The hard way- The natural blind way

[Knawbone]

Turkey season starts May 1st here in NY,and this year is going to be special.I say that because, up until this year I have always hunted Blue Heads with a shotgun.Now don't get me wrong, I have repented and I have learned the errors of my ways.I now realize that for me-this being my third season since I went back to trad. bow hunting-hunting Mr.gobble with a scatter gun just doesn't seem challenging enough.[it can be challenging with any weapon]So anyway ,I plan to go all out and hunt the notorious Thunder Chicken with nothing but my longbow and the close on my back.Oh ya, and some calls and fold up blind material.But basically, I plan to hunt him from natural blinds only. Did I mention a hen decoy. anyway thats the plan and if I can pull it off I'll be one happy hunter- or should I say sportsman. That has to be the real deffenition of a traditional bow hunter----True sportsman. So who else is with me out there, whats your personal def. of a sporting trad. Turkey hunt.

[sweet old bill]

Hi I also love to hunt in natural blind with both the recurve and or compound. I just use one hen decoy and my old box call or slate. I find the biggest problem for me is getting them to be close. They seem to fly down off the top of the hill and come into the pasture field. BUt most days they are just to far away, were with my old remington 1100 would take care of him the bow sure seems to require you being select in shot placement.

[traditional beagle]

I'll give it a try with the pop-up. Turkeys are tough and with trad equipment if you aren't really , really good then you better be really, really close. Eastern birds are probably more weary than some species and getting to draw in a natural blind is an accoplishment in itself. Hunting with trad equipment sounds romantic but I can see a lot of disappointment to it also. Small kill area and tough bird can equal bad results. Get close and good luck.

[VTer]

I started hunting turkeys out of the blocks like you're going to try. It was fun and I actually got a shot the first time I set up that way because I was learning the ropes with an experienced turkey hunter. BUT, I gave that up after a few years because I couldn't sit stone still anymore. I use a blind now and I'm still waiting on my first turkey.

[Bowwild]

I first bowhunted turkeys in Indiana (Clark State Forest) in 1978. I educated lots of turkeys in Indiana and then Kansas.  When I "discovered" blinds my success and fun went way up.

A sportsman to me is simply one who hunts or fishes according to the wildlife laws he/she is governed by. Adjectives assigned to the term sportsmen only serve to divide and help the anti's conquer.

[fivebears]

I'm heading to Cave Run Lake this evening.I will be there for the next week chasing turkeys with my bow.I'm sure it will be challenging and frustrating,especially without a pop-up blind.I'm going to try less "run and gun" and more "sit and be patient",but I want to be mobile if the situation calls for it.Anyway,it will be a fun learning experience.

[reddogge]

I consider one killing any turkey with a bow from anything is a "true sportsman". Why go with the blind, just use a a gillie. That would make you an even truer sportsman.

I confess to being a weenie--I try for bird #1 with my muzzleloading shotgun, then go bow/blind for the rest of the season. They are strutting right this minute!

[bigbadjon]

Its really no harder to hunt a natural blind, you just don't have the versatility of packing it to another spot. To me a sportsman is someone who follows the practice of fair chase and gave the game a sporting chance. The weopon really doesn't come into play in my definition. An expert turkey hunter with a bow is certainly more deadly than a beginner with a shotgun.

[Osage61]

Originally posted by Knawbone:
 So who else is with me out there, whats your personal def. of a sporting trad. Turkey hunt.

I hunt with a natural blind, no camo clothing, but with my face painted.     I can sit still for hours and hours. I was out with a friend once and he moved and fidgeted like a child. After a few hours we gave up and stood to leave from our kneeling position. I had to aid myself in getting up and I felt like crying from the stiffness of not moving. But it's the way I hunt. I don't move anything other than my eyes. I put my ears to work and then wait for my eyes to pick up movement.I have seen lots of guys on this site talk about not moving while hunting and the importance of that discipline. I have had a Jake walk within 8 of my paces and a Tom within 10! This morning I was out scouting and I listened to five gobblers going at it from before fly-down and then on the ground. I just sat in the bushes not moving...waiting..watching...  

[KentuckyTJ]

To me it is simply our choice of using a trad bow over a shotgun.

I have hunted turkeys out of a pop up ground blind this year with no luck. I actually think chasing the birds and using a gillie suit or ducking behind natural cover is an easier way to kill one. Having to chase them with 60lbs of blind on your back and having to pop it up in close proximity of the birds isn't an easy undertaking in our hills.

Good luck
TJ

[bluegrassbowhunter]

Originally posted by KentuckyTJ:

 Having to chase them with 60lbs of blind on your back and having to pop it up in close proximity of the birds isn't an easy undertaking in our hills.

 

X2

[Knawbone]

Thanks everyone for your response.Please realize in no way was I trying to define "sportsman",I was only trying to emphazise that bow hunting is truly sporting.Sometimes my choice of wording is not the best.To get a Gobbler within range of any legal weapon is truly sporting.The more advantages you give the game,the more challenging [sporting}the hunt becomes {in a sense}.

[snakebit40]

This is my first year going after a turkey with traditional equipment. I've been hunting turkey with a bow for about 5 years now though. Used a pop up blind my first year and it worked great, but the wind caught it and tore it all up. Anyways now days I hunt either by dead fall or by a natural blind I set up using dead fall. Both are difficult to harvest game doing. Then again so is a pop up blind, you still have to make a good shot.

To answer the question of a true sportsman. I would say somebody that has a true love and respect for the outdoors and the animal they are hunting. Follows all the laws, and respects NO HUNTING SIGNS!!!! (have a little problem with people trespassing in staters or out of staters) Someone who takes a second to reflect after a kill and thank the good lord for giving them the opportunity to harvest it.

[Night Wing]

For the use of a gillie suit, it depends on what state you bowhunt turkeys.

Here in southeast Texas where I live, yesterday's high temperature was 90 degrees. This morning when I got up at 6am, it was 72 degrees. Wearing a gillie suit where I live, you'll sweat to death in the first 30 minutes when you get out of your truck and make it to your turkey ambush setup. And just sitting still wearing a gillie suit, you'll keep sweating.

A ground or pop up blind is the best way to hunt turkeys in Texas.

[mcgroundstalker]

I'm one of those fellas who hunts from the ground using natural cover and stalking skills. You can't pay me to hunt from a tree stand or store bought blind. But that's just me.  :rolleyes:  The kicker is... I Ain't Put Game Down That Way For Almost Eight Years! But having a blast with all the "almost-got-one" adventures.  :p

During the (other) seasons I'll carry a "non-bow" but still have the mind set of longbow hunting... Glad some of you would understand...

... mike ...

[Osage61]

"The kicker is... I Ain't Put Game Down That Way For Almost Eight Years! But having a blast with all the "almost-got-one" adventures." [Razz]

Same here but for a shorter length of time. I've been on the site talking about my bow, my camo face paint, my natural blind etc etc, but I've never harvested anything.     This turkey season I have scouted, scouted and scouted..so I'm hoping that everything I've ever talked about on this site actually turns in to getting the job done.     However, I really am having a great time anyway!! Meat or no meat, it's a blast...and I always get my STUMP shot !!