Hunting and Fishing News Blog Articles

The Oxford Dictionary defines trivia as: “details, considerations, or pieces of information of little importance or value.” The following tidbits might seem trivial, but savvy hunters will find ways to utilize this useless information.

1) Deer are ruminants. Like cows, they have a complex, four-chambered stomach consisting of the rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. If you read my previous column, you know that’s important because providing the wrong supplemental feed at the wrong time could prove disastrous. But wait, there’s more…

Deer are most active at dawn and dusk when they feed feverishly before heading off to bedding. However, like cows, they regurgitate a bolus or cud, which they chew to break down coarse food further. This might create a little extra space, which they’ll want to fill before they bed down for the day, and you just might see a brief period of feeding activity an hour or two after things have slowed down.

2) Deer have interdigital glands between their toes that constantly secrete small amounts of scent. That’s primarily how other deer and tracking dogs follow them. Small quantities of fresh scent might even put other deer at ease. When deer stomp their feet – usually when they’re nervous or suspect danger, they disperse higher amounts of scent, and biologists suspect it’s not the scent but the amount that may put other deer on alert when they encounter the odor.

Killing a turkey with a bow can be extremely difficult. In fact, in most states the data shows that the success rate among turkey hunters who are bowhunting that tag a bird is in the single digits. Filling a turkey tag with a bow is tricky for several reasons. The first reason is that a turkey has a small vital area that is easy to miss, so many turkeys get wounded and are not recovered. Another reason why many turkey hunters go home empty handed is because a turkey’s eyesight is excellent, so many hunters get busted by a longbeard or his hens when they attempt to draw their bow.

One guy who knows a thing or two about killing a turkey with a bow is Jeff Budz of Florida. Budz has killed more turkey grand slams with a gun than any other turkey hunter alive. (117 grand slams). He has also killed four grand slams with a bow. “I have killed 30 turkeys with my bow and it is safe to say it can be tough to kill a longbeard with a bow but there are a few things I do every year to stack the odds in my favor,” Budz said.

HUNT FROM A BLIND

One thing Budz never leaves home without when bowhunting gobblers is a popup blind. “I know there are a lot of hunters out there that like to bowhunt turkeys without a blind, but if I were trying to bowhunt turkeys for the first time, I would always use a popup blind because it almost eliminates the possibility of the bird seeing the bowhunter draw their bow,” Budz explained. “Plus it allows the hunter to use a stool, switch between different types of calls without being seen and sit for long periods while waiting on a bird. A popup blind is a must-have. When I have the opportunity, I also hunt from hard-sided blinds. Hunting from a blind makes getting away with movement a lot easier.

USE A MECHANICAL BROADHEAD

Another must have for Budz is a mechanical broadhead with a 2-inch cutting diameter. “The vitals on a turkey are extremely small. The larger the cutting diameter of the broadhead I am using, the more wiggle room I have if my shot is off a little bit,” Budz said. On top of using a large mechanical head, Budz says hunters need to know the turkey’s anatomy. “The vital area of a turkey is not the same as a whitetail or any other critter. I like to aim right above the drumsticks because it allows me to remove their legs so they can’t run or fly away. Hitting a turkey high in the drumsticks will also remove the back of the chest cavity, quickly killing the bird.”

Lighted nocks are a terrific hunting aid because they allow an archer to see the impact of a high-speed arrow from a crossbow or swift compound.  During practice, they make shooting more fun and can show the impact of an arrow at more extended range.  Finding an arrow after a shot just before dark can be critical for determining wait time before trailing.  Lighted nocks are especially helpful to crossbow hunters since arrow speeds are so high and finding an arrow without the light enhancement is very difficult.

For all of the benefits of lighted nocks, one universal knock, pun intended, is turning the darned things off.  People use pliers, pocket knives, teeth, and other means to prolong battery life and turn off the nock.  Here’s a short YouTube video explaining how to turn them off.

The Proper Way

A quick, ethical demise is the goal of every bowhunter; the more you know about the impact of your arrow, the better.  Delta McKenzie and Big Shot offer targets that pair with your smartphone to show how this process works.  Brian Kightlinger traveled to Harrisburg and Columbus, Ohio, to explore these new technologies and shares his videos:

Here’s the Target in Action from YouTube

Spring gobblers are an exhilarating challenge with a bow and arrow.  Many compare turkey hunting with the challenge of calling in a bugling elk, only populations of turkeys are much greater, tags are far cheaper, and you don’t need a pack mule to get the meat home.  With a compound, recurve, or crossbow, you can use standard deer gear like camouflage and arrows, but may want to switch to a larger broadhead.

Decoys and Open Ground

Unlike whitetail deer, which often prefer thick wooded areas, turkeys rely heavily on their eyesight to avoid predators and seek open areas with enhanced vision. This environment increases the effectiveness of decoys because turkeys can see them from a greater distance, and decoys may draw an approaching gobbler into a preselected shooting location.

Pack Your Patience

When setting up for turkeys, always choose a location with a backdrop that will disguise your silhouette such as a large tree trunk, blowdown, or heavy foliage.  You want to be in front of the cover, not behind it.  If you are 1000 percent still, a turkey may approach your camouflaged figure to very close range.  The trick becomes how to raise your crossbow or come to full draw.

The following video does an excellent job of depicting what a turkey hunt is like, especially the importance of patience.

The Plan Comes Together

Recurve-style crossbows are easy to love, and Excalibur has perfected simplicity. I hunt with an Excalibur Micro crossbow every year and have dubbed it “Old Reliable” because of its consistent performance.  All three of my grandsons have taken their first deer with it because it’s light, compact, and very accurate.  At the 2025 ATA Show, I shot the new REVX which was definitely recurve 2.0, loved it, and ordered one.  It arrived yesterday and I had the chance to unbox and sight it in.  Here are my impressions:

Crank Cocking

The REVX shoots a 350-grain arrow up to 400 fps so a crank cocking device is needed for most hunters.  The Excalibur system is very simple and the crank handle nests into the stock so it’s always at hand.  A trigger box release lever is easy to use and allows the trigger box to slide easily to the string where it attaches with a distinct click.  Engage the safety and then crank the bow to full cock.  You can pause the process with no backwind or handle twirling.  Full cock is indicated by a “click,” back wind the handle three times, and remove.

Easy Peasy

As you can see in the above picture, the trigger release tab is large and easy to operate, as is the safety button in front of it. Hunting in cold weather often requires gloves, and these large control elements make the bow easy and safe to operate.

Well Labeled

The REVX is a powerful bow, and Excalibur has gone the extra mile with its labeling and safety instructions.  In case you need a refresher on how to cock and uncock the crossbow, the directions are printed on the buttstock.  Like an airplane pilot, you have a checklist of procedures so that the arrow can be launched accurately and safely every time.

Easy Sigh-In

The labeling on the scope turrets was clear and precise. Note that directions are printed directly on the scope adjustments, making them much easier to fine-tune.