Turkey without a blind

[perry f.]

Any tips on turkey setup without the use of a pop up blind. I believe this year I leave the smoke pole at the house. Looking for tips to draw them in close and get drawn without a blind. Thanks

[RJonesRCRV]

Im no expert, and have not killed one with a bow.

Last year, I had three jakes come by to my left, when Im shooting right handed.  I was sitting on a gentle hill side, so turning that direction caused my bottom limb to poke into the ground.  I had to get up to a kneeling position, which just scared them a bit more.  I was able to draw but they were over a slight rise so I didnt feel comfortable with the shot.

Try to sit so a natural funnel will push them through your comfortable shooting direction so you can avoid moving into a different position.  Obviously easier said than done when turkeys will do their own thing, but keep it in mind when you set up.

[Steelhead]

You dont see many turkeys killed without a blind with a trad bow.From a ground blind its not that big a deal because their fairly stupid about ground blinds.Just need to make the shot when ones setup for the kill.Not saying that's easy.But the ground blind is the turkeys acchilles heal

I think the 1st thing is to very meticulous with your camo as its very close range hunting.I typically would have good 3 dimensional camo and leaves pinned to my upper torso and boonie style hat.Get into as good a position as possible for your setup with some background and forground cover.Use whats available.I think its very advantages to be able to hold comfortably at full draw and shoot the bird as it passes behind thick cover or a tree trunk and comes out from behind it.Similar to a compound hunter.Or the bird is in full strut and its view is obscured by its tail fan.A decoy might help to distract the bird.

I would probably not call as much if the bird was close by.Let him look for you.Without pin pointing you exactly.Purr lightly if necessary if somewhat close with mouth or mouth call.Calms the bird.

If you know birds religously travel some spots you can ambush them.Once again being to hold at full draw and be steady and accurate is gonna help you close as the bird comes out from behind cover.Thier vision really has to be obscured when you draw.No getting around that in areas where I hunt.

The end game closing on a turkey with a trad bow without a ground blind is a very very difficult thing to accomplish.I did it once and it was essentially the end of my turkey hunting exploits after hunting them for a few decades on National Forests lands in many states.No time for that now.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Ive called them close several times without a blind.  Just never got a shot because they never stopped walking.  It can be done.  I refuse to use a blind.  Just doesn't seem fair taking away their only defense...sight.

[centaur]

It can be done. Use of cover/terrain is essential, and knowing patterns so that you can set up an ambush is a big help. I get much more fun out of stalking and/or ambushing them than sitting in a blind for hours. I don't think camo is as important as stealth and use of terrain. Indians killed an awful lot of turkeys before we all thought that camoflage clothes were essential.

[ChuckC]

Pat.. do you use a decoy ?  What kind ?

[Warden609]

I have killed a couple without a blind. If you are hunting easterns your gonna have to be very patient. I used a ghili suit and blind chair with Dave Smith decoys (breeding pair).  Setup in good cover to utilize whatever your wearing. Let the gobbler get fully involved with the decoys before attempting the shot. Good luck and shoot straight >>->

[kennym]

Be in deep shade, and you can do anything you want when they turn the fan to you. As long as he is alone......

[centaur]

Chuck I don't use decoys, and hardly ever call. Thinking about maybe using a jake deek this spring just to  watch a gobbler beat the hell out of it.

I can't help you.  I tried hunting the darn things on the ground for six years, before I gave up.  I had plenty of birds in, but could never get to full draw on them.  Went to a blind and killed several since.

I have a friend who kills a couple birds every year.  He wears a ghillie suit and snuggles up against large trees.  He's a wiry little fellow.  

[wetfeathers]

I am by no means an expert, but I have killed turkeys without a blind... and missed several easy ones.  It becomes a lot easier later in the season when the foliage is thicker. Movement is less noticeable.  I wear camo but nothing fancy.  I always stand beside or behind trees, rocks, blowdowns.   If he comes in, I'm already in position. I can't shoot when I'm sitting down.  When I commit to taking the shot I often rush and miss though.  I missed one 2 years ago at 10 yards!

[katman]

Ghillie suit for me. Set up in shade or sun to your back and try to have some trees/bushes where you expect them and draw when they are behind them. So cool to have them 15 yards on the ground without a blind, a real rush.

[Bill Carlsen]

I've stalked and killed three of them. I think they were all Fall birds as I recall and females.

[Limbhanger]

Alright, I recently got lured into a fight on this very subject, on one of the "other trad sites". I was called out on my "inexperience and lack of turkey knowledge"  :(  ???  In any case, turkeys CAN be killed w/out a popup blind and I've done it myself on several occasions.  However, this is an extremely difficult proposition.  Having a visual obstruction is the key to getting drawn on wary birds....tree, vegetation, tail feathers, decoy.  You can call em in rt on top of you, but if you can't draw your bow, then you are just bird watching   .  Good Luck ,everyone!

[ChuckC]

Limb.... I agree 100%.  That is the key difference.

[maineac]

Good background cover and some in front.  Great leafy camo or ghillie.  Excellent decoys, and I don't mean pretty good. The investment in decoys made all the difference for me.

[Bowwild]

I bowhunted Rios when I lived in Kansas without a blind.  I could never get drawn without spooking them.  

I'd like to go sans blind this year because I don't like to be cooped up and so immobile in the blind. However, I'm not capable of being motionless for 2-3 hours.  The blind covers me to move a bit.

[woodchucker]

Years ago, I killed 2 Toms a year, for 4 years straight, without a blind or decoys. Bottom line...?? The PERFECT set-up!!!!!
I found a strutt-zone, on the edge of a field, acrossed from a wood lot. The Toms roosted it the big pines of the woodlot. There was a woods road, that came out on the edge of the field. Simply put, the Toms would fly down, and follow the wood road up to the field.
I setup on piece of chunk wood, in the brushy hedge row, 10 yards from the strutt-zone. I would call untill I saw him come into the field, then STOP CALLING, and set my box call at my feet.....
He would gobble his fool head off, but I wouldn't answer him. Finally, he would become frustrated, and head for the strutt-zone in front of me... There, he would strutt & gobble, untill he turned his fanned back to me... (Blocking his vision) I'd pick a spot, just above the root of his tail, and send a Bear Razorbead into his spine. Unfortunately, I have not found that perfect setup since. But I'm still looking!!!!!
Good Luck!!!!!

[sveltri]

I just had my first traditional kill this weekend that happened to be a turkey without a blind arrowed from a #56 Wapiti Spike 3 longbow.  I am not a great hunter and blow more chances than most.  That being said waiting for the right opportunity to draw is key.  I like to have them strutting and hope to see their fan cover their head, that was not the case on Saturday though.  He never hit more than 1/4 strut, he did however put his head down and looked away.  I was about 8 yards away and probably got lucky, but whatever.  You can do it.

[YosemiteSam]

I haven't killed any turkeys with a bow yet.  But I haven't even had one in sight with a bow in my hand either.

I carry a hen decoy and set it up when I can.  I hunt public land so I'm hesitant to setup a jake until the bow season begins (after the general season here).  Blinds are everywhere -- downed trees, boulders, dips, hills, live oak stands, etc.  Finding the turkeys is the hard part around here.

Somebody mentioned Indians killing turkeys with bows.  I don't know about all the tribes but my understanding is that the Cherokee mostly used blowguns for turkeys (headshots) -- way less movement.  Not sure what's tougher, though -- drawing a bow on a turkey or hitting it in the head with a blowgun.  Impressive either way.