For a hunter planning a hunting trip in another state, knowing the rules and regulations is the first step in planning. If Texas is on your list for bow hunting destinations, here are some of the regulations you’ll need to know:

• Crossbows are not legal for taking migratory game.

• Only standard archery is legal for bow hunting in Texas and may only be used during general open season.

• Bows and crossbows may not be used to hunt deer in muzzle load season.

• Bows and crossbows are legal for hunting non-game animals that are not protected.

• You must be licensed to carry a concealed handgun in Texas.

• Firearms are only allowed in camp if they are in your vehicle, or you are hunting any lawful game besides whitetail deer, mule deer, and turkey.

If you are hunting with a longbow, recurve, or compound bow, there are a few regulations to be aware of:

• Bows must have a minimum 40 pound draw for all game besides squirrel.

• Bows with full or partial draw locks are legal during any lawful bow hunting season.

Crossbows may be used when bow hunting in Texas in the following circumstances:

• Crossbows, with or without telescopic sights, may be used to hunt game animals and birds, with the exception of migratory game birds during open seasons, and Eastern spring turkey season.

• Persons with upper limb disabilities, such as the loss of, or the loss of use of, fingers, hands, or arms, may use a crossbow to hunt deer and turkey during Archery Only open season. The person must at all times have in their immediate possession a physician’s statement attesting to the extent of their disability.

• A crossbow is legal for game animals and birds, (except migratory game birds), as long as the crossbow has at least 125 pounds of pull, a mechanical safety, and a stock no shorter than 25 inches.

There are also some rules to keep in mind in regards to arrows and crossbow bolts:

• It is unlawful to use poisoned, drugged, or explosive arrows or bolts.

• When hunting any game besides squirrel, a projectile must be equipped with a broadhead hunting point that is at least 7/8″ wide upon impact, with at least two cutting edges. A mechanical broadhead should open upon impact and be at least 7/8″ wide.

• An archer may have arrows or crossbow bolts with field, target, or judo points with broadhead hunting points in the quiver.





By: Abhishek Agarwal

Custom Turkey call maker D.Marlin Watkins demonstrates how to use box calls, trumpet calls, and paddle calls for calling wild turkeys during a Fall hunt at Turkey Trot Acres with Pete Clare and well know outdoor writer Jim Casada. Watch as they harvest a turkey coming to the call.

Randy Couture surprises Tim Silvia on turkey hunt filmed for a TV show. Randy steals the show. Randy 2 – Tim 0.

Wild turkey hunting is popular in many states. Wild turkeys are one of the most challenging foes in North America. These beautiful birds have excellent hearing and over perfect eyesight. It can be a challenge just to go unnoticed with these attentive birds around. Hunting one and not being discovered as the human you are, is a fascinating feet. These birds are easily scared, so you must be aware of the best techniques for hunting them if you are to have any luck.

Most hunters use a call to attract both male and female turkeys. Since every subspecies of the turkey family speaks the same language, with a little work you can have great luck. Becoming fluent in the turkey language would seem easy since it only has 28 distinct calls. However, there are many variations and tones that must be considered as well. Consider that just as humans can have an accent, so can turkeys. Hens and gobblers will also sound different, just as men sound different than women. The best thing you can do is listen to the various sounds that turkeys make and practice until one works. If you are making a call in the field and it doesn’t work, try something else.

When it comes to the best guns for shooting a turkey, most professional hunters will recommend a 12-gage shotgun. For a lighter kick, you might also try a 20-gage, but you will have to insure you are within 30 yards for the kill shot. Some hunters prefer a 10-gage shotgun, but really it is not necessary unless you just prefer to feel the kick. You will want to insure your gun will allow at least three shots. Usually you should only need two shots, since, if you haven’t hit by the second, he will be gone. However, there are cases you will face of getting the shot and the bird trying to fly away. This is where the third shot will come in really handy. Some companies design special guns just for turkey hunting. These can be a great investment if you plan to do a lot of turkey hunting.

The best time of year to hunt for turkey is the spring during turkey mating season. While this is not the only time of year it will prove to best, it is the best time to use calls. Since this is a time of dominance between both males and females, you will have a variety of options. You may even be able to use a gobbler call to entice a gobbler, since they will be investigating why another turkey is invading their space. The same is true for the hens who will not tolerate another hen calling in their area and are likely to search out the new hen. It can often be to your benefit to just sit back a while and listen to the various sounds they are making. Once you have a feel for the tones being used, the fun can begin.





