Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

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Mountain Man
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Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby Mountain Man » Wed Apr 18, 2012 5:32 am

I was wondering what other turkey bowhunters shoot at for practice. Do you just shoot at spots on a paper target, bag, or block-type target? 3d turkey target either standing or strutting? Paper with a lifesize turkey printed on it?

If I plan to use expandables for the hunt I use field points and usually shoot at a 1" spot in the middle of a 3"-4" circle on my ProStop Magnum bag target. If I plan to use a fixed blade I shoot at a 1" spot on a stack of cardboard. I'll shoot anywhere from 10-30 yards usually while sitting since that is how I will shoot when using a blind. I do some standing practice too in case I'm standing and not using a blind and I have a shot opp. I also use paper targets with a lifesize picture of a tom on it that I tape to a piece of cardboard and just lean against the bag target or stacked cardboard.

I've thought about getting a 3d target but at this point I can't justify $100+ for a standing tom or $200-300+ for a strutter.


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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby BigHunt » Wed Apr 18, 2012 5:58 am

i just buy thoses life like paper targets with a look alike picture and tape it to my block target
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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby Dewey » Wed Apr 18, 2012 6:22 am

I punch a hole in a tennis ball, attach a rope or string, hang it from the rafters in my basement and let it swing freely in front of a backrest or target to stop arrows. Not only is a tennis ball roughly the size of the vitals on a turkey but the moving action of the ball is great practice since a turkey rarely stands still like a stationary target does.
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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby UPbowhunter » Wed Apr 18, 2012 7:46 am

I drew out some birds on cardboard, cut them out and put them in front of my block. Mostly for my son to practice.
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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby muddy » Wed Apr 18, 2012 8:10 am

Spot on a block

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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby Casper » Wed Apr 18, 2012 10:08 am

There is an archery shop near my home that has about 30 targets indoors with three of them being turkeys. I've gone there a few times and the rest of the time I practice on my buck target. I practice a lot sitting down because thats how my shot will be coming out of a blind.
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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby UntouchableNess » Wed Apr 18, 2012 1:15 pm

Practice? Went turkey hunting today and last time I shot my bow was when I killed a deer after shotgun season last December. ;)
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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby Brad » Wed Apr 18, 2012 2:26 pm

UntouchableNess wrote:Practice? Went turkey hunting today and last time I shot my bow was when I killed a deer after shotgun season last December. ;)



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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby Ack » Thu Apr 19, 2012 7:47 am

I make cardboard targets for practicing head/neck shots, but I also make my own targets out of foam decoys. Buy some cheap foam dekes and a few cans of spray foam and fill them up. Once the stuff dries well shoot em up.....works great. I'll even practice head shots on these (with field tips of course).....that is until the head/neck gets shot off!
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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby cornfedkiller » Thu Apr 19, 2012 11:20 am

I Just shoot spots like I do for most of my practice, but I practice a lot while sitting on my blind chair. When we go to the outdoor range, we usually bring the blind and shoot out of that as well..

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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby Mike.E » Fri Apr 20, 2012 4:18 am

I usually just shoot at spots i've spray painted on a cotton bail we have. No need to aim at the real thing too much if you know where your arrow should go in the bird. But that's my personal preference. The cotton bail is nice too because no matter how fast your arrow is it pulls out like nothing.

I could never go in the woods with my bow without practicing, no matter the game!
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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby Dor » Fri Apr 20, 2012 8:21 am

Minimal. Really, for any close range compound hunting very little practice is required for an experienced hunter.

Long range shooting is another story.
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Re: Bowhunters - How do you target practice for turkeys?

Unread postby jlh42581 » Fri Apr 20, 2012 10:05 am

I shoot at least once a week all year long. Two weeks ago we were shooting a swinging ping pong ball.


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