If you’re looking for the ultimate springtime bowhunting challenge, look no further than bowhunting turkeys – without the use of a ground blind. Sure, a portable, hub-style ground blind is the most efficient way to kill a turkey with a bow, but it’s certainly not the most challenging.Â
Successfully notching your tag on a bird with your bow, without a blind, will test your woodsmanship, stealth, and adaptability like nothing else.Â
Every movement, sound, and setup decision is magnified when you bowhunt turkeys without a blind. Success hinges on your careful planning and preparation and know-how when it comes to utilizing the natural cover around you to go undetected.Â
Bowhunt or Die prostaffer, Kurt Thorsen, has ditched the ground blind more and more in recent years to go head to head on turkeys with his bow. It’s a unique challenge that’ll test any bowhunter’s skills. Below he shares his top 5 tips for how to make it happen.
How to Pick the Perfect Setup for Turkeys
The foundation of successful blind-less bowhunting lies in selecting the right ambush location. Using natural cover to break up your silhouette and conceal movement is extremely important.
Consider the cover around you. What provides the best opportunity to blend into the landscape? With a little trimming, cedar trees can make a great hide, but other dense foliage can work equally well. What trees or brush help cast the most shadows and concealment, regardless of the sun’s position?Â
Keep a pair of hand clippers in your vest so you can easily clip branches, limbs, and foliage to quickly construct a natural blind for concealment. A little brush will go a long way when it comes to fooling the eyes of a turkey. Â
Don’t rely solely on the trunk of the tree you’re sitting against for cover, particularly when bowhunting. While a tree trunk provides cover for your back, supplementing it with cut branches in front helps to further break up your outline. This is especially important for bowhunters who often sit at an angle to the tree (around the 9 o’clock position) to facilitate drawing their bow when a turkey approaches.Â
Being perpendicular to the anticipated approach path allows for a smoother draw, but necessitates back cover to conceal your drawing motion.
Decoys for Bowhunting Turkeys
Decoys play a critical role in luring gobblers into bow range. The super realistic decoys on the market today elicit a better reaction from wary birds. The goal is to get a turkey super close, and lifelike decoys significantly increase your chances.Â
Avian-X decoys, including the feeding hen, upright hen, jake, and a full-strut gobbler allow you to set the stage for a lifelike presentation to draw your bird well into bow range. But keep in mind the need for adapting your decoys based on a specific bird’s behavior and attitude observed throughout the spring.
Understanding the temperament of a turkey is key to effective decoying. Timid birds might be intimidated by aggressive setups, while dominant gobblers might charge in to challenge a jake or full-strut decoy. For aggressive birds, a decoy setup that invites a confrontation can be highly effective.
Distance is another crucial factor. Keep your decoys approximately 10-15 yards from your shooting position. This provides a close-range shot opportunity if the gobbler commits, but keeps them within a comfortable shooting range if they hang up a bit.
The direction the decoys are facing also matters. When using a male decoy, face it directly towards your setup. This encourages an incoming gobbler looking for a fight to approach head on. Conversely, when using a lone hen decoy, position it facing away. This often entices a gobbler to approach from the rear, frequently in full strut with his tail fan blocking his vision, providing a crucial window to draw your bow undetected.
Take Your Time When Making the Shot
The third tip is simple, yet vital – Take your time. The hard part – getting the bird close and drawing undetected – is done. Resist the urge to rush the shot, even with the adrenaline surging and the bird potentially moving.
Focus on achieving a full draw and a solid anchor point. Take a deep breath to steady yourself. Despite the excitement of the moment, settling your pin on the vitals and executing a smooth, controlled release is important for an ethical and effective shot.
Shot Placement and Tools of the Trade
Accurate shot placement is non-negotiable when bowhunting turkeys. Aim for a broadside shot whenever possible. The preferred aiming point is straight up the leg and over from the beard, where these imaginary lines intersect with the wing joint, near the bronze little band on the wing. This area typically targets the vital organs.
Also, consider using a large, expandable cutting broadhead. The increased cutting diameter provides a greater margin for error and maximizes the chances of a clean kill.
Another valuable tool in the blind-less turkey hunter’s arsenal is a mouth call. While you don’t need to be a professional caller, a simple yelp or cluck can be effective in stopping a moving gobbler to create a shot opportunity.Â
Hand calls won’t cut it here. The mouth call allows for hands-free calling when birds are in tight. Â
Bow Mods for Concealment and Convenience
The final tip focuses on modifying your bow to enhance concealment and minimize movement. Utilize leafy vines, sourced from craft stores like Hobby Lobby, to wrap your bow. This breaks up its stark outline and gives the look of natural foliage, allowing you to draw undetected, even when visible.
Additionally, use limb legs or a bipod to keep your bow standing upright in front of you. This simple modification minimizes the movement required to transition from calling or observing to grabbing your bow and drawing, further reducing the chances of spooking a wary bird.
The Ultimate Challenge and Reward
Bowhunting turkeys without a ground blind is undoubtedly one of the toughest challenges a bowhunter can face in the springtime. It requires meticulous planning, an intimate understanding of turkey behavior, and the ability to blend seamlessly with the natural environment.Â
It can be super fun and super frustrating at times, but harvesting a gobbler with your bow, without a blind, is one of the coolest experiences you’re going to get in the spring turkey woods.Â
Keep the tips mentioned above in mind as you hit the woods this spring in search of longbeards with your bow.Â
