Every archer knows that shooting at a turkey is not an easy task as this bird won’t stay in place even for a minute. That’s why you need to hit the vital organs to make them immobile. To do that, you must learn where those sweet spots are so that you can get a clean kill.
Once you are well-versed with the anatomy of a turkey, it would be convenient for you to shoot from a bow. But, remember, you should know how to shoot with more accuracy and precision. So, here are some things that you can execute to get a clean turkey kill using a bow.
1. Below The Neck
Hitting below the neck provides you with more damage, especially when the turkey’s back is facing you. However, it’s not an ideal shooting area from the front as the turkey’s eyes will be on you, so it is better to wait and let it turn around.
Once you see the right moment, you should aim for the 4 inches below the neck or at the neck base. Placing an accurate shot will result in a fractured back and severe damage to vital organs.
2. The Back
When the turkey’s back faces you, it is an ideal spot for shooting at the bird. However, you should remember to avoid shooting when the bird is feeding or walking.
This might let them know your presence in the surroundings, especially when its head is facing downwards. So, you should try to shoot at the center of their back to get a clean kill or immobilize the bird by targeting the spine.
3. Broadside
When shooting at the broadside, you should remember the location of every vital organ before releasing the bow. It will help you take down the bird without much hassle. So, you should use the universal rule of hitting the turkey at the last wing joint.
It will assist you in serving the heart and lungs of the turkey, allowing you to make a clean kill. To ensure that you are hitting at the right spot, try and imagine a line that intersects the wing joint and legs of the bird. Once you get the intersecting point, you can target the wing bone easily.
The best thing is that you won’t have to struggle to make a precision shot compared to targeting the neck base or the head. Again, hitting the wing joint will penetrate the heart and lungs of the turkey, providing you with a clean kill.
4. Strutting
When shooting at a strutting turkey, it can be a real challenge for a shooter to locate the vital organs as everything will be puffed up. That means you have to be more cautious before making a precision shot. To ensure a clean kill, you can aim at the anus to penetrate the broadhead.
Most often, a strutted turkey would be running away from you, which means you will be facing its back, which enables you to get an accurate and clean shot at the anus. You can also shoot slightly above the beard of a fully strutted turkey facing towards you.
If you get a clean shot, you can severely damage the vitals and break the back. In addition, if you have a broadside view when it struts, feathers would make it challenging for you to hit the vitals. So, it is excellent for you to wait until it comes out from strutting if you face the broadside.
5. Facing You And Standing Erect
You all know that shooting at the turkey when it’s eyes on you is not a good position to shoot from. It will be challenging for the shooter to take a shot because turkeys tend to move faster. Anyways a shooter must aim and right four inches below the neck to hit the spine and windpipe.
Not only will it damage the spine, but it will also penetrate the vital organs to render a neat kill. Even though this form of killing might take a lot of practice, you can make any shot worthwhile when you are well-versed with the vitals location.
Turkey Vitals
When you know where to shoot, you can easily take down a turkey, even from a distance. We all know that turkeys tend to move faster, which means you will need to be accurate while making shots.
To ease that process, it would be better for you to know where the vitals of the turkey is located to make it convenient for you to shoot from any angle. It will ensure that you won’t wound the animal or miss the shot. You will make a clear shot.
- Neck
The neck is another vital that you can focus on for taking down the bird as it encloses the spinal column. Even though it is smaller than a ping pong ball, you have a better chance of hitting the windpipe and carotid artery if you slightly elevate the shot. If you are trained for taking excellent shots, you won’t face any problem taking down a turkey with a clean neck shot.
- Head
The Head is the most crucial vital, which means either you will hit the head or nothing at all. This is because the head includes the brain that makes the bird go down even in one shot, or you will miss the shot entirely.
Remember, the head is like a small ping pong ball, which makes hunting trickier. So, it is better to train yourself to shoot with more precision and accuracy.
- Heart And Lung
One of the most forgiving vitals allows you to hit a target conveniently from a distance. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t focus on taking a precision shot. You still do.
Even though a turkey’s heart and lungs provide a bigger target size than other vitals, most shooters will struggle to locate the lungs and heart of a turkey. The heart is situated at the center, and the lungs are located high at the back in a healthy turkey.
Therefore, you should start from the lateral side of the turkey. The heart is located a little higher and slightly backward from the beard. So, it is recommended to shoot at the turkey’s heart as it will give you a big target for a clean kill.
How To Kill Turkey
To kill a turkey, your shoot placement needs to be accurate. It will improve your chances of getting a clean shot. You all know that vitals of turkey are not too big to provide you with a better targeting aim.
It is as small as a ping pong ball so that you know where to shoot. To help you get the most out of your shoot placement, we have curated some points that you need to remember before killing a turkey.
- Lower Your Point Accuracy
You all know that vital organs like the heart and lungs are slightly located below their original position. So, if you are aiming high, you are making a huge mistake.
As mentioned above, you can hit the vital organ if you keep the shooting point a little lower than most shooters think. You should create an imaginary intersection line to get the right spot for serving the spine and vitals.
- When Bird Standing Straight
When the turkey is facing you, aim at the center below the neck base and slightly above the beard line. But remember shooting from a bow can be challenging as turkeys are smart birds that use their feathers to protect vitals. Unfortunately, it makes their vitals hard to spot and makes it tough for archers to take a shot.
So, every bowhunter should know the anatomy of a turkey before thinking about making a shot. Remember, only precision shooting will work. Either you will go all the way or not at all.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- Is It Better To Shoot From A Compound Bow?
Compound bows are integrated with a lot of functionality and features, allowing you to make accurate shots. That means it would be better for you to use it for hunting turkeys.
- What Is An Ideal Spot For Hunting Turkey?
Even though there are various spots to target, you must go for a turkey’s head or broadside for a clean kill if you are a trained archer.
- Can You Shoot A Fully Strutted Turkey?
Yes, you can shoot at a fully strutted turkey. It is often recommended to wait until it struts back.
- Which Broadhead Is Better For Hunting Turkeys?
Fixed blade and mechanical broadheads are considered great as they can easily penetrate the turkey while ensuring minimal air resistance.
Summary
Now you know there are several spots that you can hit on a turkey using a bow. However, choosing the best way to kill a turkey depends on individual preferences, as most shooters often go for headshots. Still, it’s only liable when you are a skilled bowhunter.
If you are still mastering your archery skills, you should consider aiming at the broadside, as it would be the best option to make a clean kill. Plus, you should remember that turkey move with their flock allows you to get the best shooting window for making a clean kill. To do that, you must have sufficient archery skills to shoot at a moving body with more precision. After that, you need to understand where all vital organs are located in a turkey so that you can visualize them before releasing the arrow.
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