With Ron Newman
"Effective Shot Placement"
Once everything comes together....you have located, set-up on, and successfully brought the Gobbler within your effective bow range.... the final and most crucial aspect of the hunt's is proper arow placement.
Hopefully, the bird will now be between you and the decoys, facing away from you, or strutting to either impress the hens or intimidate the jake you set-up.
The most ideal time to shoot, is either when the Tom is in full-strut, with his fanned tail blocking the movement of your draw, or when he is facing away from you, but not in the alert position.
If the Turkey is walking, gobbling, or completely pre-occupied with the decoys he will most likely still see the movement of your bow behind him - unless you are in a fully enclosed blind. (They have over 270 degrees of vision)
He will however, almost always straighten and look (before leaving) to identify the source of the movement. This will give you time to get your shot off. (A bird facing TOWARDS you will react almost instantly to the movement of your draw without hesitation. Either by flight or running neither will give you a shot opportuntity.
Many feel the base of the wing, or low between the wing and thigh (the vitals) is the best place to shoot a Turkey. I strongly disagree. The only truly effective ANCHORING shot is the SPINE. (Head shots are also possible, but just add to the dificulty of an already difficult task, in my opinion, plus...I ain't that good!!)
A Turkey hit in the wings, even
if they are broken can still run like the wind, and a "lung
shot" gobbler is going to be lost more times than not as
he launches himself into the air and flies off, leaving almost
NO visible trail to follow. 
A shot anywhere in the spine,
from the front or side, however, completely immobilizes the bird
and makes recovery almost 100%. You also have a much larger target
to shoot at, especially from behind the bird. A hit anywhere
from the back of the skull to the base of the tail with a wide-cutting
broadhead will do the job cleanly and quickly. From the side,
an arrow striking between the wing and the base of the neck will
also have the same result.
And of course, the famous "Texas Heart-Shot" taken from behind a struting bird, aiming at the base of the tail above the vent accomplishes the same thing. A shot slightly high between the wings takes out the spine and flight capabilities, while a shot low, still gets the vitals, but may require a pursuit.
As mentioned earlier in the section on equipment, string trackers are a good idea, but you must practice with them to make sure they do not affect your arrow flight, and some type of "stopper" or penetration inhibitor can help by further causing damage to a struggling bird or impede the ability to fly by remaining in the bird.
...In the event that the bird doesn't drop from a vitals shot, or the spine is not hit, watch the bird for as long as possible as it attempts to escape, whether running or flying. Take a compass bearing immediately, before moving from your position.
Most times the bird will flee in a straight line directly away from you until it drops. By taking a compass reading you will stay on or near the escape path once you get to where you lost sight of the bird. Look under any brush or cover that the bird could possibly hide beneath.
If the bird was flying, listen for the sound of it crashing or flopping when it hits the ground. All of these are extremely important to help you find your gobbler, especially if not using a tracker.
Turkeys leave little or no sign behind when wounded, but if the hit was solid, patience and perseverance WILL find your trophy!
Be EXTREMELY careful when approaching a bird with an arrow still in it! The broadhead maybe exposed on the off-side and severe injuries can occur when attempting to immobilize or pick up a flopping bird. I know the excitement of the moment is great, but don't make it a BAD memory. BE CAREFUL!!
Finally, the secret to making these shots is PRACTICE!
Constant practice before the season at life-size 3-D targets if possible, is your #1 "secret" to success. Practicing shooting from the seated, kneeling, and even twisted, awkward positions now, will take away the doubt in your ability to hit your target.
Practice with ALL of your gear, in full-camo, (including facemasks), with your string tracker if using one, and with BROADHEADS, not just target points.
All of this will mean you will not just be Bowhunting Turkeys, but hopefully with a little luck..... be doing it SUCCESSFULLY!!
