Trad Gang
Main Boards => PowWow => Topic started by: coachA on February 09, 2016, 10:43:00 AM
-
I know there is a lot of different approaches to turkey hunting with a traditional bow. There are hunting blind hunters and there are open hunters (not in a blind). I want everyone option and possible setups for this turkey season. Any and all information will be appreciated.
-
I have taken them from ground blinds, popup blinds, stalking and ambushing. It can all work, but blinds make the job easier. Stalking them is my preferred method, but I have blown way more stalks than I have killed turkeys. It is all fun, and with the new pot call that I just got from RW Mackey, I will probably do more sitting and calling this spring.
-
What blinds and bow setups do y'all use?
-
I have an outhouse blind, but it is too small to draw a Longbow in. So, I have a piece of light weight material in the pack that can be used to throw up a makeshift blind. Use the same thing for deer and elk hunting.
I've yet to take a turkey with a bow but this year I'm feeling it!
-
I use a big mike. It is very tall and works good. The rest of my set up doesn't really change from what I deer hunt with.
-
Out west these Merriam's are pretty much a walk and talk proposition. No such thing as a "roost tree". If they use the same tree more than a couple times, that's unusual.
Anybody else going after Colorado turkeys?
-
I have a cheap doghouse blind that was like 25 bucks. Also just burlap blinds. This will be my first time really chasing them with my twig. I will be using my 58" thunderstick mag 50@27.
I'm excited!
-
I like to hunt them out of blinds. I haven't killed one with traditional yet, but there is lots of snow in the high country, which translates to good turkey hunting in my spot. Good snow means that we have to walk about 5 miles to get to our spot, but we will be the only ones there. My buddy has shot 2 with his recurve in the last 3 years. I have a ameristep mountaineer which worked great for my compound, but had to put it up on logs last year to be able to draw my long bow. I just got a 40# Grizzly just for turkeys out of blinds. We hunt with 2 hen decoys and a taxidermy jake, and have not had a tom pass us up if he sees the set up. Turkeys start here in Colorado in the first week of April. Pray for snow!!!
-
The Primos Clubhouse XXL is what I have for my 56-60" recurves.
-
I've taken them with popups and camo net half blinds. I believe good decoys are paramount. My favorites are an Avian X hen and jake. Pryor having the real Jake is extremely lucky, I bet it works great.
-
Pryor, what qtr of the state do you Hunt?
-
Monterey, I am in Grand Junction. I usually hunt the Grand Mesa. It is amazing how much snow turkeys will put up with. We usually hunt above the snow line on sunny hill sides where the snow has melted off. Birds love scraping around in the oak brush. When there is not enough snow to keep people out, we Float the Colorado river and find birds along the way.
-
Check out turkey reapers on utube. I plan on trying that, my buddies started the show and have great success!
-
Here's my set up. Primos Smack-Down blind, funky chicken decoy's, string tracker
(http://i.imgur.com/a5FZxe7.jpg)
-
I've heard it's good on the Mesa.
Last year I send to the four corners area and found it to be much better than the front range areas. In the middle of making a set of arrows just for the Turks.
Good luck. Hope you have success.
-
I have seen those funky chickens before, but never had a chance to use one. My Jake decoy is in pretty rough shape from all the turkey fights, this might be his last year. The funky chicken looks like a good idea, and easy to pack too.
Have you guys had good success with them.
-
I picked up a few decoys this winter. I now have an avian X Jake and breeder hen. I am terrible at turkey hunting but 2 years ago I called in turkeys to 2 different hunters. Last year, I never even heard a gobble within a mile. Saw a couple jakes who had no interest in me or my Flambeau decoy.
I have a ground Blind now, not sure of the brand but its pretty roomy with corner windows that drop low enough to shoot out of.
-
Have been fortunate to have successfully arrowed and harvested 33 birds. Note: there are others that have experienced more than twice the success.
Have missed twice as many.
Birds have been harvested by numerous methods as some were predicated on opportunity. By far,my most consistent method, has been utilizing a Double Bull blind...blinds that I have used since approximately 1991.
One primary advantage is learn to be able to adapt to the hunting conditions and the birds current movements and responses.
It is often difficult to pursue a critter that ,itself, doesn't even know what it is going to do next.
-
Pryor how high is the Grand Messa? Are your birds over 7000 feet? The last two seasons the birds I hunt have not started gobbling until the season is over in mid May. It has been cold and waist high drifts on the wooded ridges and draws. I hunt around 7500 feet and I hope it has just been unusual years but the birds have not been active durning the season.
I mostly use one decoy and a run and gun approach. Find a gobbler who wants to talk and move in set up with what ever cover available and call them to me no blind to heavey. I have missed more birds this way than I wish to say. It works if I do my part and make the shot.
What my turkey hunting country looks like in Apr.
