The early signs of spring are starting to appear in most locations around the country, and for many hunters it means that spring turkey hunting season is just around the corner. The feeling of being in the woods on a crisp spring morning with gobblers firing off in every direction is indescribable. If harvesting a big, beautiful gobbler is one of your crossbow hunting goals, here are some tips and gear recommendations to help you have a successful spring turkey hunt.
A crossbow is an excellent turkey hunting tool. Photo credit Bryan Zabitski.
Preseason scouting for turkeys can pay great dividends by the time that the season arrives. Take a walk around the area that you plan to hunt and look for tracks, scratchings and droppings. Scratchings are a sign that turkeys have been walking through the area, pushing away leaves and debris in order to locate food sources underneath. The shapes of droppings can show whether the turkeys that traveled through the area were gobblers or hens. Gobbler droppings will be in the shape of a J and hen droppings will be more spherical. You should pay close attention to areas where you find droppings and feathers underneath large trees, because this may indicate that you have found a roosting location.
When it comes to using archery equipment, the way that you hunt for turkeys is likely different than the way you hunt deer. Many states do not allow you to hunt turkeys from an elevated stand or over bait. Your setup location may vary from one place to another based on where you have identified turkeys to be roosting the night before. You may have a gobbler that is tracking in to your calls but hangs up at a certain point and won’t come any closer. For that reason, one of the most effective ways to hunt turkeys with your crossbow is to be mobile.
Plan to Be Mobile
Being mobile means that you should utilize a hunting vest or pack to store your hunting essentials, so that you can stow those items quickly in the event that you need to change your location. More than just being an excellent way of protecting your crossbow, TenPoint’s Blazer Soft Crossbow Case has backpack straps to help you easily transport your crossbow and other accessories into the field. The Blazer case has three large pockets for storing your quiver and arrows, monopod and other accessories, along with MOLLE straps on the outside of the case for greater storage capability. If you don’t already use a sling on your hunting crossbow, you should also consider using a TenPoint Neoprene Sling. The nonslip sling design features a sturdy 1.25-inch shoulder strap with an integrated elastic band and thumb loop for added shoulder security, in addition to a heavy-duty adjustable strap.
TenPoint’s Blazer Soft Crossbow Case allows you to easily transport your crossbow and accessories into the field. Photo credit Bryan Zabitski.
Since you will primarily be hunting turkeys from the ground, the SteddyEddy Crossbow Monopod System ensures steady, motion-free shooting while hunting in a seated or standing position. The telescoping monopod easily adjusts in length from 25 inches to 36 inches by turning the extension pole. The SteddyEddy attaches to your crossbow quickly with the 360-degree rapid-pivot tube equipped with an easy snap-on connection, and comes with a storage clamp that can be mounted to your stock for convenient carry. You can also quickly detach the SteddyEddy from your crossbow for storage in a backpack or hunting vest when you are moving through the woods.
Know Where a Turkey’s Vitals are Located
Many turkeys are shot every spring with arrows, but are never found. In most cases, the reason is that a turkey’s feathers can mask or hide the outline of the turkey’s body and can make identifying the vital organ area very difficult. A turkey’s vitals are only about the size of a softball — much smaller than a deer’s vitals. Knowing where to shoot a turkey is critical — as shot placement can make or break your chances of harvesting the bird. Since the area that you need to hit is small, you should also plan to practice shooting your crossbow with your arrow and broadhead combination before hunting with it to make sure everything is pinpoint accurate.
Being able to hit a turkey’s small vitals accurately will make the difference between recovering the bird, or not. Photo credit Bryan Zabitski.
Since hunting turkeys with your crossbow demands greater accuracy, you should consider using the EVO-X CenterPunch Premium Carbon Arrow paired with the new EVO-X CenterPunch Broadhead. The CenterPunch Arrow has a shaft straightness of ±0.001 inch and each pack of arrows has been weight-matched to within 1 grain for greater flight consistency. The CenterPunch Broadhead is a rear-deploying broadhead with a simple design that delivers field point accuracy and creates a devastating 1-7/8-inch wound channel. Both the CenterPunch Premium Carbon Arrow and the CenterPunch Broadhead have been engineered to perform accurately out of high-performance crossbows, but are still a great combination for turkey hunting regardless of your crossbow’s speed. Another good option is the Alpha-Brite Lighted Nock System, since shooting a lighted nock will allow you to track your arrow in flight and recover it quickly to check for blood after the shot.
Good luck to everyone crossbow hunting for turkeys this spring. Shoot straight and be safe!
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