Turkey without a blind

[bunyan]

I'm no turkey hunter, but Id agree with others that setup is key, as is waiting for the perfect opportunity to draw your bow. I believe there was someone here in the past that had rigged up a setup using a small Christmas wreath attached to the front stabilizer bushing on his bow to help mask his draw arm. I don't recall all the details but the success pics made it look like an interesting idea. A search on turkey hunting without a blind should turn something up and be enjoyable reading in the process. Good luck!

[gvdocholiday]

Never done it without a blind.  

My thought process is, it's not really turkey hunting if you're ambushing them.  

for me, 99% of the fun of turkey hunting is calling them in.  I have never found a roost tree...I just have areas where I go where I can hear turkeys gobble on the roost.  As long as I can hear them, they can hear my calls.  As long as they can hear my calls, I can get them to me.  

I've heard people say, it isn't fair being in a blind.  Well, to me, fair is 50/50.  Meaning it's only fair if I'm killing a turkey half my calling setups.  I have made it fair for the turkeys by not only hunting with a bow, but hunting with a stick bow.  Meaning I need a Tom inside 10yds before I'll take a shot.  

I know guys who will kill a bird 1 out of 4 years and they're hunting with shotguns and 3.5" turkey loads with effective ranges up to 60yds.  

Sitting in a blind is incredibly fair.

[BRONZ]

Pics of my poncho...

 https://goo.gl/photos/j6P63eUMHbkqCs2z9

[BRONZ]

All of my bow birds have come without a blind. I wear a Ghillie Poncho that I made myself. It is lightweight and cool. I like getting in cedar trees or shady pockets. Most importantly his decoys. Calling alone means that they are looking for you and that puts you at a serious disadvantage. My favorite is mounting a jake behind a hen. If you use a strutter, use a jake fan. The boss gobblers recognize the tall feathers in the middle will not hesitate to beat up on the youngster moving in on their ladies!

[lt-m-grow]

Nice Poncho Bronz.

I hate blinds, but I will be hunting in one for turkeys.  Turkeys come few and far between AND they are fairly hard to kill, on top of that.   What folks have offered so far about blinds is true and that is enough of a challenge for me...

[perry f.]

Thanks for the tips. I have hunted turkeys before with and without a blind. I have never taken one with a bow and have been busted several times while drawing. It looks like I may carry the blind this spring, however, if I need to ditch it, I will. I really hate hunting from one, at least a manufactured one. I don't mind natural blinds but due to hunting public ground I usually don't make many and try to utilize what's in the area.

[Bill Carlsen]

For what it is worth, we do a lot of gardening in our 5 acre lot. We are also blessed to have a lot of turkeys that hang around and they often will just hang out in the gardens, even in the front yard. One day, Laura was on her hands and knees weeding when a small group of turkeys showed up. They fed so close to her she could have grabbed one. Seems like the closer to the ground you are the less likely they are to be concerned about your presence. One day last Spring I was building some raised beds when a group of turkeys showed up coming in thru the woods towards where I was working. It was preseason and there were about four big toms displaying and following the hens. I remembered Laura's experience and got low to the ground. The turks knew I was there but they all walked by at about ten yards as they were heading towards our front yard bird feeders and my presence was totally unalparming to them. Go figure?