if your hunting pressured birds that have heard other hunters yelping constantly and become immune to those same yelps!


2. Do you use locator calls?

Rarely and only predawn if I’m in an area and need to locate a Toms roost. I find a barred owl works great but a lot of folks like a crow caw call to instigate a Tom to shock gobble.


3. Box call? Slate call? Push call? or diaphragm call? What’s your favorite call?

They all have their own place and time and each can be very situational dependent.

I prefer my own voice and have practiced a lot to get good at it.


4. If you had to pick one call to carry, what would it be?

Hands down a diaphragm call, preferably I use a batwing cut, but a double cut may be easier for beginners. For bowhunting it allows me to be hands on my bow with little to no movement.


5. Favorite camo pattern to use?

Sit still camo! In all seriousness, it’s a movement thing with turkeys. I’ve taken them wearing everything from t shirts to plaid forest Color’s to faded old camo hoodies- use what works for you. Remember to avoid UV washing detergents.


6. Why don’t you like to field hunt?
​
I do- I just hunt woods a lot more. The birds are forest species and spend more time in the woods period. Folks have watched so many hunting shows and it makes for good cinema watching that Tom run to a decoy set. Realistically fields allow a Tom to hang up out of range as well!

I would rather be turkey hunting than turkey watching.

Also hearing that Tom sound off and his gobble echo nearby and suddenly appear is heart stopping and will make you adapt to the bird as its coming in, simply put. You will get better at hunting period.


7. Favorite setup for archery gear?

Same as deer- no change. I know my bow setup is solid and I don’t deviate from that. It’s about being confidant in your setup. I am a firm believer in keeping things simple and I know my gear for hunting deer is good to go! I also appreciate folks who like to tinker with various set ups, that’s the beauty of bowhunting with traditional gear!


8. Decoys yes, or no?

Very rarely and when I do I like to hide a lone hen to get that Tom in really close so when he finally sees the decoy and starts to strut the bow is already up and the decoy is set at an angle which benefits me drawing my bow!


9. When you do use decoys and what is your favorite set?

I like a modified hazel creek love triangle. I’ve used a Jake 1/4 strut facing a feeding hen with a second lie down hen facing the opposing way with good success in particular on field edges and ingress points the birds use coming and going from roosts to strutting zones. I like feeding hens vs other types, it demonstrates a natural posture that a lot of hen decoys with straight vertical necks do not. A decoy with its head straight up in the air in my opinion looks like an alert, nervous bird.


10. Where to aim head or body?

This is totally dependent on the how the bird is behaving. This also goes along with practice for a lot of low to the ground shooting positions.

I will body shoot a calm bird and head shoot a nervous for example. If I miss the head - it’s a miss, if I hit the bird its down for certain. As I have said before, if you can hit a tennis ball consistently you good to go! Just remember, be patient and if there is no shot, then let the bird walk and wait for the next one.


11. Best turkey broadhead head?

Same on I use for deer- a razor sharp one. The obvious aside, I will say I avoid specialized turkey heads. I get the use but as I said, I use the same set-up I do for deer. I want a solid setup that gets good penetration. Its not about impact but cutting. I avoid things that slow that arrow down. Turkey’s layered feathers and even bones can not stop but absorb a lot. If I am body shooting that bird I want to reach the vitals every time.

12. Best time of day to hunt them?

I love watching and hearing the woods waking up to the day. But I’ve taken birds all day long, and mid day when the hens are sitting, those Tom’s get lonely, and they will search high and low for company. In fact, my last 3 birds were all taken between 11 am and 2 pm.


14. The Closest you’ve ever taken a Tom?

Seven feet or so lying on my chest and I practiced an awful lot for that shot and still do as those low to the ground positions is often all I have when sneaking on these wily birds.

My youngest practically had two hens and jake walk over her feet one hunt.

Sitting, kneeling, crouching! Practice Practice Practice!


15. Hub blind? Local cover? Back to a tree? What is your favorite hunting method?

It’s actually spot and stalk for fall birds - more on that topic soon in an upcoming article!

I will say for getting kids out, a hub blind or brush blind is great. It allows for some movement and keeps kids in the game, and we need more kids out connecting with their hunter roots!


​Hope these tips help you bag a gobbler this season!