The toughness of Turkeys(Video)

gvdocholiday · May 02, 2017, 06:49:00 AM

I had a decent hunt yesterday afternoon. Birds came in silent and came in fast.

Arrow hit exactly where I was looking.

475grain arrow at 54lbs traveling 184fps.

Half the Wensel woodsman 150gr broadhead was still sticking out. Took all 3000+ft of the string tracker, made it 3/4 of a mile before the tracker came off the arrow.

I'm just at a loss for words and still nauseous.

At least he put on a good show. I think if he can shed that arrow, he may have a chance.

Enjoy the footage.

https://youtu.be/rrYQHw76mEk

KodaChuck · May 02, 2017, 07:23:00 AM

Apparently the old adage of "hit em low, watch them go....
Hit em high, watch them die," is not accurate. Great video. No explanation here except maybe a bit too high. Why no pass through?? Another mystery. Great video and great hunt. Turkey looked pretty stout.

May 02, 2017, 08:08:00 AM

I'm seeing too high also! I really think turkeys are about as tough as any critters we hunt, except maybe big shielded boars!!!!

Better luck next time out!

Bisch

Roy from Pa · May 02, 2017, 08:17:00 AM

I'm surprised at the lack of penetration?

J. Holden · May 02, 2017, 08:18:00 AM

Am I missing something? Are you not able to find the string? I was under the impression that the string tracker was a great tool for finding a game animal that has been shot. I guess I was mistaken...

-Jeremy

dbd870 · May 02, 2017, 08:31:00 AM

QuoteOriginally posted by Roy from Pa:
I'm surprised at the lack of penetration?

Yeah so am I, it was a bit high - hit bone perhaps? Still would have though it would have penetrated a little better.

Shane H · May 02, 2017, 08:32:00 AM

A little high. Wing butt. Actually decent location had the arrow gone through. You must have squared up the bone. Sorry, that's a bit of bad luck for sure.

gvdocholiday · May 02, 2017, 08:35:00 AM

The string untied.

Broadhead never fully penetrated. In the screen grabs you can see half the Broadhead sticking out. I've blown through several deer out to 20yds with this setup.

Turkey at 18feet...go figure.

BAK · May 02, 2017, 09:09:00 AM

Hit one two falls ago as it walked by while I was sitting in the cornfield. Distance was 12 yards. Three blade head, 50 pound Centaur longbow. Perfect wing butt hit.

Rolled the bird completely over. He got up and ran like the dickens. Only had 3/4 inch of blood on the tip of the broadhead.

Will only use two blade from now on.

Chad Orde · May 02, 2017, 09:33:00 AM

FANTASTIC VIDEO QUALITY! Man they are tough birds Jose from Flatline Bows sent me a video I will get posted up he shot his twice and first shot didn't get crazy penetration and tom acted like he wasn't even hit.

Bill Carlsen · May 02, 2017, 09:35:00 AM

I hit the breast bone like that but got lucky because the broached penetrated the bone and the point of the broached punctured the heart. Went about ten yards and down. The penetration I got was just like that in the same spot. Had to unscrew the broached to get the arrow back and the broached was buried in that breast bone and I had to be real careful getting that breast meat out. Most of the time I shoot right thru them or get two holes.

Here is the bird. I could not pull that arrow out until I deboned the meat. The tip of the head was thru the bone and into the heart otherwise he would have been long gone.

Matty · May 02, 2017, 10:19:00 AM

Amazing footage. I don't think that arrow penetrated the body cavity at all. I think it broke the wing for sure. I'd still track that string likely it will get tangled up on something be fore long. Even if you find it and the meat is wasted. It leaves a great learning lesson in an autopsy, which will show what exactly you hit. That could help us all.

Conner Parry · May 02, 2017, 10:44:00 AM

Excellent video!! This brought back a lot of tough memories for me. I hit a Big bearded Tom just like this one last year in the exact same body location. I was using a #46lb Toelke Whip, 475 grain arrow. I got less than 1/2" broadhead penetration. The turkey ran off with my arrow flagging like that, I searched for a few days after. He was still walking around alive like nothing. Their wing bones and joints are second to none in strength. I raise turkeys turkeys on my farm for meat, and have done quite a bit of "broadhead" testing.. i'm convinced they are tougher to kill with a bow than most big game animals.

gvdocholiday · May 02, 2017, 10:51:00 AM

I failed in adequately tying the tracker to the arrow. It eventually untied from the arrow with just a little bit of blood on the string.

lt-m-grow · May 02, 2017, 11:25:00 AM

It also jumps the string too. I have similar footage of a turkey dropping all the way to the ground and taking the feathers off the back only.

Excellent video footage btw.

And yeah penetration is a bugger. I was using a bhead designed for turkeys and I was surprised how little penetration I was getting. I have just switched back to my big game heads. I have all the evidence of one turkey, but I got my first pass thru so YMMV

Pine · May 02, 2017, 11:25:00 AM

It always hurts to loose a hit game animal .
Tie you tracking string with a pipe hitch and leave about an inch on the tag end .

gvdocholiday · May 02, 2017, 06:50:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by Chad Orde:
FANTASTIC VIDEO QUALITY! Man they are tough birds Jose from Flatline Bows sent me a video I will get posted up he shot his twice and first shot didn't get crazy penetration and tom acted like he wasn't even hit.

Thanks Chad.

The string tracker I got from you a few weeks ago worked flawlessly. It allowed me to track hundreds of yards beyond what I would have been able to had I had no tracker. There's a good chance that had I tied on a proper knot rather than just looping it a few times, that I'd still be chasing that turkey down.

I won't make that mistake next time. I'm also glad I decided to order the 2-pack of spools. Speaking of, gonna need to get an order in for a couple of more.

Guru · May 02, 2017, 08:52:00 PM

Sorry bud, been there!

I've said it before....turkeys are tough to penetrate because they don't have the body weight to take the impact....they "give".....add that to the fact you squared up the wing bone and possibly the "shoulder ball"....turkey bone are extremely hard!

I killed a bird yesterday that went 100 into thick brush and didn't leave a speck of blood....the string lead me right to him....priceless!

mwosborn · May 02, 2017, 11:21:00 PM

QuoteOriginally posted by BAK:
Hit one two falls ago as it walked by while I was sitting in the cornfield. Distance was 12 yards. Three blade head, 50 pound Centaur longbow. Perfect wing butt hit.

Rolled the bird completely over. He got up and ran like the dickens. Only had 3/4 inch of blood on the tip of the broadhead.

Will only use two blade from now on.

Me too!

Jerry Russell · May 03, 2017, 06:33:00 PM

Nice footage. I hate you lost him.