Turkeys without a blind? [ this spring]

[Arwin]

I had a NICE tom within 60yds yesterday. No pop-up blind just hiding in the vegetation.  

[Dave Thaxton]

no blind here

[centaur]

This morning I had 5 jakes within 20 yards. Did I shoot? Oh no, not me, I'm waiting out for a mature tom     . So the jakes meander off, and I follow, and as I top a hill, there are half a dozen mature birds, all fanned out with about 20 hens. As soon as my punkin head goes over the rise, it was a mass turkey exodus. Guess I should have taken a crack at one of the jakes that were giving me an easy shot, huh?  

[monk]

Yep. NO Blind other than what I find out where I stop in nature.

[snakebit40]

I don't use a gillie suit either. My secret weapon...Toad-A-Flage. Made out of Tenn. its blew my mind the first time I put it on.

[bsoper]

I will probably give it a try once I get bored of sitting inside my blind for so long.

[twitchstick]

The only shoot I had on a legal bird last year was without a blind,it's just helps to hit them. There are alot of natural blinds out there it's just amatter of using brush to your advatage.
Monday I called in some hens without a blind and they had no idea I was there. Just watch your movement when you draw back they have eyes in the back of thier heads. Good luck.

[the longbowkid]

I got a shot at a nice tom last season at 9 feet without a blind. ITook it and missed    you can do it, but your setup has to be perfect. preferably with an obstruction large enough to hide you from the bird until youre ready to shoot. good luck and kudos fordoing it the hard way  

[Adirondackman]

I'm in. I like to use blowdowns for cover whenever possible. Small close grouped pines work great also.

[Overspined]

I had hens in my decoy very close with no blind the other day. I had on a ghillie suit by rancho safari with the hat and face paint in a stump row so I was well concealed as "one of the stumps". I sit on a gun hunter's turkey seat w a pad so my lower limb is off the ground with a 68" longbow. The mature Tom and 3 jakes (was 4 but my dad fixed that last Saturday) would NOT go near the decoy despite the hens all around it. Very well educated I say as the toms even putted at it as they walked off. The hens eventually left unalarmed. Moral: no decoys there any more. Had I been turned a little more to my left I would have put some wood in the air! I typically don't use decoys because for the last years I have found mature toms won't go for it anymore here in Michigan. I had similar findings last year so now they are "put away". I think I will get a shot off this year but it is so challenging to get them that close, and be facing the right way, and have the stars align,  and remember to pick a spot....no small feat!

[huntin_sparty]

I am going after them without a blind this year too, just my rancho gillie.  I will use a blind when I hunt with my kids though.  Overspined, I had great luck 2 seasons ago with decoys the tom ran from 75yards out to issue him a beat down but I turned the table on him.  Anyhow with my decoys last 2 seasons nothing to bad results, today I had 2 toms come 60 yards out with 5 hens from calling but they looked at the decoys and steered around with extra distance.  Must be wise to em.  Its time to leave them in the car!

[GREASEMAN]

Yep! got busted at 25 yds! man was that a thrill.
Do it every year.

[IndianaBowman]

No blind for many years now. Killed a nice bird this morning.

[KentuckyTJ]

Great job Terry, lets see the hero shots when you get a chance.

Well I got my chance last night (without a blind). Saw a strutting bird with four hens on a long thin field. I slipped around them down through the woods and set up in the bush on the side of the field where he has been strutting back and forth all day. They came back and I gave them a few soft yelps. They heard them but avoided my decoy and calls. Then they turned and fed back down the ridge again with the big boy in tow. I knew my position wasn't going to work as they felt comfortable on the other side of the field. I backed out and walked around to the other side. Found a long vine covered tree that fell down and pointed at an angle out into the field. I set up my stool behind it and grabbed my decoy to put it out but looking down the field I see the hens and the Tom down about 150 yards right on the fence I am on and heading my way.

I just dropped the dec and went back to my stool. It wasn't long and the hens were right in front of me feeding along. Then I hear drumming. The bird followed perfectly and when he got in front of me and turned with his back to me in full strut, I stood and began to draw. He popped his head up and caught my movement. I had to stop. He looked at me for a minute then began to walk away unalarmed. I drew and turned one loose. He was about 25 yards out and the arrow went right through his legs.

25 is out of my comfortable range on a turkey but I got caught up in the moment and wasn't in a proper mindset.         :eek:        No harm done to either of us and the saga continues. As I have stated before with a blind I never would have gotten a shot at this bird on this day under the circumstances.  Lose the blind and get after them.

[smilinicon]

Cool story KentuckyTJ.

[Overspined]

I've hunted them in MI for 20 yrs now and most of my birds have come with no decoy. In fact, I can think of only 2 mature birds that actually committed to the decoy. I know others have had luck and I try them every year, but without success. I always get closer without them, no matter the weapon, without decoys. I have even tried multiple kinds.   Same goes for the blind, 4 mature birds have come near it, most give a wide birth or literally have run. I only used the blinds with kids or in the rain. Don't ask me why, but that has been my experience. Now I am just running ghillie and stickbow

[Overspined]

I've hunted them in MI for 20 yrs now and most of my birds have come with no decoy. In fact, I can think of only 2 mature birds that actually committed to the decoy. I know others have had luck and I try them every year, but without success. I always get closer without them, no matter the weapon, without decoys. I have even tried multiple kinds.   Same goes for the blind, 4 mature birds have come near it, most give a wide birth or literally have run. I only used the blinds with kids or in the rain. Don't ask me why, but that has been my experience. Now I am just running ghillie and stickbow

[GingivitisKahn]

No blind for me this season or last.  No turkeys either.  Hrm...

[ka]

The ghillie suits look great!! Just wondering  how you keep them from catching in the string on the shot??Any problems there??