The NEW turkey hunters

[ICDEDTURKES]

Damn Frank you said everything I wish I could say

[timbrhuntr]

Blah ! Blah ! Blah ! All my hero's in one place !

Killed 4 turkeys so far this year one over a strutter, Two no deke just called in looking for a hen ! One I set up in the snow in a likely spot and got a hen going and she came by with the tom a few minutes later ! I tried one with a fan but couldn't get it to commit. When I was a new hunter for turkey the guy I hunted with first used a blind and a decoy so I did for a while. Now I use anyway I can and glad to call myself a NEW turkey hunter !!

[Frankinthelaurels]

Good to know ICED..... I got plenty more I'd like to say about these modern "NOT " turkey hunters....some of which really really pisses me off.. We all must keep in mind that the things we do and say affect and have an effect on the way our beloved sport is precieved by the non-hunting public/land owners. Too many times I've been turned down access over the actions of our fellow modern day, lazy quad riders, no call hunters...being assholes. I'm just waiting til one of these "reapers" gets nailed and then how it will be presented to the general public by the media...not going to be pretty...I can just hear/see how it will be blown completely out of proportion..like watch this, "wonder why turkey hunters shoot each other" .. and then the next time we meet a non-hunter/voter, what they will then think about us, all of us who have nothing to do with style..we must be careful in everything we do out there, it does matter to all of us in the long run..

[guesswho]

As a gobbler chaser since the season began here in the north in the late 60's nothing pisses me off more than these modern turkey hunters..nothing !

Modern turkey hunters, yeah right !! If it weren't for the outdoor/sportsmen's channels they wouldn't know their ass from a hole in ground..

[quavers16]

I agree with that post on the fanners. I just don't think it would be safe on private ground. It can't be enjoyable either crawling out with a fan in one arm and a shotgun in the other. I bought a dvd that shows this and sold it at a yardsale soon after.

[timbrhuntr]

I've done it a bunch of times over the past several years and its great fun and a lot safer than sitting in camo calling in one spot if ya ask me !!!!!! But what would I know I've also sat in a blind and used decoys oh the shame !!!!

[Stinky J Picklestein]

I'm just a little more tolerant. If your blind or decoy costs more than say $40, then you suck! Those DSD blinds look too much like actual blinds. What bird ain't gonna come to that?

[fallhnt]

Howl,Indians would only let squaws and kids take turkey because there was no skill in it "back in the day",turkeys were really stupid.Things change. I hunt from a blind and it takes a man to haul all the sh!t I pack, spring and fall, on public land to turkey hunt. This is kind of the TSS thread on the "other" forum. Oh ya,I have DSD decoys too.

[N2deer]

They seem to do alright from the ones I spoke to. I really only concern myself to the things that effect me.

All you damn old timers just mad they killing your turkeys.

[GobbleNut]

I think it was Ya'GoobRonnie that said in another thread on this subject that he loved the guys with the pop-up blinds and the decoy spreads because it keeps them out of the way of the rest of us. I hate to admit it, but I couldn't agree more.

[guesswho]

They seem to do alright from the ones I spoke to. All you damn old timers just mad they killing your turkeys.

Yeah, that's it!

I think it was Ya'GoobRonnie that said in another thread on this subject that he loved the guys with the pop-up blinds and the decoy spreads because it keeps them out of the way of the rest of us. I hate to admit it, but I couldn't agree more.

Yep, that was me. I'm full of turkey hunting wisdumb.

[GobbleNut]

I think it was Ya'GoobRonnie that said in another thread on this subject that he loved the guys with the pop-up blinds and the decoy spreads because it keeps them out of the way of the rest of us. I hate to admit it, but I couldn't agree more.

Yep, that was me. I'm full of turkey hunting wisdumb.

Over the years I have come to accept the fact that you are not as clueless about these matters as you initially appeared to be at first glance.

[guesswho]

Must be the medications.

[MAK]

I like blinds, but drapes look nicer, and wife prefers lacy ones.

I'm ok with anything that's legal in your area - blinds are great for kids, bad weather, afternoon naps, folks with restricted movement; if the day comes where it's sit in a blind or don't go, I'll have me a blind.

I prefer to wear old camo, pick a good wide tree (they don't seem to be as wide as they used to be- and hills are steeper, what's up with that?) and hunker down.

Killed a total of one bird (Texas) over a decoy - had several experiences where they went the other way, now i don't carry 'em - and don't have the cash for the ones that look real.

I like to call, too much mostly, and if I lose that ability, before I use one of those electronic callers, I'll hunt me a partner who can call.

[howl]

Howl,Indians would only let squaws and kids take turkey because there was no skill in it "back in the day",turkeys were really stupid.Things change. I hunt from a blind and it takes a man to haul all the sh!t I pack, spring and fall, on public land to turkey hunt. This is kind of the TSS thread on the "other" forum. Oh ya,I have DSD decoys too.

Can't agree with you on smart turkeys or native men not using leaves and wingbones to call them. You don't need to justify enjoying the play-house and dolls. Just don't blame it on the women and children.

[The Mossberg Mauler]

[chipper]

I think you hit it on the nail head. At the farm I hunt I use a blind and once in a blue moon I might use a decoy. I don;t see a thrill in shooting a bird that just happens to walk by. I insist on calling the bird to me . The thrill is in fooling him with my calling ability which is mediocre to say the least.

Same here, I'll use a blind when I take youngsters but here recently had good success using gobbler loungers for them, they stay comfortable and sit still better, but I'm more of a run and gunner and hate sitting and waiting, I'd rather go to them and watch the show happen.

[Uncle Nicky]

I have to say, I'm on both sides of the fence on this one.

