Curious to know what bowsiters do... Myself - have shot a few body - never tried head shots with decapitating broadheads.. (but thinking about trying that this year) Curious to know if there is a trend among bowsiters..
I prefer body shots. When they come in and attack decoys they are going crazy bouncing all over the place. Their head and necks are moving non stop. Body shots are much easier in my opinion assuming you know where to aim. The huge advantage for head shots is that you know exactly where to aim. Even with the small vitals I believe a body shot with a big mechanical is the best option.
Body shots - Unless you want to different arrows (have to be long enough to had head in front of hand)and having to tune you bow for the new arrows. Body shots are deadly once you learn where to hit them. Chop their heads off would be fun if you want to go to the trouble.
I agree with you on the head choppers. I should have mentioned the wounding loss specifically. I have had great luck with body shots and had lost one turkey in 15+ years. Then in 2020 I lost another one and it still bothers me as I "thought" I shot him in the perfect spot. Obviously I did not. If I could get them to stand still I would pick a head chopper over a mechanical.
I can't imagine going back to body shots after using Magnus Bullhead. Yes it took me a little tweaking to get an arrow dialed in that hits the same as my standard FBBs (I didn't want to change pins in case have opportunity for other critters like lion, elk/deer in fall, etc.)
I personally don't feel their head/necks move too much when they come to decoys, even aggressively, just wait for the right time. It's very easy to pick out the aiming point for head/neck. I much prefer the 125 Magnus (I shoot 125s anyway) with substantially larger cutting diameter and the increased forgiveness for neck shots.
Zero tracking. Hit them, they're down right there.
Neophyte turkey bowhunter here but body shots for me. Heavyshot to the noggin is what I have the most experience with though!! Just not crazy about waiting Gobblers out in a blind with my bow........
Agree with Jim, I’ve killed lots of turkeys with body shots and only lost two that I can remember. One of them was the last turkey I shot with a bow. Crappy way to go out ! :-(
I’m lucky to get one or two shots a year so I’m shooting the body. Can’t imagine the pain of a clean miss with those head shot loppers. I do say the same thing every year.
I have lost three to body shots. One I found about a week later. Going to try the headshot with bullheads this year and possibly the scorpions behind my COC Muzzys. Supposed to keep the arrow in the bird so they can't fly or run very well.
It's not necessarily about not losing a bird. It's about not even having to look for him. Dead without a step (although they do flop...like a chicken with its head cut off). No grid searching in a pile of brush, no walking in a straight line in the direction it flew off, etc.
And I too am lucky to get one or two shots at a bird each spring. Just not many turkeys where I hunt, or at least I haven't figured them out. I did miss one year, the bird totally ignored my arrow and I killed him with my second shot. But mostly I don't miss ;o)
I have used both and 90% lean toward body shots. Have had a couple rodeos with my head-loppers nicking the blind window—which in my case was a T5 (which I still use and love).
There is such a thing as wounding them with loppers though and this trail cam pic captured by accident was from the bird I described above. The head-lopper clipped the blind and then broke his wing on deflection. I was able to tackle him eventually but this pic was seconds before I dove the first time—and MISSED. Didn’t walk right for a week.
They can be tough to kill but big mechanicals and knowing where to aim is key IMO. Charlie is correct in that birds you miss with head loppers are tough to swallow. Sounds like it would be a win-win but it was always tough to watch them walk away after a couple clean head misses.
Don’t ask me how I know……
Some have said they don’t like the fact they can’t take pics if their heads are chopped off but you can “re-attach” for a photo as I did here a few years ago if you do shoot their heads off.
Neither is wrong or right but no option is perfect.
I prefer body shots. I think your odds of success are better. Despite what people say the head is a slightly smaller target than the heart lung area. Combine that with the head always moving, it does not give a lot of room for error. I have missed a couple of close head shot that should have been dead birds. I still think there is a place for head shots and "head lopper" broadheads. When I am hunting urban areas I use them because I don't want a bird running through someone's back yard with an arrow sticking out.
Body for me. My buddy (the Turkey Whisperer), who has arrowed more Turkeys than any dz. hunters together does both.. This yr he's doing heads & put his first down in Neb opener. Last yr his body shots took 5 in 3 states.
I'm a body shot guy. For me it just dont feel right, and I have no interest trying to shoot a bird in the head. Rocket Hammerhead. 3 blades that opens to 2 inches. But there getting hard to find.
Eyad, Please tell me that you have a video of you trying to tackle that gobbler......that might compete with Pat's video of the "one that got away"....!!
Thanks guys - appreciate the wisdom. I'll probably try the head things on my first bird (we're allowed two here in Quebec) and carry some big mechanicals just in case... Season here opens end of April..
Hunt-yep but was a dead bird. We always KNOW what we want but sometimes we don't get it.. I have a video of TWO perfect pass thrus with an expandable on the same bird & he traveled an unbelievable distance. Lucky he was found. I wish I could load it for all to see.
For those that can't stand the thought of a miss on a head shot---If you miss you have missed the target by several inches. Those broadheads give you quite a margin of error. If you miss a body shot by that amount there is a good chance of a long recovery or a lost bird (or a clean miss). I will take the clean miss/dead bird. My friends that are extremely successful with body shots are also experts on shot placement for turkeys and are relentless at recovery efforts. Happy hunting whichever way you choose!
Used to just go with my deer/bear hunting set-up. Lost a couple with what I thought were good body shots. Found one quite a while later in a brush pile, rotting. Head shots for me from now on (Archery or shot gun). At least they can't flap and glide off someplace never to be found.
I’ve taken a couple with bullheads don’t have to run em down, I carry regular broadheads too never know what kinda shot you might get. Its was a bullhead on this one.
My disability requires a crossbow. I like mechs. I like the base of neck at body. This last fall used a 170 grain 3 inch 2 blade, NAP, FOC. They may go a step...
Kansas a few years ago.....I've had good luck with the Gobbler Guilliotine heads. Keep the shots within 20 yards and live with the occasional miss. Never wounded one this way, they die in their tracks or depart unharmed. For this photo a friend had his video camera along and filmed the shot. The photo is a frame grab from his video.
Reference my previous note. In the photo you can see the arrowa (Black line) just beyond the turkey that lost it's head. The orange spot is the FOB fletching I use in place of conventional vanes. In the lower right corner of the photo is a dead turkey I had shot five minutes earlier (At that time one got two turkey tags each year...it's one now). The first turkey also lost its head but at a range of, maybe, 10 feet.
Over the years I have killed most of my Turkey's with Broadheads and body shots but I use both now, but normally use the Magnus Bullhead now as they work so well. Always have at least 1 Broadhead in the quiver just in case though.
I always used the broadhead I deer hunted with and almost every time my arrow went farther than the turkey but I just might go with the mechanical this year good luck Lewis
Last year I used two different weapons with one basic approach- with a longbow, I shot the air around the head/neck area multiple times. With a compound bow, I did the same thing. It was a humbling spring!!!
I shoot for the body with a big MBH (Vortex 2 3/4”). Have had very good success over the years. My goal is to break a leg and/or wing. Turkeys are not that big so the large cut has turned some bad shots into good ones over the years.
Probably wore your your damn thumbs this past spring, T. That's ok- this spring will be a different story. You can pretype a "Congrats Scoot- beautiful bird" text right now to save yourself some time in April or May.