I've called in only 3 birds hD #4 on its way.Never got one yet though.My question is should I use a blind to hide any movements or just sit perfectly still? I'm afraid a blind might be to much to deal with since you cant just get up and move to other spot. To me rainy drizzly days would be days for a blind.

It's difficult to do the calling yourself and be able to get a now drawn to get off a good shot when setting in the open.

You need a Ghillie at the very least in my opinion.

Frank is correct. Getting a bird within bow range without a blind is indeed a challenge. I've done it but only twice. They make white tails look like blind cows.

When you set up, stand, don't sit. Or kneel. But make sure you have trees off to the sides of you. Use a camo pattern that blends in and don't stand out. No bright fletching, and if you use bright fletching, put a cover over them. Set up so the toms coming in can see your decoys. If not using a decoy, set up so he has to come around something to try to see the hen. Don't let him be able yo see there is no hen where the calls are coming from. I suggest using decoys.

A blind is a great advantage use it

camo netting tie to two small trees about a foot off the ground with a window cut in it is all i use for years, 6' long and 3 to 4' tall, for piecses of rope one on each corner to tie to trees so it does not blow around. if turkey come in wrong way sit still and be Q and use a hen at 15 yard in front of you. and prey he sees the hen.. sometimes in early season Iuse a jake 20yds facing me. a tom will walk up to him face to face so he would be looking away so you can draw, and the later season a jake mounting a hen but action can be quick but he is not paying attention to you. less calling is good and soft calling is all thats needed when close.

If you have a blind with shoot through screen is the best I’ve found especially if you have multiple windows so you can change your direction as needed. Turkeys don’t cooperate. I can usually guess the direction based on calling and there responses. But sometimes there’s obstacles that you can’t see that might change there direction. So having the ability to change your direction is helpful. I’ve hunted them without a blind plenty of times as well. Full camo including face mask is a must. I use a small portable chair so you can stay still and comfortable sometimes a portable screen‘( camo cloth or screen) rolled up with a stick tied to each end so you just unroll and stick it in. This helps you to draw then bring the bow up to your anchor position. I use decoys. The toms usually strut and spinn around to show off that’s when you make your move. To much to put down in one post but that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

A few fans My favorite time of year. Unless I’m hunting big game then that’s my favorite time lol. Enjoy yourself and never stress.

Since you are fairly new to the game you should use a blind . Sitting and patience is the best thing you can do. Make a few calls in 20-30 minute intervals, they will come around. Moving around only gets you busted.

I agree with hookman, but I like my Ghillie and tricked out bow camo.

I use a double bull and ground blinds made from natural cover.

fdp is right and like he said that is the very least. Things have to go just right. They will see you draw.

Buglmin x2. No blind needed but I'm sure they work well. I wait until they walk behind a tree before I draw or when they are strutting and their head is hidden by their tail. Good luck and enjoy the challenge.

I've called in dozens of turkeys but only six were shootable. Of the six I missed three and killed three. They're tough old birds but I love 'em. Frank

Oops, didn't answer your question. However you hunt them sit perfectly still or as still as you can, even in a blind. Sitting still waiting is tough to do. You can sit still for hours and as soon as you move you get busted. Turkeys are tougher than deer and there is usually several pairs of eyes always searching. Good luck. Frank

Woodsmanship is a bigger key to getting on turkeys.Knowing the land your on and what turkeys will be doing when it's windy, raining,hot or cold.How to call on those days windy days they may not hear a mouth call or slate call.Use a box call when windy to you know they are in close. Then tone it way down when you know he's close. Knowing where to shoot them is the difference between bagging that Tom or wounding. There is an old saying hit them high watch them die hit them low watch them go. Check out the National wild turkey federation web site you will learn a lot from that.Best of luck.

I've never used a ground blind before and don't really like the idea of it myself. I think they would be too limiting as to where I could go. I think turkeys are pretty smart and if you're setting up in the same place all the time, it's not a good idea. Yeah, turkeys see movement. Not a big deal. Personally, I think deer hunting is about ten times more difficult than turkey hunting is that way. I like using diaphragm calls as they require no movement to use and I can seal the deal easier that way; with both hands-free. I've never had too much of a problem getting a draw on a bird. I actually find it easier if more than one bird comes in. I know people will say that there are more eyes to watch out for. I don't care about that because I find with more birds, there is more there to keep them distracted from each other and I only need to worry about the one I want to shoot not paying attention to me. I guess because I shoot instinctive it makes it easier because when I draw my bow, it's over. I don't have to settle in after drawing to aim before I shoot. Sure I get busted once in a while but that's half the fun.

Being you are new to turkey hunting I would suggest using a ground blind. It’s tuff for us veteran turkey hunters to get a shot off with a bow when not using a blind.

Once you get proficient at setting up the blind it’s really no big deal to set up and break down a dozen times a day.

Turkey don’t have the slightest suspicion of a ground blind, I first used one when my son started hunting turkey at 10 years old. I needed it to conceal a young hunters fidgeting.

I rarely use a blind nowadays unless I’m hunting open fields.

Listen closely for turkey sounds other than the obvious gobble. You can hear an old gobbler spitting and drumming once you know what to listen for.

If you can dig up some of Denny Gulvas’s old videos, he has allot of footage displaying gobbler tendencies and sounds at close range.

Good luck. I hope you kill a big ole long beard this spring

Thanks dtickhuntrr and everyone.

I feel like using a blind is kinda like cheating(they totally ignore them) but if you want to kill a bird it's the way to go. Blinds can tie you down but that can be a good thing. When I first turkey hunted there were no blinds and as hard as I tried to sit as long as I heard birds I'd get up and try to get closer spooking many many birds that way. Either way go for it!