By: Albie Berk

Sometimes there is a bittersweet end to a successful hunt.

Although not very popular among hunting enthusiast, this particular type of hunting can be very exciting and if done properly, fruitful as well. Hunting wild turkeys using a bow takes skill and patience, that is why not many hunters embark on this difficult adventure. If you are a big game fan, think of a bow hunting for wild turkey adventure as a spring training. We offer you some tips regarding this particular type of hunting:

First of all, the draw weight: a confident bow hunter will always choose a draw weight that will not affect his ability to make an accurate shot, no matter what are circumstances in which he will make that shot. We recommend using a bow scale in order to check the bow’s draw weight. The heavy vibrations that are produced during the shot can in some cases alter the limb bolts and will reduce the draw weight.

Second of all, the broadheads: the shot placement in wild turkey hunts is critical. Unlike the vast majority of the big games, the wild turkey’s vitals are about the size of a grapefruit. Many amateur hunters make the mistake of shooting arrows with field points and then after that they switch over to broadheads the day of the hunt. It is imperative to practice shooting with broadheads long before the day of the hunt. Regarding this issue, don’t forget about the diameter restrictions your state imposes so be sure to check them before the hunting day.

Moving on, three of the most vital aspects for you bow hunting success are: sight system, bowstring and the arrow rest. As most of you know, pins tend to slide up and down and eventually bend and break, this problem also occurs with the frames that serve for protection. Don’t forget to give your bowstring a once-over the moment you have finished tinkering with your sights. Remember to look for cut strands because they can lead to inefficient shooting and God forbid, dangerous situations if the string breaks during the shot. Apply wax to your string on a regular basis and check the arrow rest in order to make sure that nothing has moved/loosened since your last hunting expedition. The arrow rests are very important as they can affect the flight of the arrow.

Many hunters make the mistake of not taking seriously into consideration the nock set. The slightest movement up or down where the arrow meets the string can alter the arrow’s flight as it comes off the string. We recommend using a bow square so that you can measure the exact point on the bowstring, the place where the nock set allows for the most efficient arrow flight.

Placement is crucial for hunting wild turkey with a bow that is why in order to be an efficient bow hunter you have to put in the time. All turkey hunters that use a bow have to change their hunting tactics in comparison with the hunters that use the old-fashioned shotgun because shot gunners can easily plop down at the closest tree the width of their back and with no efforts, create efficient shooting lanes. A regular bow hunter can’t afford this luxury so the best setups are those that are thought well in advance.

Last but not least, practice makes perfect. If you are uncertain of your bow hunting skills you need to practice in order to improve your overall performance. Remember to shoot from both sitting and kneeling positions because in real action you will rarely have the opportunity of shooting a turkey in standing position but of course, a few shots from standing position won’t hurt anyone.

All in all, bow hunting wild turkey takes a lot of practice and patience but with proper training it can bring the excitement that all hunting enthusiasts are looking for.





By: Razvan Jr

This is a turkey hunt I edited for Longbeard Madness 14 where Mark and Terry Drury hosted 5-Time UFC Heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia for an Iowa turkey hunt. If you enjoyed this hunting video, then check out druryoutdoors.com for more info on our turkey hunting videos, as well as our whitetail series and tv shows. Applications: Final Cut Pro, Color … turkey hunting tim sylvia video mark drury terry longbeard madness 14 hunt iowa gobbler smash bird ufc ultimate fighting championship hen jakes …

click the “watch in High Quality” button!This is a hunt in Leavenworth County with my father using my new Dave Smith Decoy. The birds all came in silent so the transition is a bit rough. Still a great video though. Enjoy!

Because of a turkey’s keen eyesight and great sense of hearing, they have long been considered a difficult trophy to bag. A hunter really needs any edge he can get on these birds and turkey hunting magazines are often a great resource. They offer tips, tricks, product reviews, and articles about the life of the turkey for turkey hunters. This can often prove an invaluable resource for a hunter looking to step up his game.

There are a few different magazines available, and browsing the local bookstore, or doing an online search will allow the hunter to get familiar with what each magazine offers. Some of the advice a hunter may find in a turkey hunting magazine is:

1. Weapons. The hunter has two options when hunting his trophy; whether to use a firearm or a bow. The turkey magazine will help the hunter choose which is right for him by offering different articles in regards to each method. They also offer great advice for the accessories that can be used with each method, such as the right arrows or ammunition.