(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/JackSkinner/DSCN0995.jpg) (http://s114.photobucket.com/user/JackSkinner/media/DSCN0995.jpg.html)
How I get back in on the closed roads
(http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n274/JackSkinner/DSCN0983_1.jpg) (http://s114.photobucket.com/user/JackSkinner/media/DSCN0983_1.jpg.html)
-
Jack, you must be hunting the Laramie range. I hunt the lowlands east of the Bighorns, but I have seen turkeys numerous times above 8000 feet. I may do some of that high country hunting sometime. Different from hunting creek bottoms.
-
Jack, we are hunting at about 8250 feet. A lot of the birds we kill are right where the Oak Brush transitions to aspen and conifer.
-
Yep Centaur its about 20 mintues from the house. I also have seen birds at 8000 and even higher in CO but in the summer. I am beginning to wonder if they are going low and following the snow melt back up to the higher country. Either way I am going to give them a go again this spring. Thanks Pryor I thought you were hunting high country birds. If yours are gobbling then maybe it was just a couple of bad springs, warmer so far this year with more snow though. Always a challange that's what makes it hunting.
-
Spend the time watching and patterning the birds you plan to hunt goes a long ways. Just like deer we spend lots of time watching them and seeing were there feeding and gathering and there routes.
Ambush or setup in between there routes, call very little just enough to let them gobblers know your there. Talk like they do not like the yahoo's on TV, if possible use the best decoys you can but I've killed them with cheap ones. They could really care less how much you spend on a blind as long as you practice with it and can shoot out of it.
I change nothing I hunt everything year round with my same equipment a longbow and wood arrows, you want to get a pass through shot on your turkeys if possible. Have no idea how many turkeys I've killed and missed lol!
Good luck!
(http://i904.photobucket.com/albums/ac248/TmPotter47/a9-6.jpg) (http://s904.photobucket.com/user/TmPotter47/media/a9-6.jpg.html)
Tracy
-
How many of you hunt them with just a net or burlap blind?
Tips or advice would be appreciated!
-
I hunted with camo fabric when I lived in Kansas (Rios). I even dug ditches for my lower limb. Too many birds saw me move the top limb of the bow (I'm not sure I ever saw a Rio by itself- always lots of eyes.
When I went inside pop-ups after leaving KS, my success went up.
-
K.S Trapper has it right. When I was first archery hunting turkeys, the guy I go with would never call. We would have birds talking all around us, and I used to go crazy wanting to talk to them. When they are close but not quit in sight he calls very softly. The first year or two I thought he was not calling enough, but after a few crowded years hearing people walking and calling it became obviouse. He put it best by saying that we don't want the turkeys to know we are there. Calling can be very effective, but you don't want to be the loudest hen in the woods.
-
I have seen people on here build a kind of shield that straps to the front of their bow. It is sort of a ghillie suit for your bow. I wonder if anyone could link me to that thread as I have been wanting to build one but can never seem to find that thread!
-
This has been my set up of choice for several years. DB Blind and DSD decoys one Jake and one hen. The DSD Jake is every bit as good as a stuffer and a lot more durable. Been
Many a bird took a dirt nap after coming to investigate them sweet hen sounds.
About calling, a lot of folks would be better off not calling at all. Sometimes less is better, but there are times that you can call as loud and as often as you want with great results. Knowing when to do each depends a lot on the type of birds your hunting, i.e. Easterns, Rios ect.. Country, eastern hardwoods or Kansas plains to Florida swamps.
Ill be going to school again this year, gonna try for a Merrians, hope to complete my slam. Looking at eastern Wyoming or North West Nebraska. Always fun to hunt a new area and different species of birds.
RW
(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b560/roywmackey/imagejpg1_zps6beb075e.jpg) (http://s1291.photobucket.com/user/roywmackey/media/imagejpg1_zps6beb075e.jpg.html)
-
never mind I found it. Thanks to mudd for this build along.
http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=print_topic;f=1;t=130807
-
Originally posted by CoachBGriff:
How many of you hunt them with just a net or burlap blind?
Tips or advice would be appreciated!
I use a very light net. More like a soft screen. It has a camo pattern to it. It's a bit too transparent but large enough to double and still allow me to see out. Also have a hand full of spring type cloths pins to hang It.
I hang it from whatever is handy but a few dedicated supports might get added this year.
-
Nothing impresses me more, in the hunting world, than a person who can consistently bag turkey with a bow.
I am unimpressed with myself.
-
May have seen this one tonight with about 60 of his buds. 1/4 mile away but one bird stood out, looked smokey, hope it was this one or hope it was a gobbler!!
(http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d34/kennym/2015%20HUNTING%20LEASE/IMAG0126_zpssdw3ddds.jpg) (http://s32.photobucket.com/user/kennym/media/2015%20HUNTING%20LEASE/IMAG0126_zpssdw3ddds.jpg.html)
-
Almost have my turkey blind bow finished, now if I can find a blind turkey....
-
I'm 1/2 for Merrium's turkeys and I've only hunted them with a longbow or recurve. My preferred method is more of a run and gun style, but I do carry a cheap roll up foam hen and a funky chicken and a tree stand umbrella for a quick set up blind. I'd bet I could call one in if I sat clucked/yelped all morning, but being mobile is too much fun. It reminds me of hunting small, extremely vocal, feathered elk.
