Very few animals are as challenging to harvest with a bow as wild turkeys. Their keen eyesight, natural wariness, and ability to turn into David Copperfield and disappear into thin air after they're hit with an arrow make them an extreme challenge. You wouldn't think by looking at a turkey that they would present much of a challenge. After all, they're just a pile of feathers and a few pounds of meat, right? Wrong! Turkeys are one of the toughest animals on two legs and you can't assume you have Thanksgiving Dinner in the bag until you are wrapping your tag around their legs. After they are hit with a broadhead they can run and hide in the brush, fly away or run so fast that hunters stand no chance of catching up. In many states, the number of bowhunters who tag a gobbler in the spring is below 20%. The number of bowhunters who take a shot or hit a bird with an arrow is much higher. A well-placed arrow is crucial when turkey hunting with archery gear. To help bowhunters become more successful, many companies have broadheads designed specifically for putting a spring gobbler next to the mashed potatoes where he belongs. STEEL FORCE TALON Most broadheads fly through a turkey's body quickly which often results in little internal damage. In the past, many bowhunters placed washers on the backside of their broadheads to reduce penetration, resulting in more internal damage and greater shock to the bird. Steel Force Broadheads has fixed this problem with their Talon Series. The Talon is very effective due to its serrated edges that face forward. The wicked forward-facing serrated blades reduce penetration and maximize tissue damage, which quickly brings the bird down. The Talon Phat Head has a .080-inch-thick main blade and is available in 100- and 125-grains.
FUSE STRUT BUSTER Fuse Broadheads has a turkey hunting broadhead called the Strut Buster that will quickly bring a longbeards' gobbling to an end. The hook-shaped blades on the Strut Buster rip their way through feathers and tissue, maximizing the amount of damage done to the vital area. The hook-shaped blades reduce penetration so the broadhead stays in the turkey doing damage instead of passing through. Using a broadhead like the Strut Buster has a third advantage. Since the broadhead comes to a complete stop inside the bird, all of the energy from the arrow gets delivered directly to the bird, which shocks the bird. It's almost like getting hit with a slug, not an arrow.
THE RAGE The 2-blade Rage broadhead is preferred by many turkey hunters because it offers a 2-inch cutting diameter which can take out a large portion of the vital area. The Rage Broadhead has become one of the most popular broadheads on the market thanks to the slip-cam blade deployment system. Unlike most expandable broadheads that have blades that open from the front, the Rage blades deploy from the rear. Upon impact, the blades slip back into the fully deployed position…hence the name "slip cam." The extraordinary thing about the Rage is since the blades deploy from the rear and are forced open as the front of the broadhead enters the turkey and are forced rearward, the blades are fully deployed upon impact which creates an extremely large entrance wound in the turkey which is often what is needed to bring them down quickly.
NAP BLOODRUNNER New Archery Products has a new broadhead that is a hybrid between a conventional broadhead and a mechanical called the Bloodrunner. As the broadhead flies through the air, it has a very low profile and a 1" cutting diameter. It has a cut-on-contact tip and looks similar to a regular 3-blade broadhead. Upon impact, the blades are forced rearward and open to 1.5-inch, creating a devastating hole. Because the blades get pushed back, the moment the broadhead hits the turkey, it is virtually impossible for the blades not to open. However, if the blades didn't open all the way, the broadhead would operate like a 3-blade broadhead and still create a 1-inch hole. Either way, the bowhunter wins. The Bloodrunner is offered as a 100-grain model.
GRIM REAPER RAZORTIP Large 3-blade mechanical broadheads are a turkey hunters' dream come true. Some of the extra large cutting diameter 3-blade mechanical heads bring turkeys down almost as fast as a shotgun. Grim Reaper Broadheads have a large cut mechanical head that fits the bill. Their Razortip Extra has a razor tip that starts cutting the moment it touches the bird, followed by 3 blades that have a 1 ¾-inch cutting diameter. Add their new expander cup to the back end of the broadhead and the result is a 2-inch cutting diameter. Three blades producing a 2-inch hole will bring down even the toughest gobblers.
GOBBLER GUILLOTINE Arrowdynamic Solutions, makers of the Gobbler Guillotine, was one of the first broadhead companies to manufacture a broadhead designed for turkey hunting. They didn't simply design another broadhead and slap a cool turkey name on it; they built a broadhead designed to take the head off a cocky tom. The Diamond Edition Gobbler Guillotine has four 3-inch blades that create a 3×3 cutting width so even if your aim is slightly off, you will still hit your mark. When the razor-sharp blades pile into a turkey's neck, the result is usually the same: the bird either loses its head and drops in its tracks or keeps its head and drops in its tracks. In either case, no tracking is required. The blades on the Diamond Edition have beefed up titanium blades that don't require sleeves over them like previous models. The blades are reversible so each head can be used multiple times. When one side is worn out, flip them over and you're ready to hunt. The blades swing sideways so they can be stored in a quiver. The only bad thing about the broadhead is it is designed for head shots only. Do ****you see anything wrong with this picture? The tom is missing his head. This is what happens when a Guillotine comes into contact with a turkey's head.
AUTHOR BIRD – The author has hunted all over the country for a variety of game animals. Chasing turkeys with stick and string is one of his favorite hunting sports.
Not for the faint of heart.
GRAPHIC IMAGE WARNING AT END OF GALLERY. Taking a turkey with archery gear is one of the ultimate challenges in all of hunting. Here’s what to use on the business end of your arrows.