How many have killed turkeys...

[Keith Zimmerman]

WITHOUT A BLIND by calling one in?  Ive gotten close several times, but never have gotten a shot.

[Hit-or-Miss]

I did.... several years back... on the last day of the season. I hid behind a big pine tree... and was very lucky. No camo either, aside from my boots.  Its difficult to draw your string without being seen. As I drew on the gobbler, a hen busted me and alerted him. As he ran off at about 20 yards, I got lucky and my snap shot hit him dead center. I had Missed two birds earlier that season. I don't think its camo... or the lack thereof that gives you away, but movement.

[TooManyHobbies]

I've only killed one. Without a blind. Without calling. I did use a hen deke though. Crawled to an opening, waved the deke and stuck in ground. Backed off about 10 yards and waited for two toms that were in field. They came with a hen. Hen spooked, first tom spooked, second tom stepped from behind a tree as I hit full draw. It was awesome.

[Whip]

I killed one without a blind in Nebraska two years ago. I've also had a few close encounters here in WI without a blind and missed a few shots.  Being so close to a strutting Tom with nothing between us but air just gets me so shook up my shooting falls apart completely!  

By far the most exciting and challenging way to hunt turkeys - I'll be trying again this spring.

[hunterjrg]

Called in and shot a Rio without a blind in TX

A number of years ago I hunted NE for Meriums. I ended up taking two in the first morning(shotgun) so we had lots of time. My guide wanted to take one with a bow so I called in a Tom for him. His Tom was maybe 10 yards. I was more excited calling in his for a bow than shooting mine with a gun.

[Longbow58]

On my bucket list. I like to what I call "troll for gobblers" so not using a blind would be easier to move around and get setup faster. Think I may buy a ghillie or at least the jacket. Do you use one Keith?

[longbowman]

What a terrible question to ask!  I've stalked and killed bear, bull elk, mulies, whitetails but have spooked, missed and every other thing you can do wrong with turkeys!  One day it will all come together...I hope.

[Bill Carlsen]

I've killed two while stalking them. No blind, just a leafy suit.

[KentuckyTJ]

Three so far without a blind. One was from a tree stand during deer season though. Man those buggers are tough without a blind.

[KSCATTRAPR]

This was my first recurve kill, in 2009 I believe. Spot and stalk, I got lucky. I've tried spot and stalk on several birds since then and came up empty handed every time, sure is fun trying though.

 

I have better success when I know of fall flocks, not as many birds around here as there use to be for that, split the flock charge towards where they flew and do the old hen cluck. Last year I called from a basswood cluster. Something started to really stink, that is when I noticed a dead buck with a mangled carbon arrow in its shoulder that was at the bottom of a wash that must have been shot late in the season. I got up to move away from the smell.  When I stood up I had a tom 5 yards away, right behind me. I must have been paying no attention at all. The next day I did not get a chance to call, I crossed paths with a suicidal turkey. It really helps to be able to shoot a longbow accurately and fast. With me slow shooting does not work, turkeys can pick up on any motion anyway, but there are times when it takes them a second or two to react to that motion. Back in the day I tried to hold my recurve up and draw straight back, because that is what was suppose to work. For me a rather quick half spread half swing draw works better for turkeys.  With the lower turkey numbers getting them called in is tough.  When an area is known to have some birds, it is known by all of the gun hunters as well, the callers and those pain in the butt run and gunners. The turkeys get scattered and they stop responding to any calling.

[fnshtr]

Several years ago I called to locate a gobbler that I knew was in the area as I had seen him from long distance an hour or so earlier. When I called he gobbled and was within 100 yards.

I didn't have time to set up my home-made blind, so I stuck a jake decoy in the ground and literally ran for cover. The cover was a multifloral rose bush. The gobbler came in below me and from behind me. As soon as he seen the decoy he ran to it and puffed up.

I shaved some downy feathers from his right leg with the first shot... he disappeared and I nocked another arrow. Angry at myself, I was calling myself names under my breath when, to my surprise, he returned to the decoy... and I shaved some feathers from his chest with my second shot!!!

To this day, I have been jinxed on turkeys.

No, I have never killed one without a blind.

[Limbhanger]

Scatter-gun and compound dudes (& dudettes!) often forget that we (tradgangers) have to draw our bow to actually shoot an arrow !  The folks that talk about how they are calling in birds left and right must remember that calling in a longbeard and shooting him are two completely different things.  Although I've had a number of birds w/in spitting distance as soon as that arrow is coming back all hell breaks loose.  Ambushing w/out a commercial blind certainly could work when "the stars align", but it's got to be absolutely perfect.  Or, you must be able to hit a moving softball w/a snap shot.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I've killed several without a blind but blown quite a few to      

Haven't tried it in years but did with the Hope bow last year! Used a little cedar tree next to a brush pile to hide by.

 
 

Tracy

[Pete McMiller]

I don't own a pop-up blind so all my hunting is without one.  I have been after turkeys with a ghillie suit for 4 years and finally last year got two shots - missed both of them but to me just getting a shot was a huge success.  Every year I learn a little bit more and one of these days it will all come together.

[IndianaBowman]

Haven't really counted, but one or two a year for the last 15 years.  I've only hunted out of a blind once. Just don't like to be tied down.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Hadn't thought about tree stands like TJ reminded me. If that counts add several more while deer hunting.

Fall bird from a ladder stand.

 

 

Tracy

[Nantahala Nut]

Never drew a bow on a turkey...yet. I like to get behind a big tree for deer. When the critter of choice gets to the area that I want the shot I try to use the tree to at least partially hide my draw and then lean around the side.

[Zradix]

Didn't actually call it in.
Just stalked it and "cut him off at the pass".

[Limbhanger]

Wow! Some of you folks are turkey killin machines!  "1 or 2 a year for 15 years", w/out a blind to boot! Holy crap!  My guide in the Yucatan built us a "hide" w/jungle foliage and was expecting me to just slowly ease up over the top and shoot the "pavo". Lmao! Sure;).  The first birds that showed up came absolutely unglued when I "eased up" over the top.  I then had to explain that I can't draw a recurve and hold it while the birds approach and that a three toed sloth could not ease up slowly enough to surprise a tom at under 15 yards! He had never seen anything but compounds and shotguns.