How many of you guys have shot turkey with your bow without a blind. I have yet to kill my first turkey but plan to do it with traditional gear and no blind (hopefully this spring). For those of you who have done it do you have any tips or tricks that have worked for you?

I have twice, both times I had ladyluck on my side! The first a spring tom I just got lucky he was alone and drew when he was behind a bigpoplar tree and released when he came out from the side of it.

The second time I got lucky when a group of fall birds came by and I managed to get in front of them. They saw me draw and spooked but one young one stood there just a little to long!

I bet I have been busted drawing on spring birds close to 30 times now! A blind definately helps put the odds on your side! I'll have my blind out for most of the spring season, but there's just sometimes when I have to cover ground working birds! It's hard to sit there when you can hear birds just over the next ridge!

I have 2x's. The land I hunt has rows of pine's I setup in an area that is missing a tree to the field side so it makes a hole. This has also worked against me when some poacher's followed the turkey as the came to strut. I ended up getting peppered.

Dave

Folks killed turkeys with bows before commercial blinds were available.  Jack Brobst, from Pennsylvania, killed turkeys every year, spring and fall, with his longbow, and normally just sit against a large tree.  Mike Fedora could tell you about Jack....they hunted together several times.  Jack has a book on it that was printed in the 1980's I believe.  It's hard to find but a very good read.   If you are sharing the hunting area with shotgunners, I wouldn't want to be in any blind.

what do you mean by "no blind"? do you mean the enclosed pop up blind, or no cover at all, like putting downfall around you? to me a blind is anything to break up your outline or block some of you body. now many people consider a blind a "tent" with shooting windows.  

I have taken around a lot of turkeys with a bow and have never used a blind.

Never use a blind, all natural cover. Been busted more times than I like but I don't mind....I'm having fun and like the added challenge. Came home empty many years, 2 yrs ago I finally connected on a nice tom and last year I was fortunate to kill 2 toms with the bow. Hope the luck continues this May...      

All my turkeys have be shot by spot an stalk or spot an sneak into an ambush situation.
I've never used a blind for any sort of hunting.
Not for any particular reason other than they are not really a thing in NZ hunting outside of duck blinds.
I've shot around 20-30 Turkeys over the years and I'm happy to admit that due to very light pressure in NZ from anybody other than bowhunters,they are not as spooky here as they are in America.
Their definately not stupid though and the birds in my area know "exactly" who what I am.
I have spent the best part of a year targeting just one one bird and had many "all mosts" before finaly inviting him home for lunch.
A lot of visting American hunters to NZ go away thinking our birds really are stupid,,,but what they never realise is that some so called "hunting guide" has just led them to a semi tame flock that might be hunted one or two times a year at the most.
Those birds are not the real deal and I find it very sad that these guides do this sort of thing, because when they are truely wild birds and under real hunting pressure they are probably one of the most difficult animals you could ever try to stalk.
Just remember if you ever come to NZ and want to hunt real wild turkeys,,,you stay at my place and hunt my birds,and you will most definately be "hunting" them.

If you can kill Ga. Turkeys without a blind consistant...you should be on TV.RC

Them turkeys are tuff to get a shot on for sure. I have never killed one with a bow but the two that I got a shot on I waited until they were all fanned out and spun around with the ol' bullseye facing me when I drew and tried to put it right in the hole LOL.
managed to harvest a few tail feathers and let me tell you when them dudes lose a tail feather like that the ol' bullseye shrinks by half LOL.
Goodluck with it.

I to have been busted more than once drawing on them,maybe this yr I will get lucky,I think if a turkey had a nose like a elk you would really have a hard time getting one.

I tried three straight springs to get this done without a blind...  I won't say its impossible but very difficult.
The birds see so well they always pick me off.. One time I made it to full draw and of course had a deflection off of brush between me and the bird...

Never Shot a Turkey, YET, Dont Use A Blind. Other than Natural Cover. My Problem is Method I believe of Finding that Right Spot!! Gotta Keep On Hopin' and Hunting!!

It's tough but can be done. Our good ol' native cedar trees make great natural blinds.

 

 

 

 

I have. Actually my first trad kill. Saw em walking through the woods. I snuck a small hill and waited for them to show up. I was sort of hiding behind a tree about 12 yds away. It worked!

There's nothing any more antsy (not smart) than an Eastern Wild Turkey, and in Pennsylvania they are as wiley as any in Georgia or any other state.  Ol' Jack Brobst will tell you that 8^).

We have a million hunters here, and 2/3'rds of them hunt spring turkeys with a shotgun.  That's why you would have to be insane (or have a death wish) to get in an enclosed blind and call them.  Decent cover and no movement is the key to getting a shot at them, and I want to be able to see what or who else is coming to the call.  

By the way, I don't put a whole lot of creedence in what I see on TV for hunting anything.  They have to kill to sell products.....anything goes.  

Never have used a blind, other than natural materials. But then, have yet to bring home a turkey. Have, unfortunately, missed many and wounded one that I am sure became coyote grub later that day. Best for me is two person set up, just like elk bugling. Shooter along the side of the path the turkey will take to the caller and decoys. We move quite a bit during spring turkey season and a blind would be a hindrance. Carry a piece of burlap, though and pin it or clothes pin it to brush if needed.

3 so far; hopefully another one this spring.

I do it all the time using Shaggie suits, natural blinds, hanging stands in cedars. and the occasional luck shot on the ground.

Both of my turkeys have been killed without the use of a pop up blind. One I was sitting at the base of a big oak tree the other I was in the pines on the edge of a food plot in the National Forest in WV.