The NEW turkey hunters

A general discussion area for turkey hunters.
quavers16
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The NEW turkey hunters

Post by quavers16 »

The past 2 years or so- I am seeing alot more expensive blinds on the field edges as well as decoys that look really good! Some decoys are now over 100 dollars! I never hear any calling going on from the blinds. I think that alot of the newer hunters don't waste their time in becoming better callers and don't really spend the many hours needed to become at least fair woodsmen. What do members here think?
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ICDEDTURKES
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

Oh snap you are on the right forum
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WV Ridge Reaper
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The NEW turkey hunters

Post by WV Ridge Reaper »

ICDEDTURKES wrote:Oh snap you are on the right forum

Nope wrong forum,same post same name.

See it more everyday..all well in a month seasons will be over and it will go back to normal.
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appalachianassassin
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by appalachianassassin »

turkey huntin seems to become more like deer huntin every year. :cry: :cry: :cry:
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by MeadowCreekMounts »

quavers16 wrote:The past 2 years or so- I am seeing alot more expensive blinds on the field edges as well as decoys that look really good! Some decoys are now over 100 dollars! I never hear any calling going on from the blinds. I think that alot of the newer hunters don't waste their time in becoming better callers and don't really spend the many hours needed to become at least fair woodsmen. What do members here think?
You hang out near blinds long enough to hear calling from them? Do you gobble and then run away?

No blind or decoys here, bought a blind 6-7 yrs ago and it hasn't been out of the box. I prefer hunting woods where blinds or decoys wouldn't do much good anyways. But everyone is different.
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redarrow
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by redarrow »

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.
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hookinembig
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by hookinembig »

Not to ruffle anyone's feathers but heres my 2 cents. I love to run and gun and sit in the woods and call as much as the next guy thats the best part of turkey hunting. But if its pouring down rain or super cold and 20-40 mph winds a blind is nice to have and I don't think less of myself for using it or anyone else using it. My brother and I worked our butts off on food plots and planting chufa in the plots to keep the turkeys healthy and in the area(more hours put in those food plots than most people practice calling in a lifetime). If I can sit in the blind when nothing is going on and everything is quiet and still may have a chance at a gobbler that came to something I created then I'm all for it.
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gobblegobblegobble
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by gobblegobblegobble »

^^ Agree, my son is now 12, we used blinds a LOT when he was younger so I could help him get set up on approaching gobblers, etc. Now, he wants to run and gun.

Which is good... but we still put out a couple blinds in good spots so we have somewhere to go when it's raining, or if we want to relax a bit and eat lunch, etc. Lets you regroup and relax without being exposed to everything in the woods.
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by pedro »

I would agree that some of the newer blind/decoy hunters rely more on location and decoys than woodsman ship and calling. I feel there is a time place for most things turkey. As long as tags and licenses are being purchased, I am good with everyone's style of hunting. Nothing more satisfying than striking up a bird, setting up next to a tree and calling him to the end of my barrel. That is my favorite way to hunt.
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madmike1977
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by madmike1977 »

Its all about the dollar, don`t get me wrong blinds and decoys do work and have their place in turkey hunting. It just seems that decoys and blinds are what the major outdoor companies push in their shows and magazines to make money, but that is exactly what they are there to do. A lot more money to be made off of a $100 decoy than a $6 dollar call. That being said i us decoys but not blinds (at least not store bought blinds),and i only use them in certain situations. Prime example, tomorrow is the first day of W.V. season and i will be hunting a small lease i have for a few hours. It is a 7 acre field surrounded by honeysuckle thickets that you can`t crawl through. There is not enough area to run and gun so I will sit over the decoys and call. Worked 2 years ago.
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by Jaybird »

I use whatever is necessary to the area I am hunting. If I am hunting areas lacking cover, which is much of the area I hunted, blinds of some kind were required. Son and myself doubled from ground blinds we quickly set up out of tall grass, like we use to build Duck Hunting, sitting in a plowed field. It was terraced, so set it up in between the 2 fields. Use pop up blinds on bad weather days of heavy rain. In the Spring up North sitting in 40 degree weather with a pounding cold rain leads to sickness, if you aren't protected. Love to run and gun in wooded areas, which I seldom get to hunt. I have tried all combo of decoys but prefer one Hen. As I got older I had pretty much cut down to as little as possible to carry due to bad joints.
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by Turkinator »

At least when they are sitting in a ground blind watching decoys, they aren't running all over every one else! Encounter some that I wish would sit in a blind
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ICDEDTURKES
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

I sat in a blind once and vowed never again, even while guiding I would sit outside.

With that being said, if a guy only had weekends to hunt let's say and it was gonna rain all weekend and he said he was gonna keep his ass dry in a blind. Or if your on a three day trip and it rains, I can buy it.

