Spring gobblers have a small kill zone and seldom stand still. Whether you draw back or raise a crossbow, aiming at a precise spot is mandatory for gobbler success. Learn the four basic shot positions, forward, backward, broadside strut, and standing erect, and you can bring home the bacon, make that white meat.
Learn Where the Vitals Are
This skeletal view shows just how much of a turkey’s body is non-lethal, with about half just feathers. In this view and position, the best aiming point is just above the center of mass. Some archers like to focus on a gobbler’s legs on a broadside shot, since taking out the bird’s legs prevents it from flying or running. Patience is critical when aiming at a gobbler because toms can sway their tail feathers so that the fan does not line up with the body, which creates a glancing blow instead of a direct, perpendicular penetration.
Shoot the Shiny Spot
Turkeys can sense danger quickly, and any errant sound or movement can transform a standing tom into one that’s sneaking away. One bit of advice for a broadside shot is to shoot at the “shiny spot,” which is a panel of feathers on the wing that covers the upper legs and lower vitals. Even on a cloudy day, these feathers shine, and they make a quick aiming point. For a quick video of this technique, click here.
Frontal Shots
Of the two turkeys approaching above, the left bird is by far in the best shot position because it is facing directly toward you. An arrow just above the beard will pass directly through the vitals and may touch the spine. For toms quartering toward or away, the hunter has to estimate where the vitals are and does not have a distinct aiming point.
Walking Away-
An arrow in the vent is very lethal on turkeys as long as the bird is walking directly away. This shot also has a distinct aiming point. If the bird is not strutting, aiming at the middle of the back has a very high probability of breaking the bird’s spine. I’ve taken two gobblers with this shot, and it anchors the bird in place.
Head, Neck
The quickest way to dispatch a turkey is an arrow through the neck region, which severs the spine and renders the gobbler immobile. That was the case on this big Gould’s gobbler on a hunt in Mexico with Jimmy Houston. The bird walked past my hiding place, and I made a single puck to stop it. The tom stopped, raised its head high, and I put a large broadhead through its neck, dropping it on the spot.