2 more and I must be kin:-). Ghille suit and ghost blind tree limbs.

Here are a few more tips Crow#2 When a gobbler answers your hen yelps very excited. It will double gobble or triple gobble,this means he knows where you are. Don't over call to him after that. When he comes in towards your blind he will probably be a very bright looking colors. Especially if he gobbles some more,now he's looking for that hen.If all of a sudden he ruffles his feathers a little bit & starts to turn pail in his colors he's about to get out of there.You need to shoot him then if you can he may putt that's their warning signal.They make that sound several times or maybe no at all. Best of luck to you keep us posted on how you make out.

I like to set up behind a large tree with a caller about 20 yards behind me. It is still difficult, but it puts you in a better position then calling yourself. The bird begins to look beyond you. Ideally a blind cover is the best, if located in a good spot. It is a pain to try move with you. Tagman79 looks great!

I use ground blinds, and spots where you can really hunker in, and leafy suits. I hate being in a pop up, just don’t like the feeling and it’s cheating. Hahah. Turkeys here in MI are very hard to get with any bow, Trad bow even more so, and no blind again harder yet. If you want to go home frustrated a lot, hunt turkeys with Trad equipment-no pop up. Don’t ask me how I know. It’s very difficult Unless your birds decoy well. Mine Don’t. The only decoy I use now is a strutter my friend made, and only first 2-3 weeks of the season.

With a leafy suit I’ve had encounters measured in feet. The movement kills ya. Decoys help if they’re not shy birds. Good luck

Some are going to disagree with me but iam going to say it anyway camo and blinds have nothing to do with hunting success that is marketing i have spent the last 25 yrs chasing hard hunted whitetails and turkeys on public land in georgia it is woodsmanship that kills game. the man that taught me to turkey hunt started in the 50s with no camo and and improved cylinder shotgun with low barss field loads and is still the best turkey hunters i know he had to get those turkeys inside of 20yds every time. the key to killing bird at close range is all in the set up if you can see the bird before he is in range your set up is wrong i know that is a hard pill to swallow there is nothing like watching a big tom strut in to the call but that long distance gives him time to peg you weather with a bow i like to set up behind something often times i am able to hear the bird aproaching and i am able to stand if i need to and draw and lean out to shoot

Well said nice post mountainwhitetail

So you're telling him to become a master woodsman like you before turkey season and not to use a blind.Im sure he'll be fine.

mountainwhitetail, you said some would disagree, you're right!

Getting a shot with a shotgun already in positions one thing. Getting a bow pulled back for a shot is a whole different ballgame. I use a 40" camo screen with 2 plastic step in posts for cover. I put a couple hen decoys about 2 or 3 yards in front of it so to him they're calling, not me. When he struts up close I wait for him to pass them and circle back behind them, which doesn't always happen. Then I draw and put a snuffer thru him from the rear. He can't see you draw, his noise covers any sound your bow makes drawing it. Plus he's easy to pen from the rear and snuffer makes such a huge wound channel he's not going anywhere.

I am no expert with turkeys but I have been lucky.

I have a great friend that is a turkey hunter deluxe, He only calls in the Spring. He locates the turkeys one morning than sets up a blind (brush blind) for calling. He always says turkeys are not curious, you only get one chance. Of course in the Spring the Jake's are a little dumb (horny) with decoys.

Sorry forgot to mention I shoot thru the screen. At 2 or 3 yards you can't miss.

its not that difficult i have pulled it off several times not just with a shotgun but archery equipment it comes with experiance knowing when to move and when not to i hunt public land exclusively and do not have the ability to have blinds already in place and i must stay mobile i think fred bear once said the best camo was to stay still and be quite

There is couple ways to get a shot off without a blind. One way is to let the bird walk past you. Wait till he's strutting and his tail keeps him from seeing you. Hunt where there are large trees so you can move when the birds head goes behind the tree. I've even got a shot off by just pulling back and shooting with the bird watching me. You are going to have to shoot fast, reach anchor and shoot.

As far as camo it hasnt made much difference what your wearing as long as you keep as still as possible. As stated above it helps to see the bird so you can make adjustments for the shot.

I'm really handicapped because I'm deaf in my left ear and don't hear with my right ear without a hearing aid. I can hear but can't tell what direction the gobbles are coming from or how far or close the bird is.

Most of my turkey success comes from a blind, however I have killed one and missed one while hunting without. I was not doing the calling though.

I like the no blind thing sometimes. I am not nimble though and being stuck in a kneeling or uncomfortable position for long will just make me move too much.

I have only ever shot one bird with a shotgun.. had no more interest after until I started hunting them with a bow.

Last year I completed my Turkey traditional slam and still enjoying it. What I would advise though is to use the biggest head that you can get to fly well and shoot them through the hips whenever you can. A turkey that can't run can't fly.. then of course, he still can't run!

I use a really big 3 blade head. 2 back shots.. one spined, the other lasted a minute and ran 100 yards before tucking in to hide. 5 more birds shot through the hips. Those birds stumbled no further than 10 yards each before succumbing to their injuries. BigJim

its great to live in the U.S. where for the moment we have the right to have different opinions. I was not telling him to become a master woodsman over night and i never claimed that i was but i will admit that i do know my way around the woods. i think that many of our new hunters are not being taught woodsmanship because many of us have lost that skill It amazes me how many guys i am running into in the woods in recent times who do not have these skills i was just trying to say get out there and try things in the woods and see what works in around about way i do use natural blind i am notsaying he dosent need cover what i am saying is that he dosent have to have a high dollar pop up blind and the latest camo pattern to kill them dont just go on what the internet and the hunting industry tells you

Yep get out there and do it, that’s what’s important

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