Turkey without a blind?!

[rtherber]

I like the "run and gun"...er...bow way of hunting turkeys. It is my Spring southern "elk" hunt prerequisite. I hunt public land with lots of hiking trails, keep moving and stop and use the push button yelper to locate a bird. Or get lucky and hear a gobble and go to it. I have enough action that it keeps me coming back for more,even if the ole tom wins. To me its about the adrenalin rush I get leading up to the shot..ie...outslick the bird by not moving when he is within 8 yds. and have him puffed up,spitting and drumming,close enough to see every little detail(including that big eye looking at me)NOW if killing a bird consistently was the goal I'd say get you a blind,set on your butt--but I get too much  of that during archery deer season here.

[ishiwannabe]

Randy, now thats my kind of set up. Nice bird! Nice looking country too...
Rtherber, If I was that concerned about getting a tom, I would dust off my scattergun. I hear you loud and clear bud.

[Featherbuster]

I know its poosible, my brother in law killed one wednesday at five yards with his morrison, without a blind.  He hunts both, with and without blind and has success.  But i will say he is an excellent turkey hunter!!

[Randy Morin]

Yeah I like to stretch my legs come Turkey time after a long winter in the shop mostly.  You cant shoot stumps from inside a blind either!  Plus these Merriams travel so far on a day to day basis it can really pay-off traveling over hill and dale.

[highPlains]

Spot and stalk turkeys can be done. I tagged along with a buddy a few years ago and got pictures of it. We spotted the turkeys from quite a distance on a real windy day and two of us sneaked to within 15 yards.

The small red x shows where they were from where we spotted them.
 
The turkeys are just beyond the trees...
 
 

[Don Thomas]

It absolutely can be done. I've killed a whole lot more turkeys without a blind than with one. In the mountain west, turkeys move around a lot at this time of year and it pays to be mobile. With good technique, a downed pine tree, perhaps supplemented by a strip of netting from my pack, will get the job done. Sure, I call in some birds that I don't kill, but that just makes the fun last longer. I have nothing against blinds, but hunting without one will make you a better hunter. Besides, between turkeys I'm looking for bears, shed antlers, and morels... and staying in shape from lion season. Go for it. Don

[Roy Steele]

One thing to remember is you don't have a shotgun so you have to set up a little different.I've used a ghillie for 20 years on gobblers.You may get away with alittle movment at the time of the shot.And you can camo in alittle better.You can't set up in the open hardwoods like gun hunting.I've learned to set up on the side of a tote road,deer trails,fence lines.Where the gobbler has to walk by me.Where I have a little say so about the distance snd where he's going to walk.So I have places to draw where he won't see me when I need to draw.I'll set up where he'll walk and where he'll give me those shots.These simble things will help you to get shots.These have worked for me sence the early 80's.And if your going to bow hunt with out a blind so have to learn these set up areas.

[ishiwannabe]

Wow guys GREAT pics and stories. Ya do have me wondering hwo much of a difference there is between the sub-species though...any thoughts?

I cant imagine spot and stalk on some of the call shy, hunter wary Easterns we have around here. As it is, Im gonna have to hoof it out into the boonies to get away from the gun hunters. Called in too many of them in the past...

[Guru]

Not all turkeys are created equal Jamie...

Sub-species, hunting pressure, and terrain makes things very different....

Our Eastern turkeys are as harder to kill than most...at least from what I've seen in my travels

[ishiwannabe]

Thats kinda what I was thinking, but I have never hunted any other.

Should prove to be an interesting May...