It's the dependence and usit it as a security blanket that bugs me. A Turkey's main defense is his eyes, sounds will trigger his eyes to look and he wants visual confirmation and a blind takes this away
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by BuckyT »

I'd quit turkey hunting if I had to use a blind......................... I hate blinds... I hate anything that limits my ability to see and hear all of my surroundings........ That's just me though. My son is 8 and we have been trying to get his first bird. We don't use a blind. We sit on the ground together. People keep asking why I don't use a blind and a tripod for him to use to aim his gun?? My answer is because I don't want him to learn how to turkey hunt that way. We use a shooting stick I made out of a water oak sapling. I want him to hear and see everything that is going on and learn the importance of moving and setting up on a bird correctly, when to call, when not to call, etc. Sitting in a blind with $100s of dollars of dekes out in a field isn't how I want to bring him into turkey hunting.. We are going to earn his first bird. It's not going to be "given" to him.

We've had some close calls but no cigars yet. He's learning that it isn't all that easy. That is just the way I want it too. :thumbup:
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appalachianassassin
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by appalachianassassin »

BuckyT wrote:I'd quit turkey hunting if I had to use a blind......................... I hate blinds... I hate anything that limits my ability to see and hear all of my surroundings........ That's just me though. My son is 8 and we have been trying to get his first bird. We don't use a blind. We sit on the ground together. People keep asking why I don't use a blind and a tripod for him to use to aim his gun?? My answer is because I don't want him to learn how to turkey hunt that way. We use a shooting stick I made out of a water oak sapling. I want him to hear and see everything that is going on and learn the importance of moving and setting up on a bird correctly, when to call, when not to call, etc. Sitting in a blind with $100s of dollars of dekes out in a field isn't how I want to bring him into turkey hunting.. We are going to earn his first bird. It's not going to be "given" to him.

We've had some close calls but no cigars yet. He's learning that it isn't all that easy. That is just the way I want it too. :thumbup:
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by Jaybird »

ICDEDTURKES wrote:I sat in a blind once and vowed never again, even while guiding I would sit outside.

With that being said, if a guy only had weekends to hunt let's say and it was gonna rain all weekend and he said he was gonna keep his ass dry in a blind. Or if your on a three day trip and it rains, I can buy it.

It's the dependence and usit it as a security blanket that bugs me. A Turkey's main defense is his eyes, sounds will trigger his eyes to look and he wants visual confirmation and a blind takes this away
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by Jaybird »

Turkinator wrote:At least when they are sitting in a ground blind watching decoys, they aren't running all over every one else! Encounter some that I wish would sit in a blind
Amen. Only an idiot would run and gun the areas I hunt, but I see it done. Its run and scare tactics. A gun isn't necessary.
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by Gobbler »

It depends on the terrain and situation. we all use some kind of camo or cover to blend in. A blind is another form of that.

Also, with all the posting on FB. Where every thing you do is posted. You almost have to have a blind to stay current and with the selfies?? You would hate to post a selfie with the a$$ end of a gobbler walking away behind you missed and that you spooked. :lol:

So I see no problem with the younger guys using technology to hide their movements.
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by quavers16 »

Love the replys here! No- I don't hang around blinds. What happens is often- 1 field will lead to another with a farmers access dirt road going through some woods to meet up with both. I walk all that way and see a blind that barrs my path to 2 fields beyond----have to backtrack out. I think that the blinds (GUARD) field access---sometimes 2 fields!- and the guys in the blinds control the whole area!
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appalachianassassin
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by appalachianassassin »

let me tell my one and only blind hunting experience. A good friend of mine had access to some prime ground and invited me to go on opening day. I say hell yeah ill go. We get to the location about 5 am. Before we get out of the truck he takes a quarter out of his pocket. I call heads and win the toss. I thought yeah buddy, this is a guaranteed turkey. We take about a 10 min walk to his blind. Turkey starts hammering on the ridge 100 yards out. 6:15 (old time) the tom hits in the holler below and heads our way. Turkey gets to 20 yards and my buddy says better shoot him. I smile and say go ahead. He of course shot the turkey. While standing over his bird he asked what happened and I told him flat out that the hunt was BS and neither of us deserved the turkey. For me, the blind took all the intensity from the hunt. The skills I had spend years mastering were not needed at all. I knew before the turkey hit the ground that he wouldn't be shot by me. I like to feel like I earn every kill and the blind takes away all my cense of self accomplishment. That being said, im sure they nice on rainy days. Good luck to all no matter your style of hunting. :angel4:
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by The Mossberg Mauler »

