Turkey Hunting Without the aid of a blind

[Stixbowdrew]

Hey guys this is going be my first year hunting turkeys with just the stick. I am just curious and look to get some advice from the guys who go mano eh mano with the thunderchickens. any certain tricks that seem to work well? im really looking for the ultimate challenge i have shot plenty of bird with the boomstick and even some from a blind with a bow and IMHO there isnt much difference between the two of em not meaning to take anything from the guys that do use blinds its just not my personal prefrence. Thanks guys much appriciated

[Montanawidower]

Personally I still find it damn hard to kill turkeys with tradgear and no blind.  Calling them in is no problem and I kill my share with shotguns.  The problem with tradbows minus a blind is getting drawn without them bolting.  You HAVE to have them behind something or their vision blocked by thier fan, in my experience.  I rarely get either.   Usually I'm letting down on a bird on the run.  Kind of a tease.  Good luck.

[lpcjon2]

Make a portable front cover blind and use that.Turkeys will spot you like and old lady on a juvenile delinquent.

[Mike Gerardi]

Sit still, no rubber necking and wait for your shot. It is deffinitely possible.  I get into a good spot with some cover and clear some shooting lanes. You just have to sit still and dont move until you have a shot. i would wait until that Tom walked into my shot. Good luck.

 This year I am going to give the ghille suit a try.

[SlowBowke]

While challenging......there were tons of turkeys killed before blinds were manufactured.

Natural cover was used Im sure, but impossible it isnt.

With you in this venture......and it will be worth every failure to finally take that first one "au natural" lol

God bless

[Ben Maher]

I am looking to do the same in about three weeks time in New Zealand on some Meriam Turkeys ....

[RLA]

I will be giving it a try using my new Rancho Safari Shaggie gear this year can't  wait!  We had 74 hens out back today, the Jakes & Toms arn't with them yet, but they soon will be!

[Hot Hap]

Get some 1/8" brown masonite and make up 4-5 "tree stumps. Put them on stakes. Make up a rope strap to carry them.
When the turkey goes behind the "tree", draw your bow and kill him.

Hap

[CJ Pearson]

RC, where ya at?

I think he got a couple last year with a longbow and no blind.

[Friend]

My trad partners have been quite succesful in getting shot opportunites w/o a blind. They employ spot and stalk in the afternoons and work together as a team at times.

I must note that they are tougher than me and hunt daylight to dark.. hunt after hunt.

Their big advantage here is that many of us want  the game to show up on our schedule. These guys are dedicated and stay in the field to accommodate the turkey's schedule.

[joebuck]

I use the Hidden Draw shield. obviuosly the key to my blindless setup is remaining still when gobbler approaches. I can remain still due  to my homemade chair I sit in.... this was a wary ole Eastern I took last year at 12 yards.....Note I do not use the Huge shaggy suits or sorts that resemble the wizard of oz loin. I just my bow shield and really good decoys like Dave Smith Decoy company. ...I buy the best money can buy. Also some say I can run a call pretty decent    .      This way is not easy for most but easy for those of us disciplined to not moving till the right moment and setting up correctly. I shoot most my birds off my left side.....my only movement is when I draw......I shoot 73#s and 800 grain arrows too..... Good hunting


 

[sawtoothscream]

im going to try it this year f i dont end up getting a blind. i hunt thick woods with alot of tree and know the paths they take to get to my location. just going to get a little chair to sit on (so my lower limb clears) and get into some brush to block a little movement. should be fun. will probably have my bro set up with a shot gun just in case i dont get a shot.

[Bjorn]

You are going to have a blast as long as you enjoy the hunt and don't mind being humiliated by a dumb bird that can't smell and can barely fly! LOL!
Just getting 'almosts' is a riot. I have shot one-but it was a bit of a fluke. Just don't take it too seriously till you get the lay of the land, and practice saying to yourself 'how could I miss that'?

[wollelybugger]

Its hard to do but you can do it. I like a area with big trees so you can get on a bird when he walks behind the tree. A stool with a seat that turns is a big help so you can turn with the bird and be ready when the shot is available.You have to practice pulling the bow sraight back and shooting fast unless the bird is fanned out than you will have a little time.. I get a shot at about one out of ten birds I call in to range. I don't use decoys because where I hunt the birds get real shy and when they see a deek they will hang up.

 The best advice I can give you is when you get a bird fired up and he isn't coming, shut up. Don't do any calling and if he is coming usually he will come in silent, especially when in a area where there is pressure. It will sometimes take a hour or more before he will show up. Make sure you get a comfy set up because you have to be still for a long time. Hope this helps. Hunted the first time with a bow for turkeys in 1970, wasnt much info in those days, had to learn by trial and error.

[reddust]

GOOD LUCK!

[Steve Chappell]

I switched to Dave Smith Decoys last year and what a difference.  I was previously using what I thought looked like very realistic decoys but when the birds saw them, most of the time, they just took off like they knew they were fake.  I would get one to come in from time to time but I found I did better without a decoy.  That was until I went to DSD.  They are incredibly realistic, pieces of art, the best I have seen short of a living turkey.  The people that have them swear by them.  They are very expensive but I am like some of the others that lean toward getting the proven best money can buy.  Just being expensive does not make something good in my book. I am going to try going blind-less this year too.  I am sick of hauling my double bull around and breaking my back doing it. I have found that some turkey can make out certain camo colors better then others .  My plan is to start with my ASAT leafy suit which is shades of browns as I have had good luck with  game using ASAT…it is my preferred and most used camo. If I find I get picked out in ASAT I will switch to a Gillie suite that is in shades of green.  I will use ground cover as best I can. The staying still till you take the shot is good advice I am going to try my best to follow it!

[RC]

I killed one bird without a blind last year but I was lucky. JoeBuck does it on purpose.RC

[$bowhunter$]

im trying it this year without a blind. after reading alot of these ive noticed most people use decoys. ive already got a ghillie for gorund hunting. is it that important to have decoys? if it is i might be able to scrape up enough money to buy some. if its important how many decoys do i need to get to make them effective? sry for all the questions. good luck to all on getting a thunderchicken!


steven

[Steve Chappell]

I feel the value of a decoy if they work, is to draw the bird in and focus its attention on the decoy so you can try to get a shot in.

[Duckbutt]

There'e Joebuck and then there's the rest of us.

I enjoy trying with as little gear as possible.  My turkey woods are usually hot so I sew some sneaky leaf on to the lightest coolest clothes I can buy.  Just camo my bow limbs and arrows and role.  I use a fold up swivel stool that fits into my daypack with a couple inflatable decoys.  I may invest in a better decoy this year.  Maybe get me a Joebuck call for that extra mojo!