Perfect Turkey Head/Neck Shot with a Bow

It takes extreme practice to hunt turkeys with a bow and arrow. Many hunters spook a good 8-10 gobblers before they ever get the chance to attempt a very hard shot. With a gun, you can range from 55 yards away but with a bow, you need to be much closer, sometimes 20-30 yards away to feel confident hitting such a small target. On top of that many hunters make the mistake of not learning the much softer calls that are a necessity in getting the bird within that 20-30 yard range.

Then there is the shot placement.

Normally you want to hit the bird broadside, with a perfect shot hitting the point where that line would intersect the crease in the wing as it meets the breast. If the turkey is facing away an arrow placed near the “vent” will drive straight into the chest cavity and sometimes even sever the spine, and from a front-facing turkey, you want to place your arrow between the base of the beard and the base of the neck.

A perfect neck shot, well that’s for the professionals:

A clean head/neck shot as seen above is extremely difficult. They key is to call the bird in close, and to release your arrow while he’s relatively stationary. A turkey's movements are often erratic so this could easily be a missed opportunity. Although if performed correctly, the result can be fantastic.

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