Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

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ozzz
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Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby ozzz » Mon Feb 08, 2016 9:00 am

I am used to setting up for turkeys in a blind in a somewhat open area with decoys and trying to call then in.

What are some other tactics you guys use for bow hunting turkeys? In the woods more, no decoys, no blind, etc.?

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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby tbunao » Mon Feb 08, 2016 9:15 am

I've been trying for the past 3 years to get a jelly head with a bow and no blind. I'm getting closer each year. Decoys have actually hurt me on 2, as soon as he saw them he was out.

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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby ozzz » Mon Feb 08, 2016 9:17 am

Along the lines of calling in woods with no decoys and trying to get them comong in looking for hens?

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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Mon Feb 08, 2016 10:20 am

I kind of lost interest in turkey hunting. Did it for a bunch of years.

We had a lot of luck using a real taxidermy bird. The downfall...they were heavy. So I opted for a real looking decoy and than put real wings, real tail and a real saddle on the fake bird. Worked awesome. Highly recommend. Tried real stuffed hen. Did not work nearly as well.
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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby tbunao » Mon Feb 08, 2016 12:57 pm

burkhart wrote:Tips for woods birds

Always get above him. Toms like work up hill not down
Find more open timber on ridge tops ... Just like feilds it's above visibility for him
Decoys in the timber work but are not a must. Some times no decoy will get him in real close trying to find u. However I u are bowhunting then yes add te distraction.

Lastly being still/patient in the timber is a must a lot of times on birds I killed they will almost circle u before committing and numerous times they will be quiet about it. I have been busted more than once becuase he went quiet for 30 min and circled then I got impatient and stood to watch him bolt or fly away.

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birds circling is my enemy. Patience

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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Mon Feb 08, 2016 1:17 pm

The last couple years I really turkey hunted hard, I basically bow and ran them. So for me, a decoy was absolutely necessary because I needed pinpoint bird placement to get a shot off. Many times, I had to set out the deke, grab a tree with as best cover I could get and start calling. I have had birds circle all around me...legs cramped, but going to sleep and still he would not commit. Other times, tom sees the decoy and he is all over it. Most birds I shot were at 10yds. But I would get busted more times than not...mostly because more than 1 bird would come in. With a shotgun, you have a bit more leeway for movement. By the time you shift your gun...BOOM his head is coming off.

A lot of shotgun guys do not use dekes at all. Just a lot run and gun. Bit more flexibility than with a bow.
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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby backstraps » Mon Feb 08, 2016 3:35 pm

burkhart wrote:Tips for woods birds

Always get above him. Toms like work up hill not down
Find more open timber on ridge tops ... Just like feilds it's above visibility for him
Decoys in the timber work but are not a must. Some times no decoy will get him in real close trying to find u. However I u are bowhunting then yes add te distraction.

Lastly being still/patient in the timber is a must a lot of times on birds I killed they will almost circle u before committing and numerous times they will be quiet about it. I have been busted more than once becuase he went quiet for 30 min and circled then I got impatient and stood to watch him bolt or fly away.

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100% agree^^^^^^

Only thing I can add, if you are hunting in hill country and have time to choose your set up on a working tom, get to the edge of the hilltop....kind of like putting the miltary crest to your back.

Many times if a silent Tom tries to circle you, you can sometimes catch him as he drops off the edge.

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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby Ack » Mon Feb 08, 2016 6:27 pm

mainebowhunter wrote:The last couple years I really turkey hunted hard, I basically bow and ran them. So for me, a decoy was absolutely necessary because I needed pinpoint bird placement to get a shot off. Many times, I had to set out the deke, grab a tree with as best cover I could get and start calling. I have had birds circle all around me...legs cramped, but going to sleep and still he would not commit. Other times, tom sees the decoy and he is all over it. Most birds I shot were at 10yds. But I would get busted more times than not...mostly because more than 1 bird would come in. With a shotgun, you have a bit more leeway for movement. By the time you shift your gun...BOOM his head is coming off.

A lot of shotgun guys do not use dekes at all. Just a lot run and gun. Bit more flexibility than with a bow.


Spot on......cover is very important when bowhunting birds in the woods. These birds can and will spot you if you are just backed up to a tree, even without movement. I had a real eye-opener hunt last spring in the woods without the blind, and proved to me how important cover is to your setup. Knowing the woods like the back of your hand definitely helps, and the best time to scout it is now, before the birds get into their spring routines.
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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Wed Mar 16, 2016 4:11 am

This year in MN the archery tag is good all season. My plan is to try and locate birds at night, then set up with a blind off the roost. But then for daytime run and gun use the SitDrag to keep me hidden as much as possible behind a tree rather than in front like shotgun. The SitDrag weighs close to nothing and sets up at ground level in like 20 seconds.

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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby Brad » Wed Mar 16, 2016 5:34 am

I have not had much luck in the woods with a bow, but I have done good where the woods meets the fields , the transition zone. I think the key in bowhunting turkeys no matter where you are is GOOD decoys. By good, I mean DSD , some Avian X's, and stuffers. You have to get their attention off you , and those are the only decoys I've ever had success with. I think the key in the woods is to make them walk past you , and shoot them as they are leaving. The best spots I had was in the afternoons when they suddenly lose their hens and need a new one. I set up on a shelf or a logging road on the side of the hills, that worked good. I think they don't hang up in the woods as much, so be watching as it happens quick.

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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby ADKMtnTrapper » Fri Mar 18, 2016 3:59 am

Brad wrote: [glow=red]I think the key in the woods is to make them walk past you , and shoot them as they are leaving.[/glow] The best spots I had was in the afternoons when they suddenly lose their hens and need a new one. I set up on a shelf or a logging road on the side of the hills, that worked good. I think they don't hang up in the woods as much, so be watching as it happens quick.

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Great point! I couldn't agree more. Also if you are hunting them off the roost and the roost is on a hill the birds tend to fly off uphill from the tree.
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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby hunter10 » Mon Apr 04, 2016 7:57 am

I have in the past figured out roosting areas, snuck in with the double bull and killed them soon off the roost. All depends where they are roosting

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Re: Bow hunting turkeys in the woods.

Unread postby JoeRE » Wed Apr 06, 2016 3:28 am

Some good points made already. I have not seen anything that works as well as a taxidermy turkey either by the way. My brother skinned one out, just, the back, wings, and tail and tied that to a cheap feeding decoy so the head is down and hard to see. Works awesome. Their eyesight is so good, and decoys are becoming so common, older birds can smell something is up with just about any manufactured decoy IMO. Fool their eyes and they become completely stupid. I have walked up to turkeys in open fields just by holding a dead one up side down in front of me to partially conceal me, have a video of that somewhere.

I tried to shoot a turkey with a bow for about 6 years without a blind with only a few misses and bad hits to show for it, a LOT of screw ups. Then I started using a ghillie suit and screwed on giant mechanical broad heads - turkey tom-o-hawk 2-3/4" cutting diameter. Those two changes made all the difference. I went 3 for 3 the next three years. Without a blind your shots are usually split second, if you are off an inch or two a giant mech head will save your but, otherwise you just lost a bird. Unfortunately I suspect there are many birds lost by bowhunters for every one tagged. I would not use anything less than 2" cutting diameter.

I haven't chased turkeys with a bow recently because I just don't have time in the spring (cuts into my deer scouting too much :lol: ) but will go back to it eventually. Its a blast. I hate blinds, if I had to use a blind I would never hunt turkeys. I want to be outside.


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