Hunting Turkeys with Crossbow

[theallcineyes]

Can you turkey hunt with a crossbow and is there and thing different i need to know for crossbow hunting,such as shot placement. I've never turkey hunted but am planing to give it a try. can someone recommend a good instructional video ?

 

[Olspark]

Crossbows work real good for turkeys. A Rage brodhead was used on this one from a ground blind. Ground blinds near edges of fields that they inhabit are a good idea because it allows a little freedom of movement that you need with bows or crossbows. Some decoys and any instructional tape/video on calling will help.

 

[theallcineyes]

Anyone know if i have to check my local laws for this ?

 

[284winner]

A crossbow is legal in my home state so it qualifies as a legal means of hunting anything with a current license during archery season for deer or any other game. I'm hunting turkeys with a bow this year. I may even take out my crossbow one day this season if I don't sit in a pop up blind. Center of the wing( broadside) , center of chest or center of rear end (facing away). All killing shots on a turkey with a broad head arrow. I've killed birds from all three with a Magnus broadhead tipped arrow.

 

[XTR]

Local laws vary widely on X-bows. Many states treat them like rifles and they may not be legal for turkey where you are. A whole lot of archery hunters don't like them and push against them. When I was in MO about 3 yrs ago they were changing the laws to allow x-bows in deer season. You should have seen the postings from the anti x-bow archers at the entrance to the walk though range I was using outside of StL. You'd have thought that they were intentionally introducing chronic wasting to the deer population. (Personally I don't care one way or the other, I have both.)

Here in NH not only are X-bows treated like rifles for deer season, but you have to get a separate hunting license to use them, even during rifle season. Haven't looked at turkey hunting here yet.

On the other extreme, in TN it's just archery, you can use a X-bow any time you can use an upright including turkey season.

 

[pirate ammo]

and if you have the right bolts,you already have a spit to cook it on.

 

[timeout]

Can you turkey hunt with a crossbow and is there and thing different i need to know for crossbow hunting,such as shot placement. I've never turkey hunted but am planing to give it a try. can someone recommend a good instructional video ?

Which state are you hunting in?

 

[theallcineyes]

Which state are you hunting in?

Delaware, turkey hunting season is over but i want to know for future purposes.

 

[timeout]

Delaware, turkey hunting season is over but i want to know for future purposes.

Google is your friend. http://www.eregulations.com/delaware/hunting/turkey-hunting/
Took about 30 seconds. It clearly states that crossbows are legal for turkey hunting bin Delaware.

 

[284winner]

Here's my Northern Michigan turkey. Shot this morning. Used a Carbon Express F14 broadhead. Shot with a Barnett FX III Pro crossbow at 28 yards.

 

[Bojo]

I shot a bearded hen 2 years ago.
42 yards broadside thru the wing area.
100 grain 2 blade rage.... put a serious wound tract thru her. The impact sound seemed way louder than when shooting a whitetail. I wound definitely turkey hunt with an xbow again.
To all the archery purists out there that bash xbow , I can understand it to a point.
I only know 2 guys that archery only with long or recurve bows and one of them makes his own bows. That guy has room to rib others. The other archery purists I run across are not using smooth bore muskets during gun season, they seem to fancy a centerfire with optics. I have used both compound and xbow to take deer. Both have advantages and disadvantages. So I say to each there own, just get out there and hunt and enjoy your time afield.

 

[284winner]

Most states seem pretty liberal about crossbows today. When Ohio was the only state with a legal crossbow season ( for all hunters, not just handicapped), I was glad it wasn't in my state. Seemed kinda like cheating. Kinda like a short range rifle. All the work is done once the deer is close enough for the shot besides pulling the trigger. I shoot a bow during the regular archery season and crossbow in the late December hunt where I can be in a heated blind. More of a meat hunt with a doe tag. I've come a long way in my thought process about crossbows. Never been against them just didn't care to shoot one. Today when temps get way below freezing, I'd much rather be in a heated blind. Crossbows are the answer to keeping me in the woods during archery season.