Turkey Anatomy for Rifle & Bow Hunters

[roundball]

Just to share information...those who have only head shot turkeys have probably never had a reason or interest in researching and understanding the internal anatomy of a turkey's body...an obvious necessity for hunting turkey with a single rifle projectile or a broadhead.

This illustration shows the deceptively high location of the vitals cavity in a turkey compared to its overall body and feather mass...a rifle ball / slug through & through this area is the kill-shot with no waste, exactly the same as a heart/lung shot on a deer.

 

[Hoyt]

I use to hunt them with a scoped rim-fire 22 back in Ga. many yrs ago when it was legal. I would call them up in the spring just as if I was using a shotgun.

Killed quiet a few and never lost one. I'd shoot them right in the wing butt (where the wing goes into the body)..or either right at the point where the neck goes into the breast. I've shot them in the breast with a 30-30 and 308 and had them fly off. Another good spot to shoot them is into the back, on the same level of the wing butts.

 

[BillinOregon]

Roundball: Very useful diagrams. You've made me a wiser turkey hunter, and I thank you.

 

[roundball]

And I've seen this saying:
"aim high, watch them die, aim low, watch them go"
making the point about the whole vitals area being higher than you'd think compared to just looking at a turkey, particularly a Tom in strut, with all the fluffed out feathers and drooping wings.

 

[hawk]

with my recurve bow I wait for the texas heart shot ...the spread out tail covers up your movement when drawing the bow ...I've had to wait for that rear display to full cock my lock on a bird that came in quick and quite too.

thanks for bringing these other POA's to my attention ...ain't nothin' wrong with arming yourself with more knowledge.


have you come to any conclusions to how your going to bag this seasons bird RB?

 

[roundball]

with my recurve bow I wait for the texas heart shot ...the spread out tail covers up your movement when drawing the bow ...I've had to wait for that rear display to full cock my lock on a bird that came in quick and quite too.

A very effective technique...best possible unobstructed lane into the vitals and he's blind while you're doing it.

have you come to any conclusions to how your going to bag this seasons bird RB?

Well, I'm going to "go turkey hunting" with the .28ga smoothbore & PRB...whether or not I actually bag one remains to be seen :wink:

 

[roundball]

Another excellent shot placement guide image showing the fairly long slender football shape of the heart lung location, lying just under the back & spine from front to back.
Consolidating findings from a couple dozen different turkey anatomy images with this one, and coupling them with successful shots take by hunters using broadheads, and PRBs out of Flintlocks, the common rule of thumb for head on and broadside aim points are.

1) Head on
Is about an inch above the beard's anchor point to travel full length through the heart / lung region;

2) Broadside
The intersection point of a line drawn vertically up through the drumsticks and a line drawn horizontally back from just above the beard;

 

[roundball]

FYI...rifles are not allowed for turkey hunting in North Carolina, but shotguns are of course as long as they're not larger than a .10ga...no restrictions on smoothbore shotguns regarding pellet size, # of pellets / projectiles used, even slugs can be used.

But to be certain, I sent an Email to the North Carolina Wildlife Resource Commission asking them to confirm if the same lack of restrictions applied to muzzleloading smoothbore shotguns...and got the confirmation Email back today that there are no differences in restrictions on muzzleloading smoothbore shotguns...same as for modern smoothbore shotguns.

I already have the NCWRC Email reply printed out, laminated, and folded up in my hunting vest just in case I get checked by a GW who might not be in lockstep with the NCWRC HQ :grin: and am going ahead with my plans to experiment with a .28ga smoothbore Flintlock using a PRB for turkey this spring.

Really wish I could use a Flint rifle to go after them the way some settlers surely did, but this .28ga will have to do...all the preparation and study is turning out to be an interesting, different approach and learning experience already.

 

[hawk]

if it's anything like your past deer season you mite want to pack a second ball and powder!

were i live you can only get one at a time , you have to get one then get a second tag.

i'm also quite sure that you shootin' a smoothgun won't be a factor...i've seen those practice targets

 

[roundball]

Heck, smoothbores shoot like rifes at close ranges like 25-40 yards so anybody could do that.
I'm all loaded up for a range trip at first light tomorrow to check-zero the .28ga, and get "reacquainted" with shooting...had a good opening day deer season way back in November, and havn't fired a shot since :redface: