I recall reading that, but can't find it in he summary. Maybe I'm blind. Got a page number?
Bow hunting turkeys
- Thread starter kodiakjack
- Start date
I recall reading that, but can't find it in he summary. Maybe I'm blind. Got a page number?
I stand corrected they now apparently have changed that part of the law to read at least 2 SHARP cutting edges at least 22mm wide. Stick a broadhead on the front, or sharpen the stopper blades and good to go. I have shot a lot of broadheads over the years and two were indestructible, Thunderheads and Rage. A buddy borrowed a set of 100gr Rage from me a few years back and literally cut a 28 lb tom just about in half on a broadside shot. The only thing holding it together was the crop and skin on the breast. Hit them right and they don`t stand a chance.
They didn't change it... it has always been that way... Thunderheads are very destructible, I have seen the snap in half, shear blades and lose tips... and no broadhead cut a 28 pound Tom "just about in half"... BTW, a 28 pound Tom is an exceedingly rare bird.
Well I sure am glad they specified "AT LEAST TWO sharp cutting edges". I was about to pull out my collection of ONE bladed broadheads. (Great for shooting around corners)
I use a shotgun but a good friend uses a bow on turkey. He goes for head shots only but then he is an exceptional shot. He shoots clays better with his bow than I do with a shotgun. You should check out some of his youtube videos. Just type Jeff Kavanagh in youtube and they will come up.
I'm a traditional archery wann-be, who can never seem to find time to shoot enough to get any good.
I've seen and follow Jeff's videos. They are great - I had no idea he was in Ontario! I am TOTALLY envious of his indoor shooting range.Really!! I have never had a Thunderhead come apart in a critter but the largest I have shot is whitetail. That and messing around with some buddies one afternoon that shot various broadheads and the Thunderheads were the only ones to stay together after passing through a burn barrel.
My personal best turkey is a 27.3lbs in the days when birds still had to be registered and weighed on an inspected scale and yes they are rare but I have many 25-26lbers(one with 1 7/8 spurs) over the years.
The turkey shot in half was a wild/tame cross(white and brown) that came off one of the local Cuddy farms that was hit with a 100 grn Rage out of a crossbow from 10 yds broadside. Flopping may have contributed to some damage but spine was severed and breast was cut through. When he took it out of his truck I thought it was a road kill. The buddy who shot it is the pest control guy for Cuddy's and they DNA tested the bird in their lab and it had 75% wild genes, although feathered more white than brown.
By the way the law previously was NON serrated blades on broadheads for deer and as the deer hunting bow specs applied to turkey you draw your own conclusions. From the 2008 regs:
Bows must, at a draw length of
700 mm (27.6 in.) or less, have a draw
weight of at least 22 kilograms
(48.5 lb.). Arrows must be at least
600 mm (23.6 in.) long and have at
a minimum a 22 mm (0.87 in.) wide
arrow head with at least two cutting
edges that are sharp, unserrated,
barbless, straight and made of steel.
Anything else you would like to try and call me on??
My personal best turkey is a 27.3lbs in the days when birds still had to be registered and weighed on an inspected scale and yes they are rare but I have many 25-26lbers(one with 1 7/8 spurs) over the years.
The turkey shot in half was a wild/tame cross(white and brown) that came off one of the local Cuddy farms that was hit with a 100 grn Rage out of a crossbow from 10 yds broadside. Flopping may have contributed to some damage but spine was severed and breast was cut through. When he took it out of his truck I thought it was a road kill. The buddy who shot it is the pest control guy for Cuddy's and they DNA tested the bird in their lab and it had 75% wild genes, although feathered more white than brown.
By the way the law previously was NON serrated blades on broadheads for deer and as the deer hunting bow specs applied to turkey you draw your own conclusions. From the 2008 regs:
Bows must, at a draw length of
700 mm (27.6 in.) or less, have a draw
weight of at least 22 kilograms
(48.5 lb.). Arrows must be at least
600 mm (23.6 in.) long and have at
a minimum a 22 mm (0.87 in.) wide
arrow head with at least two cutting
edges that are sharp, unserrated,
barbless, straight and made of steel.
Anything else you would like to try and call me on??
Last edited:
- Location
- South Ontario
Tagged! I will be on my first turkey hunt this spring. Great info
LOL !!! come on man .... Cut it out !!! First of all... I'd be shocked to ever see a 28 pound wild turkey.. And i'm pretty sure neither you or your buddy have either,, And a rage cutting it in half??? just stop.
I have been bowhunting for 40 years, that regulation hasn't changed in the past 30 years let alone in the "2008" regulations... so you fellas are shooting barn yard turkeys in half with your crossbows, well... that's dandy... Bon Appétit!
Incidentally the broadhead failures I referred to, were on game animals... moose, deer and bears... not "burn barrels."
Regs Haven't changed a bit LOL. By the way I have been at bow hunting for over 30, long enough in fact I have leg bands and wing tags from originally stocked birds. Some of these had time to grow the one in fact was 5 years or older according to OFAH records. When you hunt 30 or more days a season you are able to pass on smaller birds not just whack the first one in the decoys. My second tom ever was 25lbs(with a wing tag) and you can check back in the OFAH records if inclined. Sorry for the hijack. Just won't argue with someone who knows it all. When you score a bird over 82 inches come see me. I have!!
From the 2015 regs.
Bows must have a draw weight of at
least 22 kilograms (48.5 lb.) at draw
length of 700 mm (27.6 in.) or less.
Arrows must be at least 600 mm
(23.6 in.) long and have at a
minimum a 22 mm (0.87 in.) wide
head with at least two sharp cutting edges.
From the 2015 regs.
Bows must have a draw weight of at
least 22 kilograms (48.5 lb.) at draw
length of 700 mm (27.6 in.) or less.
Arrows must be at least 600 mm
(23.6 in.) long and have at a
minimum a 22 mm (0.87 in.) wide
head with at least two sharp cutting edges.
I'm a traditional archery wann-be, who can never seem to find time to shoot enough to get any good.
Jeff has a farm outside Owen Sound. He used to raise sheep and since he got out of that he had the room in his barn to make a shooting range.
So, you're saying if I want to be as good as Jeff I need to start raising sheep first? Man, this trad archery thing is gonna take a lot more time and money than I thought.
LOL!
The best thing about his farming sheep were the jokes at the hunt camp.
Time to put up or shut up as daddy always said. yes, I usually shoot one in the 24-25 lb range yearly, and no not a master just enjoy chasing these birds. Missed one of the biggest birds of my life last spring at 3 yds and incidentally it was on the farm where the bottom pic spurs were from a few years back.
