By Jason Reid
Like we discussed last week, hunting turkeys with a bow takes finesse, patience and attention to detail. In the second part of this blog, Andrew Gue from Gone Wild Outdoors who specializes in bowhunting turkeys, shares a few more thoughts on gear selection and filming hunts.
What broadheads work best for turkeys? Expandable? Fixed? Decapitating?
“All three will work,” Gue says, “The question really comes down to where you want to focus on shooting them. I’ll actually carry both mechanical and a decapitating broadhead. In my opinion, if you’re going to shoot at the body of a turkey, go with a mechanical,” Gue says. Today’s mechanicals offer larger cutting diameters which are critical when trying to hit such a small vital area.” Gue says he personally uses the Magnus Bullhead as it has a generous 3 3/4″ cutting diameter and is devastating when it makes contact with a turkey’s head or neck.
As birds approach, are there any tips for getting to full draw undetected?
Gue says, “I’m always watching the turkey’s body language and head position. The easiest way to draw on a gobbler is when he is in full strut and turns away from you. His tail fan obstructs his view, allowing you to draw your bow. I have also drawn my bow when the gobbler is fighting and attacking the decoy. The bird is occupied and his attention is on your decoys making it possible to draw your bow.”
For filming turkey hunts, is having a camera man an absolute must?
“Not at all. However, 95% of my filming is on my own. Carrying all your gear, plus the added camera gear makes it a bit harder for the “run and gun” kind of turkey hunter.” Gue also says he has found that filming has actually made him more patient when trying to take the shot. When asked about the difficulty of solo filming, Gue remarked, “The hardest part is trying to keep everything in frame. On numerous occasions I’ve drawn my bow and had to let down to re-frame the picture. I’ve also missed great shot opportunities because I was busy trying to get the best looking footage. Unfortunately, trial and error is the best system for learning how to self film.”
What are some important reminders for filming hunts?
“Stay as light as possible and use a LANC/remote to help cut down on your movement,” Gue says. “If your tripod head has a handle screw on both sides, position the handle closest to your body so you don’t have to reach as far. Media storage is cheap, so film everything possible. Lastly and most importantly, make sure you push the record button and physically see the recording logo or red dot turned on. You’ll only forget this one time.”
Bowhunting turkeys is a hard endeavor. Filming while trying to arrow one of these high strung birds can push hunters to the end of their patience. Working a bird into bow range when you know in the back of your mind with a gun it would have been over twenty yards ago develops character and patience within each hunter.
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About Jason Reid:
Jason Reid is a writer and business professional from upstate New York. After deciding to pursue his dream of becoming an outdoor writer, Jason started a blog from his dorm room at Houghton College, growing it and working hard to earn opportunities. While bowhunting big game is his ultimate passion, Jason welcomes all outdoor challenges which force him to push his limits. Jason’s work can be viewed on his website Pushingthewildlimits.com