Turkey tactics / gear

[ChuckC]

So, with money being no object ( it always is), what is the best decoy(s) to purchase ?  and why ?
Chuckc

[Msbow]

Chuckc
I started a thread the other day about decoys you can read what others told me. If money is no object and just going by looks realistic looking decoys ide have to say DSD Dave Smith Decoys. A lot of people recommend the Avian decoys I've seen them both in person and the DSD look more real to me. I've always had problems with my decoys spooking turkeys so I believe I'm going to get some DSD decoys. The ones I have now are HS strut.

[maineac]

I tried for several years, but generally had birds hang outside my comfort zone.  I invested in a DSD jake and it made all the difference in the world. Every tom that sees it just wants to whup its butt.  Two of my hunts I had no blind and was just kneeling in brush with a leafy wear top.  Birds were so focused on the decoy they did not even notice me drawing.  Oh and our birds do not follow the approach a jake from the front.  Both birdsfrom last year walked up behind the jake and spurred it in the back.

[tradarcher816]

Thanks for all the help guys this info is awesome!

[Mark Normand]

Would you guys who use popup blinds add some details? Recurve vs longbow vs brand type blind etc? Windows, preferences, stools, etc.

I bought a larger hub blind and was very careful with my curve, practicing first canting shot from sitting and still put a hole in the roof from the limb!  hahaha couldn't believe it, not my first rodeo with popups either. Own and used them many times before. Just interested in what works for you.

[Msbow]

How big and tall was the blind you poked a hole in??

[Mark Normand]

I think it was an Ameristep Brickhouse if I recall correctly. sold it last year.. "slightly used"  LOL

[tradarcher816]

Originally posted by Mark Normand:
Would you guys who use popup blinds add some details? Recurve vs longbow vs brand type blind etc? Windows, preferences, stools, etc.

I bought a larger hub blind and was very careful with my curve, practicing first canting shot from sitting and still put a hole in the roof from the limb!  hahaha couldn't believe it, not my first rodeo with popups either. Own and used them many times before. Just interested in what works for you.

I finally ponied up and got a doublebull doublewide I shoot my blackwidow recurve out of it like a charm. The best part other than the dimensions is the wide adjustable window. I can move it down so I'm not holding my bow so high.

[Msbow]

Mark,
I bought a barronet big mike super tough blind on sale for 200.00 I like it a lot. I like that you can stand and shoot even though I probably won't. The windows can be opened up low for those real close sitting shots. It's the only bow blind I've ever bought so I don't know about others. You can also stretch out and sleep in it on those long hunts lol. Which I will be doing!

[LittleBen]

Ive learned two things turkey hunting over the last not quite 10 years.

First, it's hard to call too little and easy to call too much. In my experience, once a gobbler calls back once, you want very limited calling to keep him coming .... Play hard to get.

Second, throw out everything you know if you're in a new area, birds in different areas tend to have different "strategies". In one area they may tend to get really fired up from calling, and in other areas they may be relatively quiet and approach almost silently. I remember hunting one area, and birds would call back like hell at first lit, but never show up, around 10am is when the action would start and birds would come in, but with much less fanfare than the early hours.

[Homebru]

Originally posted by Charlie3:
I am also a turkey noob. I'll admit I never thought it would be near as fun as it was, but gosh was it ever. They are pretty birds and an early spring morning is a great time to get outside.

I can't help with the hunting them but, I have to agree with Charlie3 on two things.  Turkeys are a ton of fun to hunt and, they are one of the most beautiful creatures out there when you see their natural colors up close.

The first year I ever hunted turkeys, I had one come the last hour of hunting on the last day of my season.  I missed my Texas heart shot and cut his head off.  Sometimes I'd rather be lucky than good.

homebru

[R. W. Mackey]

Mark, if the blind you have has a lower profile you can always
Go to your knees to make the shot. This will give you about 20" of extra clearance. Have had to do this before when hunting from someone else's blind.
  I bought one of the new Primos Shack Attack blinds recently,
Haven't hunted with it yet, but have practiced shooting from it.
I can shoot a 62" RC from it with no problem. It is also lighter and sets up quickly, hope to have some hero pics in front of it
Shortely.
RW

[Bowwild]

I've been goofing around with turkeys since 1978. I learned more from this thread than I have in several years!  

I have about given up on pop-up blinds. Not because they don't work, they certainly do. But, the blinds I've been using are quite large (to get recurve room) and I've been too unwilling (ok, lazy) to move when I wasn't set up in the right spot.  I've also gone pretty cheap on dekes. I'm going to make some improvements based on the tips here!

I've killed turkey with shotgun (not against it but quit that in 1996) and compounds but have yet to draw on one with my recurve. I have to admit though that for the past 4-5 years I haven't dedicated more than 2-3 mornings to hunting the birds-- so I haven't earned success. Works distracts me badly from mid-April to the 2nd weekend of May.

I'm planning on hunting NE for the first time this April to do a little catching up on bowhunting turkey.

On my most successful trips (I hunt private land only) I locate before light and try to set up (in the dark) about 150 yards out where I think they will want to go anyway.  If given a choice, turkey don't like to come down in coyote or bobcat-hiding cover, so I'm in a woods/field edge or an opening in the woods.

I remember teaching myself to call using an old 45 vinyl record (had too keep starting and stopping it) and diaphragm calls.