I guess it is a good thing I don't hunt these super gobblers that roam the woods of the NE then. Around here, there are trees, strutting tail fans, brush, etc to get drawn behind....just have to time it out where they aren't watching you...a turkey is going to bust you on movement no matter where you hunt (atleast everywhere I have hunted so far AL, TN, and KY)...the key is simple, don't let em catch you moving. I'm sure it will cost me a few birds as well as possibly gaining me a few opps over a blind. I will still do both. My initial plan for now is to setup the blind for the first setup of the morning before dark, try and do it from the prethought out blind setup...but if it isn't working out, I will no longer remain in the blind this spring, I am cutting out after them on foot. I agree, it won't be easier than with a DB as far as getting the shot off once in range, but I feel I can get myself in shooting range of a few more birds being mobile on foot, somewhat offsetting the difference. We will see, I am not a bowonly hunter yet for turkey. After the first bird of the spring falls though, I am bow only from then on out. Have yet to successfully put down a bird yet. Drew back several times this fall, had a miss or two from brush deflections, and even hit but lost a bird (hen) on 12/31. Pretty frustrating experience to call in a bird, get a shot off, hit the bird, only to have it fly off to never never land. I looked for well over half a day and some the next morning, with no results. Once they get out of sight, they find thick cover and it is needles in haystacks at that point. I covered a HUGE ravine from top to bottom for well over 4-500 yards, never did find her. Rob, I have heard amazing things about KS. All my buds are going for the bow only opener, I can't make it with them due to class...looks like spring of 2010 before I can chase Rios. Hear they are pretty dang thick out there.
It's the way my friend hunts and he consistently tags out year in and year out, after he showed me the ropes of it...its not that hard. It's all in the exact place you setup, call a bird and be on the run like a shotgun is in your hand, only don't plop down in front of a huge oak and settle in...tuck in behind brush, kneel down behind a tree, etc....put SOMETHING between you and the bird. Having someone else call really helps as well, as they can move away from you keeping attention off of you. Decoys can do the same thing attn wise. I may very well find it isn't for me, but I know for sure one setup of the morning in a blind isn't. I hate hearing birds one to two ridges over, and NOT taking off on foot after them. Bloodcrick, the HB crew, alot of my friends all hunt without blinds, it isn't impossible. Just takes more aggressiveness, and possibly more time/available land to offset the fact that you will bump more birds than waiting back in a blind. Both tactics have their place. I think I will find myself using this as a mid day tactic. First setup off the roost in a blind, take off on foot until I grab lunch...continue to try and make something happen until getting time to head to roost, then set the blind on a known path back to roost. One thing I found is, gobblers can be very predictable about where they head in to roost from in a lot of cases. If you find what time and what ridge he will be going down to get to the roost, it will be like that day in and day out. My problem last year was guessing which side of the ridge to setup, as he always crossed JUST out of bow range, and I couldn't talk my buddy into taking him with my gun. I will take lots of pics and hopefully some good video of our AL trip this year. Both gun and bow hunting, I plan to bring it all out and try everything to see what I like best. If I can kill one of those pine plantation birds, it will work on a KY bird. I found those old pine ridge gobblers are MUCH harder to call in than the birds around here, may be time of year....but I think they are just harder to call in. Once a turkey is called in, they are the same everywhere from my experience...it is getting them to come to the call that is the tough part. If people think Rios appear easy, they should check out some of the dang private land merriams out in SD. I DROVE up within 10 yards of these birds before they spooked, photographing one of the hens which was a silver phase hen. I was beginning to worry they would flog the ford escape before tucking tail and running. lol
You both crack me up!!:d Good times were had though and that's what matters!! As for myself, I have no tips or pointers to tell you. If I get drawn for a tag this year It will be my 1st go at turkey hunting. Everyone says It's challenging so It's time to find out.