-
Like Charlie said (Cyclic) the turkey hunting here in the east last year was simply horrible. Don't know why but everyone I talked to had the same impression. Looking better this year, but again, don't know why. Time will tell. Anyway, going to go with a blind this year, at least for a little while. Don't seem to be able to sit that long anymore. Like to run and gun but this year with the bow and not the gun. Can't wait. Don't mean to disparage any of you guys, but I've heard it said that taking an eastern is the toughest of the four species here in the states. Comments from anyone who has hunted any other than the eastern.
-
I hunt turkey in about the same area I look for an elk. The Merrium don't wander around in fields like on tv, from my experience. I cover alot of ground hunting them, and that is where the difficulty seems to fall, aside from the fact they're turkeys with excellent color vision. I don't know if there is an easy turkey to hunt with traditional gear.
-
I have hunted eastern once and Merriam's many times. Still have not killed one with a bow. But, I gotta rate Merriam's tougher just based on their habits.
I read tons of stuff on how to hunt turkeys and thought I had a basic understanding but, no. They don't behave at all like the eastern. No such thing as a "roost tree", as far as I can see, no such thing as a habitual strutting area. No such thing as a movement pattern.
Like Wallace said, they are more like elk. I Hunt them the same way he does. He calls it " run and gun", but I call it "walk and talk". Too old to do the run part :biglaugh:
-
Originally posted by Bowwild:
Nothing impresses me more, in the hunting world, than a person who can consistently bag turkey with a bow.
I am unimpressed with myself.
Yeah, I have yet to impress myself either! :knothead:
-
Monterey, It seams that our birds tend to pattern pretty well. We have killed 6 birds in the last 4 years in the same meadow. Last year we set up the blind the day before the season, and had a bird in the same spot. Due to access on the opener I had 3 different sets of hunters walk right through my set. I am not sure if they are using the same tree to roost, but It sounds like they are always within a hundred yards or so in the bottom of an aspen filled canyon. We actually hunt 600 - 800 yards up the hill (almost on the ridge). Look for scratches in the oak brush. this is where we hunt. We usually have to wait a hour or two after day light for the birds to get to our level.
-
Here is the set up I use. A blind I bought from LL Beans. Fits in a sack about 12" long and 6" in diameter. I am using my Waldrop pac-seat now. I agree good decoys are crucial for archery, at least around me. Until I bought a DSD half strut jake the birds held up about 30 yards out.
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/IMG_06978.JPG)
-
Pryor, food for thought there and appreciated.
Last year we hunted after May 1 when the closed FS roads had opened. Could be that the traffic and pressure unsettled them.
This year we are going to hunt prior to May 1 and hike in.
-
I use a blind similar to the big mike's I picked up years ago. Very roomy with plenty of height for my longbow.
Only have taken two birds in the spring with traditional gear but I get after them every year with it. Last year was awful here in NH and I couldn't find a bird that wanted anything to do with my setup.
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/turkeyhunt.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/turkeyhunt.jpg.html)
(http://i1177.photobucket.com/albums/x344/bowhntineverythingnh03743/2013050395072126.jpg) (http://s1177.photobucket.com/user/bowhntineverythingnh03743/media/2013050395072126.jpg.html)
This year I am limiting myself to only two calls to bring into the woods. I know my problem is I bring every call I own and over call. Plus it will save in the weight that I carry. I also have a blind bag which I carry the blind and a chair in which is very easy to tote.
Good luck to everyone this year!
-
I hunted Merriams with Eichler years ago and the turkeys would always root in one of two trees on the fields edge. You couldn't call at all and just had to ambush them as they walked by the blind feeding. I ended up shooting a jake.
In New York I hunt the Catskills and they tend not to roost in the same place twice but hopefully stay in the general area. You can't call to much or another hunter will move in on you, either a human or a coyote!
-
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/imagejpg1-7.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/imagejpg1-7.jpg.html)
*Avian X hen and real friend...I love their dekes
I hunt in blinds, out of blinds, run and bow, stalk. I don't care how. I just love those darn birds! Come on April!
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/NebTurk046.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/NebTurk046.jpg.html)
*Three Amigos
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/NebTurk005.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/NebTurk005.jpg.html)
*Waiting on fly down
Killed a few, missed a bunch, but all were a hoot!
(http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r296/wapiti792/NebTurk039.jpg) (http://s147.photobucket.com/user/wapiti792/media/NebTurk039.jpg.html)
-
I owe a pile of thanks to Mike Davenport for me getting my first turkey and second on this trip.
thanks Mike
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/Kip_album/Turkey%20hunt%202015%20013_zpsb2ojdzj6.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/Kip_album/media/Turkey%20hunt%202015%20013_zpsb2ojdzj6.jpg.html)
(http://i128.photobucket.com/albums/p191/Kip_album/036_zpsiqesrcde.jpg) (http://s128.photobucket.com/user/Kip_album/media/036_zpsiqesrcde.jpg.html)