John’s Note: When you’re looking at versatility in bowhunting, game calling and wildlife videography, Harrison, Arkansas, resident Phillip Vanderpool has done it all. With four decades of hunting experience, Vanderpool is the complete hunting/videography package. After hunting turkeys since childhood with a shotgun, Phillip decided to try the ultimate challenge – bowhunting the wild turkey – and he’s been wildly successful, even videoing some of those hunts.

1) Phillip, since you video a number of hunts, tell us how a cameraman sets-up with a hunter to get the hunt on film.

Vanderpool: The videographer wants to aim his camera over the hunter’s gun shoulder to get the shot of the hunter and the turkey. The videographer wants to be as close to the hunter as he can be and get the hunter and the bird in the same frame. If you accomplish this, the viewer of the video will see what the hunter sees.

2) How do you draw your bow on a turkey?

Vanderpool: You want something behind you to break your outline up, like brush, trees and/or limbs. Your background helps to prevent the turkey’s seeing you when you move to draw. One of the easiest ways to break up your silhouette and draw without the turkey’s seeing you is to use a blind.

3) How much do you call to a turkey when you’re bowhunting?

Vanderpool: When I’m bowhunting, I don’t use the run-and-gun type tactic. Instead, I hunt with more of a sit-and-wait style of hunting. I’ll still call aggressively if I need to, but I’ll let the turkey tell me what kind of calling he wants to hear. When I set-up my blind, I generally call every 5 to 10 minutes. If I go for 30 minutes or an hour and don’t hear a turkey gobble, I’ll pick up my blind and move to another location.

4) Do you use a decoy?

Vanderpool: Yes, I do, especially when I’m bowhunting. I use a Cally Morris’ Hazel Creek Real Mounted hen decoy (http://www.hazelcreekinc.com) because it’s realistic, and it takes gobblers’ eyes off you when you’re trying to draw the bow. The decoy gets full attention from both the hens and the gobblers when they come in to it.

5) What broadhead do you shoot for turkeys?

Vanderpool: That’s a very-good question. I prefer the expandable-type broadhead when I’m bowhunting for turkeys. I’ve tried several different brands, and I personally like the Spitfire

(http://www.newarchery.com) broadhead best. The Spitfire has more knockdown power when you shoot the turkey, and the arrow stays in the turkey rather than passing through the bird.

To learn more about turkey hunting, check out John E. Phillips’ print, Audible, Kindle and Nook turkey books at https://johninthewild.com/books/#turkey and at www.barnesandnoble.com. You also can download a free Kindle app that enables you to read the book on your iPad, computer or SmartPhone. You can learn more about calling turkeys by going to johninthewild.com/audio-files/ for audio turkey tapes to purchase of Lovett Williams, Rob Keck and Chris Kirby, available for download to your SmartPhone, tablet or computer. For a free copy of John E. Phillips’ “The Turkey Gobbler Getter Manual,” go to https://johninthewild.com/free-books/ to download.

Next: More Turkey Hunting Questions Answered by Phillip Vanderpool