2. Gear. The turkey hunting magazine offers great advice for the new and best types of gear available to a turkey hunter. It will be important for the turkey hunter to know what is available and what works best on these clever gobblers.

3. Locations. One of the fun things about the turkey hunting magazine is that they often do special articles on great places throughout the country to hunt turkey. This can spark the hunter’s interest and get him planning a trip next season to one of the spots featured.

4. Equipment. The turkey hunting magazine can be a great resource for the hunter trying to find the best hunting equipment out there. The magazine cuts through all the clever marketing and tells the hunter which are the best calls, decoys, and other tools available for the hunt.

5. Tactics. Another fun aspect to the turkey hunting magazine is the tactical advice offered. Bagging a gobbler can be a very difficult thing indeed, so learning the best way to increase your chances makes for fun and intersting reading in the off-season.

For a sport that is known for being so challenging, a magazine that’s looking to increase a hunter’s chances of bringing home a trophy is a great asset. The magazine also allows hunters to connect from around the country and share stories of their own hunting trips.





By: Abhishek Agarwal

There are many reasons that a hunter would get seriously injured, but the leading cause is improper gun handling. Unfortunately, too many hunters ignore vital safety precautions when hunting and do not take good care of their weapon. Hunting injuries or fatalities are becoming all too common in the world of hunting and many people do not seem too concerned about the fatal realities of these incidents. The logical hunter, however, takes careful note of all of the safety precautions involving his or her weapon and learns the basics of gun safety for hunters.

One of the first fundamental laws of hunting safety is to always treat the gun as if it is loaded. This is a universal guideline for gun safety as it does not refer to any actual type of gun. In terms of having a gun in general, one should never assume that it is unloaded. One should never be flippant with a gun or wave it around, point it at others or work carelessly with it. There is always the off chance that something could occur as a result of any gun powder residue or other possibilities, giving the odds of a dangerous incident more ground than necessary. Instead, simply treat the gun as if it is always loaded and err on the side of caution.

In relationship to the aforementioned law of gun safety, it is important to be responsible and keep the gun unloaded until it is ready for use on the hunting grounds. This avoids any injury or death due to the gun accidentally going off due to careless use or due to improper storage. Many a story has been told about gun injuries relating to guns going off in truck compartments and shooting through truck seating, relating to the notion that the gun was not only properly stored but that the improperly stored gun was loaded. For reasons such as these, always store the gun as unloaded.

When on the hunting field, it is important to remember hunting safety techniques. Always keep the fingers in indexed positions until ready to fire. This avoids any accidental firing which can obviously result in serious injury. Instead, the fingers should be somewhat folded and away from the trigger if possible. If the fingers are more apt to be near the gun’s trigger, keep them folded and away from any notches until the prey is well within scope range. One false move with a finger too close to the trigger could result in accidental firing resulting in injury or death.

Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction. This, of course, means that the gun should never be pointed at another person. Many a story has been told of guns pointed at hunting companions in jest, only for the gun to accidentally go off and injure or kill the unfortunate companion. For this reason and for reasons involving common sense, keep the gun pointed somewhere safe and away from yourself and people at all times. This rule applies whether the gun is loaded or not.

Never look down the barrel of the gun to see if it is loaded. This is simply something that should not be done under any circumstances. As a reference to the aforementioned rules, one of the fundamental foundations of gun safety is expecting the unexpected. If one is looking down the gun barrel, there is no predictable way to ensure that the gun will not accidentally fire from powder residue or any other elements that could be lodged in the gun. Keep the face away from the gun barrel at all times.

Make sure that the gun is never dropped. This can result in accidental firing, which can send a bullet or powder in a very chaotic and unpredictable direction. Instead, always hold the gun with both hands and treat it as carefully as possible.

Never let a person who is intoxicated in any way handle a gun. Alcohol and drugs slow the reason factor on people, resulting in a lapse of reason and better judgment. An intoxicated person may improperly operate a firearm, leading to injury or possible death.

All in all, these fundamental rules should be followed if one wants to ensure a safe and happy hunting trip. Without paying attention to safety regulations, the risk factor of the average hunting trip more than doubles and injury is almost inevitable. Be safe when hunting or handling a gun of any kind.





By: Jaden Skiver