Bird experts
Contributors to this thread:Turkey
From: PECO
04-Feb-17
Dead bird? Ease of recovery? Let's pretend this was a shot on a real bird, with a broadhead pass through. Discuss, debate, thanks.
From: PECO
04-Feb-17
Shot was angled down slightly, hard to see that in the photo.
From: Pyrannah
04-Feb-17
im no expert, but i would think you would not retrieve that one...
From: greg simon
04-Feb-17
Hit'em high, watch'em die. Hit'em low, watch'em go. A high hit will either get bone and kill or get feathers and no damage. I aim a littler lower and back but that is a kill shot.
From: Buglmin
04-Feb-17
Too far forward, especially on a quartering away bird. Break bones and they won't go no where.
From: HUNT MAN
04-Feb-17
I think that is nothing but breast meat! He will die but good luck finding him! I would aim 8 inches back on that shot!!
From: Scooby-doo
04-Feb-17
An inch back and hit that wing butt and he won't go far. I would say that is a dead bird but recovery may be iffy. Depends on what broadhead as well. Scooby
From: Hawkeye
04-Feb-17
+1 Hunt Man. Stay away from the wing butt. Aim just above the thighs and they won't go far....:)
From: Ermine
04-Feb-17
Don't think you would recover that bird. Looks too far forward
From: Brotsky
04-Feb-17
Straight up the legs and even with the beard=dead bird.
From: sbschindler
04-Feb-17
I always try to aim and hit the largest vital area on a turkey, that is the head and neck, I do not use the traditional broadhead but I use the Bullhead although the guillotine would be an improvement over the broadhead. when aiming at the head /neck area you have a much better focus on where to aim. as opposed to a large black space with no real spot to concentrate on, I know there is a little bit but no where near the head and neck, you hit the head and neck its a dead bird, you miss and he runs away to give you another chance. there are no wounded birds that will run off and die later, Turkeys are a very tough bird, they can take a pretty good hit and still run off but NOT with a head or neck hit they don't usually take another step
From: White Falcon
04-Feb-17
Bad shot!
From: SBH
04-Feb-17
Turkey are tough and have a small kill zone. IMO that bird will eventually die but its not a recoverable shot. You won't find that bird. I lost one last year on the same shot. That's too far forward.
From: SBH
04-Feb-17
Just saw the title of this thread and for the record..... I am NOT a bird expert!!
From: Paul@thefort
05-Feb-17
You might have severed the spine.
From: Franzen
05-Feb-17
Broadside and angled down like you say, and I would say you have a good shot of recovery, and likely a vital hit. With the shot being a quartered-away type as it appears, I agree with the other posters. You will have a hard time recovering that one.
From: Paul@thefort
05-Feb-17
From: SBH
05-Feb-17
Paul- Your shot is a great one, obviously:) That shot entered further back then the pic posted from op. I would say that shot you made is perfect based on the angle of the arrow. It can be amazing the difference a couple inches can make, especially on smaller game.
From: Paul@thefort
05-Feb-17
perfect, behind the shoulder shot
perfect, behind the shoulder shot
I would alwasy shoot them here if possible
I would alwasy shoot them here if possible
You are soooooo correct concerning an inch or two. Just breaking a wing will not guarantee you a bagged bird as they will most likely, run and hide. If shot through the breast, thy can run or fly away, and yes with your arrow still attached. I have had this happen twice but recovered the bird an hour to two later with a lot of searching.
Not sure if there is a "correct" answer to the question as was posed but it is not the most desired shot placement but then one can not be guaranteed a perfect shot placement all of the time. While I do not use the "off with their head" broad heads, I surely can acknowledge their effectiveness if done correctly, but then, that is the same with any BH.
Here are three example of kill shots but all in a slightly different place.
From: writer
05-Feb-17
Probably only if you hit the spine. Like several said,...up the legs. As well as the vitals, hitting the thighs can bleed them out pretty quick. I shoot a 2 3/4" expandable for body shots, and Bullhead when I have time to get my rig set up. Size matters on marginal shots.
From: loopmtz
06-Feb-17
If you shot that bird with a Rage, dead bird guaranteed!
From: Beav
06-Feb-17
If you don't sever the spine your chances of recovery are slim on that hit as it is all breast.
From: StickFlicker
06-Feb-17
Where's TBM when you need him?!
From: EmbryOklahoma
06-Feb-17
Ha ha!!! Stickflicker... I was coming on to say the same thing. :)
From: PECO
06-Feb-17
Oh yeah, TBM, what was his broadhead, Simmons Shark?
From: PECO
06-Feb-17
Oh yeah, TBM, what was his broadhead, Simmons Shark?
From: oldgoat
07-Feb-17
TBM is hanging out on rokslide forum these days, ask him! I pretty much will only take Texas Heart Shots these days!
From: Bohunner
08-Feb-17
Use a Rage and hit them anywhere and they die.
From: Glunt@work
08-Feb-17
I'm no expert but I have shot my share of turkeys and had some that weren't recovered. What works best for me is pretty simple. Shoot them in the middle.