Turkey hunting without a blind?

[flounder pounder]

I thinking of using my recurve to hunt this season, but my pop-up blind is to small to shoot my bow from. Has anyone had any success without a blind and if so, what's the secret????

[String Tracker]

I know ameristep makes other blinds that are easily set up in couple minutes without the whole setup like thier pop-up blinds. check out thier site especially the Jakehouse

[woodchucker]

I have shot a few!!!!! Best advice.....Sit STILL!!!!!  

[TSHOOTER]

I've considered getting a BIGHOUSE TSC from Ameristep to use for me and the kids.  I have a smaller popup but it is just not big enough for recurve or longbow.  Look online as the price varies a great deal.  I saw this somewhere a few months ago for 179.00 and should have bought it.  Only drawback appears to be size and weight.  Not for running and gunnning.  As advertised:


Large enough for standing bow shots and is the largest "hub"-style blind available
Zip-open roof panel
Edge ReLeaf™ realistic 3-dimensional edging
8 zippered windows with tie-downs
Durashell™ and ShadowGuard™ material
Internal gear pockets
Heavy-duty aluminum hubs
Spacious 72" square x 84" center height
Folds fast to fit an 8 x 8 x 52" long backpack (included)
Weighs 22 lbs.

[woodchucker]

Another "secret" hint: Sorry.....bowquivers are out   :(  Having a bowquiver attached to your bow,doubles it's size and the amount of movement made when trying to draw your bow.

Best is some type of a quiver that you can lay on the ground beside you.I use a backquiver with a camo fletching cover.

A hip quiver,Cat-Quiver,or Asbell style are good as well  

[coyotebb]

I look for a low spot to set up in. I am lucky enough to have quite a few of these along the field edge and the timber edge in my area. I basically croutch down,knees on the ground and hind end on my heels with my head being the only part in view of an incoming turkey. Once the turkey is strutting by the decoy his head behind his fan I raise up to my knees as I draw and take the shot. Does not work all the time but what a wonderful feeling when it does. I don't use a blind because I like to be mobil and here in Iowa I have found moving on a TOM is very effective. Good Luck.

[ishiwannabe]

You could get some camo burlap, a couple of arrow shafts on either end....an adjustment here or there and ya have a blind.
I found some 3-D camo tape in a clearance bin...gonna use that on the limbs of my bow. I think Chuck is dead on about the quiver...almost as dead on as his weather forcasting/conjurring. LOL.
Good luck..I will be out with the trad gear myself this year.

[woodchucker]

Jamie.....Be Nice!!!!!  

[woodchucker]

The Dec./Jan. Traditional Bowhunter had a great artical titled "Stalking Turkeys"  

[Jack Shanks]

You could do like I did two years ago. Find a dumb bird that needs to be taken out of the gene pool and have your buddy push him down a fence line to you and shoot him when he walks past.

 If that doesn't work, other people I know have had success using camo netting wrapped around a tree in a V to hide in. Then place a hen decoy a few yards from the open end of the V facing away from you. Hopefully the Tom will aproach strutting towards the back of the decoy and his vsion will be blocked by his fan when you draw and shoot.

[BodarkOkie]

Another hint:

Your background "camo" is more important than the "camo" in front of you.

When everything is right....it's still tough.

Good Luck.

[Alex.B]

of course you can kill a turkey without a factory blind. tough, but possible, that's hunting. Only the blind manufacturers will tell you otherwise, just like compound companies say that you can't be serious with a longbow or recurve

[woodchucker]

OK.....OK.....I'm gonna go out on a limb here and let you in on my almost "fool-proof" (as possible) turkey hunting "secret".....

When doing your scouting,try and find a well used strutt-zone in an upper corner of a farm field.Next,find yourself a comfortable spot to set-up just inside of the hedge row/tree line that is within range of the strutt-zone.Try to roost a gobbler close to the field,If you locate a Tom,hunt the next morning.....

Get set-up before first light.DO NOT use any decoys!!!!!(there is a reason for this TRUST ME LOL) As soon as the Tom starts gobbling yelp to him loudly and right away.Try to sound VERY demanding,with lots of loud yelps and cackles.....KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!!!!! As soon as you see the Tom enter the field.....STOP CALLING AND PUT YOUR CALL AWAY!!!!!

Now.....Here is the "secret": When the Tom enters the field he does not see a hen.So.....He gobbles but does not get any answer.So,he gobbles some more.He still gets no answer and the "Dumb Hen" does not come back.....THIS pisses him off,apparently SHE does not know "the rules" SO.....He hot-foots it up to his strutt-zone to show her who's "The Boss". Now the Tom has just volentarily accomplished the hardest part,coming within bow range.

Now, Sit back and enjoy the show.....He will strutt,and gobble.....gobble,and strutt.....When he is within bow range and he is all puffed-up in full-strutt and his back is turned (His tail fan will be blocking his vision)pick a spot above the base of his tail and half-way up his fan.Draw your bow and send your arrow into the middle of Old Tom's back.  

[ishiwannabe]

Im liking all of these ideas....especially since turkey hunting(and needed tactics) changes so quickly.

[mcgroundstalker]

Turkey Hunt Without A Blind???...YES SIR!!! Wouldn't do it any other way!...Gotta know where the birds hang out...Do alot of stalking for them turkeys...Had some misses too...Just Alot Of Fun!...

... mike ...

[whitebuffalo]

woodchucker , excellent tactic bro!!!!!

[Slimpikins]

scouting is key! gotta know the birds habits. i dont like to call because if a bird comes to a call he is on the lookout for a hen, and that increases the chance of being caught.  i hunt a turkey a lot like i hunt deer. they have travel patterns too. i like to set up at the base of a large oak with minimal brush in front of me so as not to disturb the shot.  i try to use the tree as my blind, and let it stay between me and the bird as much as possible. kneel in the shady side, but be careful not to let your legs go to sleep. my cousin fell over last year trying to draw on a big tom, after his legs fell asleep from waiting on the bird to come in.
if you must call, do so sparingly. if a bird responds i quit talking and wait. he knows im there and if he wants to come he will.
good luck this spring.

[woodchucker]

Thank You My Brother!!!!!    

[ishiwannabe]

All this has turks on my brain....but I did remember how I got a shot at one a few years ago.
He would never come in....always hung up in this opening/marshy area. There was a "hogback" ridge leading up to this opening. I called very softly, and moved very slowly....keeping the ridge in between us as best I could. After about an hour, I popped up over the ridge...he was at ten yards. I popped up again at full draw (with a wheelie bow) and promptly send an arrow whizzing past him....I guess the moral of the story is terrain features(and anchor points). Use em to your best advantage, and dont be scared to move in sometimes. Good luck everyone!

[TexasBubba]

I just make a small ground blind with natural materials and a bit of netting.  Draw at the right time, pick a spot and if all goes well you will have your bird.