Turkey shot angle

[BRONZ]

What shot angles do you all use to increase your odds of bringing down longbeards?  When I teach Hunter's Ed I mention that there's no wrong angle to get to a bird's vitals with an arrow.  However, with that said, my kill ratio is only about 50% on broadside birds following, what I believe, to be a solid hit.  I know, "it's shot placement"; and I totally agree.  
I digress.  Has anyone had better luck with birds facing away, or straight on, compared to broadside.  I've heard of others who have adopted this policy.
Fifty-percent is not the kind of odds I am happy with.  Truth is, I thought I killed my first longbeard with a recurve yesterday only to bump him twice and never find him.     :(     Again, following what I thought was a great shot.  Ya know, humble pie and tag-soup get real sour after 5 seasons of chasing birds with my stickbow.  Regardless, I'm not sell'n out-- my time will come.

Here's a link to some turkey vital diagrams:
  http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=turkey+vitals+diagram&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=0CrnS9jwGoKB8gahzbynDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCIQsAQwAA

[Morning Star]

I believe straight away or quartering away is best on turkey.  I feel it is the quickest way to entering the vital areas of the bird.  You decrease the chance of deflection off of wing or breast bones.  The vital bone structure (spine, hips, wing butts) are more accessible from these angles.  Considering that, I feel these angles increase the size of the area a hunter can hit and recover birds.

My 2 cents

[Biggie Hoffman]

I never consider shot angle on a turkey or a fish or a coon. I'm going to shoot thru anyway so my shot selection is; whichever way the bird is facing that he will least likely detect my motion.

[Bowmania]

Your best angle is a string tracker angle.  I haven't lost a bird since I started using one.

Bowmania

[Guru]

Actually I think shooting them in the back is the best "angle".  Most of the time a shot from the back will break a turkey down on the spot.

I think the biggest problem most folks have with shooting and recovering turkeys is that they don't realize that the vitals on them are all in the top 1/3 of the body.

Remember "high they die, low they go".....

I want my arrow to pass thru the center(front to back), and in the upper 1/3 of the body.... 1/4 away, hit slightly back from center....1/4 towards, slightly forward, try to slip it right behind the wingbutt.

Turkeys aren't put together like most animals we hunt where we try to hit them low in the chest.

Check this out....looks like there's a lot to hit on a big gobbler....

 


Now look what happens when you take away the non-vital breast meat and crop....

 


As you can see everything vital is up high.....

The bird in these pix from last years bird #2, was shot 1/4 away and the hole in the pix is the entry.  

that shot went thru the front of the lungs and cut the front of the heart off.

Same shot a little higher would have broke his back...slightly, and I stress SLIGHTLY lower would
have still caught the very bottom of the lungs.

A little back would have gone thru the thighs and liver...and a little forward would have cut off the base of his neck.

Remember..."high the die, low they go"....

[Morning Star]

 I think the biggest problem most folks have with shooting and recovering turkeys is that they don't realize that the vitals on them are all in the top 1/3 of the body.
 

[BRONZ]

I can see exactly why my arrow had blood and fat on it.  My shot was about 3 full inches below where yours hit in that pic.
I was also thinking about using a string tracker.  Curt, I know you use one.  Where do you buy one?  How do you guys mount them to your bow, and string to arrow?

[Skipmaster1]

Originally posted by Morning Star:
I believe straight away or quartering away is best on turkey.  I feel it is the quickest way to entering the vital areas of the bird.  You decrease the chance of deflection off of wing or breast bones.  The vital bone structure (spine, hips, wing butts) are more accessible from these angles.  Considering that, I feel these angles increase the size of the area a hunter can hit and recover birds.

My 2 cents

I agree completely. I'll taken em anyway but really prefer straight away

Awesome pics curt, they really show how small the kill zone really is

[Zach Mikita]

Best pictures/description on a vital zone I've ever seen  

[Over&Under]

Broadside or slightly quartering away is what I generally wait for.

[Fishycatfish]

I just shoot for meat and so far I haven't lost one

[Steelhead]

Straight away is hard to beat.Or slightly quartering away.You can break the backbone,neck or get a head shot.You can reach vitals or you can break a leg.The Texas heart shot should work as well.Straight away has the most possibilities for a killing shot or of breaking the bird down and allowing you to finish em with a second arrow.

[Marty]

I can't even hit one!!! I get more excited than Joey when one of those things starts drummin and spittin all over the place! Then there's hogdancer-he goes out and drills one this year and doesn't even talk about it!!! Nuthin to it- he told me.

[Dirtybird]

Curt great pics as usual.  And I totally agree, but I'm with Marty, I get alittle excited.  

[Jeremy]

Excellent pics Curt!

[Terry Green]

Curt....get them pics along with the others on that shot placement thread stickied at the top.

 

[Biggie Hoffman]

This is great! Shot angles on turkeys.......

 

[wapiti792]

My shot angle is easy...right over their back into the soft earth  

[alligatordond]

It depends on the sub-species. Everyone knows an Osceola will see an arrow coming and deflect it with his wing, Kwai Chang Kane style , if shot broadside. So the straight way angle is best. The other species are not as intelligent so any angle is sufficient.

[joebuck]

Any angle i can get!