Thank you guys for the fine compliments. I appreciate it, and yes I am very blessed. I hope my son and I can enjoy hunts like this in the future! But I got time, he's not even 2.
Originally posted by Guru:
Tommy, where did Ashley hit her bird? From the look of the arrow, it looks to have gone all the way through...
I also have to comment about how much you look like your Dad...and that's a good thing
Guru: I get the look-alike comment about five times a day, my Dad just says "poor kid". Ha! I don't remember exactly where Ashley shot her turkey but I have the videotape so I'll have to review it. I think her bird was quartering towards her and she hit it right in front of the wing butt, with the arrow exiting near the far leg. The feathered end of the arrow remained in the bird.
I just reviewed your turkey shot placement thread. It is very informational, I think I may shoot over there and share my experiences.
I will share our set-ups here as well.
I have, unfortunately, lost too many turkeys, especially when I aimed for the wing butt. I am now picky on broadheads and try to be picky on shots as well. I aim straight up from the legs at about beard height, no matter what angle the bird is at. I have found that looking up from the legs helps me pick a spot, which is difficult for me to do on turkeys. If I shoot slightly forward I am still in vitals, if slightly back then the arrow shoots through the guts, and with a LARGE broadhead that is deadly. If I square the hips it completely shuts down the bird's ability to run, and if they can't run they can't fly. Shooting them through the hips has also turned out to be a shot that produces a quick death.
I really prefer facing towards or facing away shots, I have 100% success with birds dying extremely fast with these shots. Not only have I not lost one, but they haven't even ran 15 yards with this shot.
On my first turkey this year, with the Rampart longbow, I used a big Sasquatch 4 blade. I hit him behind the legs while in full strut, he laid down within a minute.
My second turkey, with the Bighorn recurve, I used a 160gr Snuffer. That might be my new favorite broadhead for turkeys. I can't believe how bad the damage was. He was facing away and I hit him right above the fan. The arrow completely took out a leg and one side of the breast. The turkey died within seconds.
Ashley used a wide Magnus 4 blade. Quartering to shot, the bird flopped a bit but never stood up after the shot.
My Dad used a Sasquatch 4 blade as well. He knows better, but shot through the breast. It took a long time for his turkey to lay down and required a follow up shot. His bird got his wings under him after the second shot but did not fly far. The second shot was probably over an hour after the first shot. Had we pursued this bird immediately I have no doubt he would have flown a long ways, and/or ran a long ways. I doubt we would have recovered him if we were not able to observe him for a long time after the shot. Luckily this is open country and he did not leave the field we were set up in.