Hunting turkey from a blind.

[SCUMFROG]

What are your thoughts on using a blind for hunting turkey?

[FOOT]

Depends, they work good but be ready to pick up and move if a willy old gobbler won't come to you.

I've used a 16' piece of leafoflague to surround my location and that works very well. I've also got a seat that straps to a tree so you're off the ground.

I've never used an actual blind but I assume they would work

[paintbrush]

I hunt with a very good freind of mine who hunts out of a blind all the time,and has taken many birds out of them.

I hunted out of one last year with another freind of mine who broke his leg 3 weeks before the wisconsin season started.He needed help getting in and out of the blind so I sat with him. The turkeys seemed to totally ignore the blind.Just set up in the woods a little bit and go from there.

I don't use one much because I like to run-n-gun.

[HateHumminbird]

Yeah, I don't use one either for the same reason. When I finally try and stick one with my bow, I'll definitely be using a blind.

One thing I will say in hunting with buddies in their blinds, quality matters. Double bull is the way to go if you can afford it. Reason being, for turkeys anyway, if that material flops or shakes in the wind, it WILL spook birds. Maybe this isn't as much of an issue for gun hunters, but esp. for archers, this could definitely make or break your hunt. Also, especially for call-shy or otherwise wary birds, you won't want any movement on your blind whatsoever.

Believe it or not, you can set these up in the middle of a field, if you're early enough, and the turkeys will walk right up to them. Sounds like a load of crap, but I've seen it with my own eyes!

Joel

[Ben1022]

Run and gun w/a blind is easier than you might think. I got a Cabela's pop up and it comes w/a "sling" strap to throw over your shoulder. If you run and gun and get to a location too late, you can just leave it lay and get hunkered down by a tree and nothing is lost. Otherwise, it takes 1 minute to pull the sling off and pop it open like an umbrella. The weight is negligible and w/all the calls, etc you're already humping, you get used to it real quick.

I shot a turkey w/my bow last spring and the blind played a big part of getting the bird. Especially on the rainy days. It keeps you out there for those storms that blow in/out quickly and the birds still move in the rain.

They also make it easy to take a fiver and wake up to turkeys in your decoys w/o you even knowing it so be careful when you wake up!

I left my blind and decoys to do some running and gunning one am and came back to two jakes "roosted" on the ground not 10' from my blind and the decoys. So as for them bothering the birds...they don't.

Bigger is nicer but the weight and lenght is one thing I'd consider if you want to run and gun w/them and the second is the folded size of them. Double bull has arguably the best ones out there but for bowhunting and the gear I tote, the Cabela's lightning set blind is tough to beat. One person has plenty of room and two gun hunters can easily move about and get shots from it.

[mnmuzzleloader]

I have an Ameristep and I just love it. I used it last year with my 6 year old and had a tom in at 8 yards and he never even noticed the blind. Alittle gobbler fever and I was able to get off two arrows before he walked off. I am very happy with mine and my 6 year old is going to try to attempt to get his with a 20 gauge next spring with it. Ample room to move around and keeps you out of the elements.

[Wallydog]

I've hunted for nearly 20 years out of a blind. They do work. Calling technique is slightly different in that the selected blind location won't always be on roosted birds but in an area that the birds will travel. So I "braodcast call" until I strike a gobbler. Then I commence working him. Fabulous for kids, archery, someone that can't sit still. My blind is made by Leroy Braungardt in Moscow Mills,MO. It is a cylinder 7 1/2' tall, 5' in diameter, has 8 shooting portholes, roof, weighs 22# and is built unlike any other blind on the market! I don't always hunt out of it, but it's proven itself many,many times here in Idaho, NM, LA, MO, MS and WA.

See pics here http://www.hunttalk.com/forums/gallery/browseimages.php?c=216

WD