Sticking out like a sore thumb might feel awkward and impossible, but turkeys typically pay no mind to a blind. The only way to get within lethal range of these birds is to set up a ground blind and strike. They seem to materialize from thin air and then disappear just the same. You only see them in the wide open - maybe a pasture or cut cornfield. A bird could stroll by anywhere, anytime, so don’t get caught unprepared.įield birds: Turkey hunt long enough and you’ll eventually face dreaded field birds. Keep a ground blind set up at a likely hotspot, and use it as your central rallying point. When it comes time to regroup, there’s no need to quit hunting. Canvass an entire property so your quarry has nowhere to hide. It’s an ideal environment for on-the-job training.īase camp: Sometimes, the surest way to kill birds when hunting with buddies is to split up and burn boot leather. A ground blind allows more freedom of movement with less chance of getting busted by birds. New hunters: If you’re introducing newbies to turkey hunting - especially a child - it’s critical to ensure their comfort and minimize discouragement. Add a compact portable heater and ground blind to your bag of tricks, and you might make some late-season magic. Awaiting the arrival of a fall flock can mean battling morale-crushing low temperatures. When the spring sun is more than you can handle, a blind can provide welcome shade. Spring strutting rituals are all too often paired with relentless precipitation, so a roof over your head can be a relief. Retreat to it if bad weather rolls in (keeping safety in mind). Even if you don’t want to carry a ground blind in the field all day, store one in your vehicle, or set one up at your hunting area. Weather: It isn’t always pleasant or predictable. Simplicity often rules the roost, but there are plenty of situations in which a blind approach might be best. I came to realize that ground blinds are a blessing. (Bowhunters are pardoned because they need to draw an arrow.) Then, experience taught me that turkeys don’t play by any rules, and Mother Nature’s a moody old bag who couldn’t care less about turkey hunters. However, our purist tactics were threatened with the proliferation of pop-up ground blinds.Īs a gun hunter, for years I shunned the idea of concealing myself in a ground blind. I’ll proudly admit, like scores of other hardcore turkey hunters, most of my credentials were earned the hard way - fully exposed to the elements, with my back against a tree and a numb rear end. There’s something sacred about roughing it in the turkey woods. But ask yourself, how much of that pain was self-inflicted? Later, as you kneel and admire a set of razor-sharp hooks and a water-logged beard, you grind your teeth while considering the painstaking effort it took to kill this bird. A cold pool forms in your shivering lap as your eyes struggle to detect movement in the quaking forest. In an instant, you find yourself scrambling for the perfect tree or scant bit of cover to shield your nervous movements and attempt to seduce a seasoned skeptic into range. This is how you’ve always done it - on foot, eye to eye with your feathered opponents. You load a tattered vest with a few trusted tools, sling a scattergun over your shoulder and wander into the unknown with a fresh tag in your pocket. Editor’s note: Here’s an excerpt from a Turkey & Turkey Hunting classic by Jay Skoglund
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