appalachianassassin wrote:let me tell my one and only blind hunting experience. A good friend of mine had access to some prime ground and invited me to go on opening day. I say hell yeah ill go. We get to the location about 5 am. Before we get out of the truck he takes a quarter out of his pocket. I call heads and win the toss. I thought yeah buddy, this is a guaranteed turkey. We take about a 10 min walk to his blind. Turkey starts hammering on the ridge 100 yards out. 6:15 (old time) the tom hits in the holler below and heads our way. Turkey gets to 20 yards and my buddy says better shoot him. I smile and say go ahead. He of course shot the turkey. While standing over his bird he asked what happened and I told him flat out that the hunt was BS and neither of us deserved the turkey. For me, the blind took all the intensity from the hunt. The skills I had spend years mastering were not needed at all. I knew before the turkey hit the ground that he wouldn't be shot by me. I like to feel like I earn every kill and the blind takes away all my cense of self accomplishment. That being said, im sure they nice on rainy days. Good luck to all no matter your style of hunting. :angel4:
Agree :thumbup:

I've heard people in the past tell me they like the concealment advantage a blind provides and the attraction advantage of decoys. I say advantage, what advantage? If you have some sort of ailment that requires you to be inside a tent to keep from being spotted then I understand. But it's no advantage for an able bodied adult. I've told them grab your blind and decoy and stay on this hundred acre tract. I'll give you a 30 minute headstart. I'll set the stop watch and let's see how long it takes me to find you in your blind. Then we will reverse it. I'll only take a 10 minute headstart and no blind or decoy. You start the stopwatch and see how long it takes you to find me.

I don't think I'm physically or mentally able to sit in a blind watching decoys, in any weather condition. If they passed a law that in order to turkey hunt you had to have a state approved blind and decoy then I'd either quit turkey hunting or be an outlaw.
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by T-town »

I don't think I'm physically or mentally able to sit in a blind watching decoys, in any weather condition. If they passed a law that in order to turkey hunt you had to have a state approved blind and decoy then I'd either quit turkey hunting or be an outlaw.[/quote]
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Bushwhackers, deer hunters, executioner, ambush artists, etc.... but do not call them turkey hunters. Gene Nunnery and Tom Kelly laid out the "rules" of the sport of turkey hunting decades ago.
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by alpha burnt »

Here is my two cents, I believe it is a personal decision to use blinds and decoys and it boils down to what you seek out of the hunting experience on a personal level. It's not as if there is enough meat yielded from a turkey kill to justify subsistence hunting them, everybody wants a pic behind them but the memory of watching it come in gobbling and or strutting is what I want. Even better if I called it in, and even better than that if I called it in away from or with some hens. It means I tricked it. If it is legal and ethical then I am not against it- as long as the person can lay their head down on their pillow at night and realize their success was with some aids. When I am toting a shotgun I like to be mobile and more one on one. I will not fan a turkey in, I will not belly crawl to kill one, I would just prefer to get him on another day. I will use a blind when i attempt bow hunting them again. I was hot after them last year with one. Blind hunting gets old quick and drives me insane though, not being able to hear good and orient the sounds or match the sounds with the visual while inside one. If anything, it is a hindrance when using your senses and instinct but for me, I do not think I could pull it off without a blind and/or a deke with the bow...but I am scatter gunning this year. Had a missed opportunity and I am sore at them about it and need to even the score LOL. I do pack a hen decoy, however, had too many instances where I think it could have sealed the deal when I did not have one. Tom Kelly might not approve, but I do not really care, it's about what I want.
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by howl »

I like to tell those people about one of the ways squaws used to kill turkeys. They would rig a long straight stick just far enough off the ground that a turkey could get its head under if turned sideways. They would bait it so the birds had to stick their heads through the space to get at some grain. Hiding nearby, a groups of these women and children would wait until a number of turkeys stuck their heads under. Then they would charge the flock, killing the trapped birds with sticks or by wringing necks. The trick worked only because a turkey is not smart enough to turn it's head sideways to get it back out.
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Re: The NEW turkey hunters

Post by Frankinthelaurels »

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 ! I was coming home on I-70 in central Ohio and got more and more pissed every mile I drove from Zanesville to Cambridge.. In every damm corner of every field I could see was a blind and a flock of decoys and some jerkwadewho dares to call he/she/themselves.. turkey hunters... They are NOT and never will be in my book..killers, yes but never hunters..then I had the ultimate slap in the face, just after Cambridge I saw my first Fanner, Scoot and shoot, reaper whatever..sooner or later trajedy is going to strike and someone's going to get killed and then it makes all of us look bad in the precieved public eye..I can hear it now as those non hunters but voters that drove by Egypt Valleys autumn olive plants and saw this..."look at this nut, someone's going to get hurt".. So what do they think about all of us, their asking for trouble...remember 51% vote and our sport goes out... 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..
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