Joel Maxfield Kills Rare Gobbler With A Bow
Joel Maxfield is no stranger to unique animals. Maxfield has completed the North American Super Slam and has enjoyed a career at Mathews Archery that has taken him all over the globe in search of big game. A couple weeks ago, he killed quite possibly one of the most unique trophies he will ever kill. He tagged a Rio Grand Gobbler Red/Black color phase gobbler in Utah.
According to Maxfield, the day he killed the bird was not his first encounter with the gobbler. “I saw this bird a year ago while hunting turkeys in Utah and I couldn’t hunt him because he was on property I couldn’t hunt. This year, the gobbler was on property I could hunt. When I saw him again this year, I couldn’t believe it.”
Once Maxfield saw the bird, he devised a plan to stalk him and hopefully get within bow range. “I kept my eyes on the flock of birds he was with and slipped down into a ravine when they went out of sight. Then I started doing a little calling. This time of year, calling in birds is extremely difficult so I just tried to emulate the calling I was hearing. I would purr and whine like them, hoping they would work my way.”
Eventually the longbeard and the flock he was with started working towards Maxfield and he was able to get a shot at the unique gobbler. “I couldn’t believe it when it all came together. This turkey is truly unique. He is a beautiful bird and I am planning to do a full body mount.”
Maxfield is no stranger to tagging longbeards with a bow. Each spring you can find him driving across America searching for longbeards. Maxfield regularly kills birds while hunting in a pop-up blind and sometimes runs and guns without a blind. His key to success lies in his attention to detail when practicing. “I shoot in a lot of tournaments and fine tune my equipment so when the moment of truth arrives, I can make difficult shots.”
Turkeys have an extremely small vital area which makes killing them with a bow difficult. A turkey typically doesn’t stop moving, which makes the shot more difficult.“I like using a mechanical broadhead with a large cutting diameter,” Maxfield said. “A big mechanical head quickly brings down a gobbler when a good shot is made.”
Maxfield is not afraid to take a head shot on a gobbler, but his favorite shot to a body shot right above the drumsticks. “I like to aim slightly above where the legs meet the body. This shot takes out the legs and the vitals. Taking out the legs prevents the bird from running away.”
In the next month or so, turkey hunting seasons will be opening across America. Will you be hunting with a shotgun or a bow this spring? If you have never tried killing a gobbler with a bow, give it a try this spring. You are sure to enjoy the challenge.