I'd much rather sit up against a tree, and call a gobbling tom off the roost, and into gun range. Or walk the ridges and trails, and try getting one to respond. But, this seems to be happening less and less each year, at least where I am hunting. I heard a grand total of 5 gobbling birds this year, this was in 15 days of hunting multiple states (all Easterns, mostly public land).

I killed 3 gobblers this spring, 2 were out of a blind. I had intel on where the birds traveled, and just sat them out until they showed. Not how I want to kill a bird, but the old tactics haven't been working all that well for me the last couple of years. I truly believe birds in general are becoming less vocal, and if I want to fill tags, I am going to have to adapt, whether that means trying new areas or changing how I hunt.

As far as fanning birds....I've done it before, it works, and works well. I see the potential of how this could go wrong, but I don't see it being any more dangerous than setting up 15 yards behind a full-fan gobbler decoy. Definitely wouldn't try it in a state where rifles are legal to hunt turkeys.

[mspaci]

As I get older I just cant seem to put in the miles like before. I did do a couple of weekends of 12 & 14 miles respectively. Both unproductive & I was sure tired after. I have been sitting more in the early mornings, but in a Browning turkey chair(weighs 6 lb) & not a blind. I just don't like sitting in blinds. Yes, I have killed 6-8 birds from them in the past. I also have a little stick in the ground leafy blind I use on field edges occasionally. It weight 2 lb. I like this better because if I hear a gobbler nearby that wont move, I can quickly & quietly pick up & go to him. Never tried the fan thing, probably will not. Mike

[poorcountrypreacher]

I think a lot of new hunters go the blind/decoy route because that is all they have seen on TV. Unless a traditional turkey hunter takes the time to teach a newbie how to do it, they will never know. Try to mentor a young hunter and teach him the old ways. I have done this some in the past, but I wish I had done a lot more of it.

And I will sit in a blind when it's raining and I'm off on a hunt somewhere, but I don't use decoys. Everyone has their own rules they follow, but what I like to see is the hunter out there with the turkey trying to call him up with nothing but calling. But it's something young hunters have to be taught, and the TV shows are not going to do it.

[timbrhuntr]

Just watched a show put up by one of the members here with his young daughter hunting. Is this the type of turkey hunting that some of you people are so dead set against for some silly reason !

[appalachianassassin]

Just watched a show put up by one of the members here with his young daughter hunting. Is this the type of turkey hunting that some of you people are so dead set against for some silly reason !

its fine for kids. but, myself, you couldn't have paid me to shoot that turkey. I only watched the first hunt.

[timbrhuntr]

I guess I just don't get it ! I started hunting turkeys with a decoy and a blind because thats the way the guy I went with did it. Turkey hunting was new to where I live and we were learning on the go. I kept hearing how that was not the real way to hunt them. I didn't understand we called turkeys, turkeys answered turkeys came and we shot them. So I tried to find out and was told about the holy grail you must hunt them on their own terms by just calling them, no decoy, no blind it makes it too easy etc etc. So I tried the no blind no decoy and to be honest didn't really find it any more of a challenge and in fact (except for the blind as I don't like sitting in them even when its raining ) found the interaction I get although not all the time with the decoys was alot more interesting challenging and fun ! Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I archery hunted moose for years and did it by calling mostly because it was not practical to carry a decoy although some tried. If you told me the only true way to hunt a bull moose in archery season was by calling and using a decoy was cheating I would just have laughed. I guess thats why I don't get the mindset for turkey hunting from some and probably never will ! They can be easy or hard no matter how you hunt them just have fun doing it is my opinion and don't discourage new hunters from trying just because its not your percieved superior way of doing it ! I thought those kids shooting a turkey was awesome no matter how they did it and I'm sure that as they get more experience they will want to get out of the blind and try new ways or maybe they won't but they should keep at it and not be put down I agree with what poorcounrtrypreacher said in a way I meet youngs guys now that are new to turkey hunting and don't chastise them because they use a blind I try and show them how to call better as some guys like Gobblenut did for me and how to use some other tactics but if in the end they find hunting them in a blind with decoys to be their thing then have at it and have fun !

[Bigspurs68]

Well, since I was brought into this because of a video of my girl shooting one from a blind, I guess I'll chime in.
I've hunted 34 springs and never touched a blind until I had kids. Now my kids are 4, 10 and 14. They have killed 40 birds between them over the years and maybe 1/3 of those are from a blind. I don't like blinds and they don't like them because of the boredom of the whole thing. It is nice when they are younger and need time to get on the gun and to fidget but as they grow older, they spend less time in a blind. We hunt multiple states and multiple areas in our state. The only place a blind is used, is here at the house.
Quite a few judgemental jack wagons popping up on this thread. If any of y'all ever hunted with me and my kids, you'd go home feeling like 2 little girls and their old man walked you to death. I could give 2 craps less how someone else hunts but don't judge me or my kids based on a couple videos. You have words with me or my kids, I'll send you my address....

[xarcher]

I really think if more people would try hunting without a blind and get better at setting up / sitting still / repositioning / calling / woodsmanship, they would leave the blind and decoys at home more often than not. All dead turkeys look the same and it is how the deal went down that we remember most. The adrenaline rush when you see that bird pop up at 3 oclock and your gun is pointed at 12 oclock just isn't there in a blind. Just not my cup of tea and, like others have said, blinds and decoys only hold me back from the way I want to hunt. But to each his own. I see some stories of elderly or handicapped hunters that would not turkey hunt were it not for a chair and a blind. If the day comes when it means I hunt out of a blind or don't hunt at all, my butt will be in a blind.