Hello,

I am new to traditional bow hunting and was going to attempt to bag a fall turkey. I live in eastern Nebraska and was wondering things like.... Do I use a decoy/decoy's? Can I call them in the fall like we do in the spring? Blind or No blind?

Any advise would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Doug Warren

Doug I've never killed a turkey with a traditional bow but I've killed several fall birds with a compound as well as a shotgun. I use binoculars to locate a flock in the area I hunt then either stalk close enough to scatter them really well then call them back in using a kee kee call, (it's the sound young birds make to reassemble the flock. similar to bobwhite) or try to get ahead of them and ambush them. I never use a decoy when I'm turkey hunting and never carry a blind. No reason in particular for either of these other than I personally don't like carrying any more gear than I absolutely need and I generally don't want for either of them. You can find instructionals for the kee kee on you tube. A word of advice, If you bust up a flock, the better you bust them up the better. You really want them going in as many different directions as possible.

simplelife gave you good advice. bust em up and scatter them good, then call one in. With a bow your better off going one on one with turkey. too many eyes and it's way harder to draw your bow back. try to draw when its radar eyes are behind something. I use a bow that i can sit on the ground and still shoot, tune your arrows well so you can cant your bow pretty hard. I'm right handed so i sit with my right shoulder leaning against a big tree. also put a limb tip protector on the bottom tip, and prop it on the ground and hold it up so your ready to shoot. Turkey have a way of slipping in on you, and you'll likely not get away with picking it up off your lap, or lying on the ground.

If you get the whole flock around you,like i said already have your bow up, you won't have the option of waiting till there head is behind something, to many eyes, not going to happen. Let a couple get close. You'll soon learn the difference between the casual ..."i'm checking you out".. look...and a..."your busted"..look... Draw your bow slowly. one or more are going to see you when you draw for sure, but it will take a moment or two after the first putt, for them all to clear out. so don't dilly dalley around pick one out and shoot it, because they won't be there long.

You can call in turkeys in the fall and usually get a shot or two every year. If I hear birds I just yelp and usually put in some excited yelps and cuts. If you don't over call they'll come over to see what's goin on.

To call even if I don't hear birds I start out with some Kee Kees stop and then use some really loud yelps and some cuts. I found out you can flip your mouth call and Kee Kee and flip it back over and get the raspy yelps. I use triple reed calls with the V cut. Learned all these methods by listening to wild birds in the woods.

Shade Mtn gave some good advice, you have a couple of seconds to shoot, I practice shooting off a stool with my bow up so i can pull and shoot. It's important to get your bow in shooting position before the birds get close. Goog luck. Missed a nice Gobbler last year and a nice Hen.

I talked to a guy yesterday that has killed 11 gobblers with a bow (no blind) couple were fall birds. There is a knack to it for sure.

Hey, thanks boys,

I will try the kee kee and hopefully get a shoot or two this fall. Be prepared for more question to follow.

Thanks again guys.

Doug

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