Bowhunting Spring Turkeys on the Ground

Spring gobblers are an exhilarating challenge with a bow and arrow.  Many compare turkey hunting with the challenge of calling in a bugling elk, only populations of turkeys are much greater, tags are far cheaper, and you don’t need a pack mule to get the meat home.  With a compound, recurve, or crossbow, you can use standard deer gear like camouflage and arrows, but may want to switch to a larger broadhead.

Decoys and Open Ground

Unlike whitetail deer, which often prefer thick wooded areas, turkeys rely heavily on their eyesight to avoid predators and seek open areas with enhanced vision. This environment increases the effectiveness of decoys because turkeys can see them from a greater distance, and decoys may draw an approaching gobbler into a preselected shooting location.

Pack Your Patience

When setting up for turkeys, always choose a location with a backdrop that will disguise your silhouette such as a large tree trunk, blowdown, or heavy foliage.  You want to be in front of the cover, not behind it.  If you are 1000 percent still, a turkey may approach your camouflaged figure to very close range.  The trick becomes how to raise your crossbow or come to full draw.

The following video does an excellent job of depicting what a turkey hunt is like, especially the importance of patience.

The Plan Comes Together