For consistent success, hunters need a game plan and to be most effective, a blind should be where a gobbler is willing to go. (Shutterstock image)
April 12, 2019
By Terry Madewell
Wild turkeys have acute sight and sound abilities and based on decades of trying to find behavioral patterns I can exploit, I’ve found they have few limitations.
But hunting from a blind seems to be the exception.
For reasons unknown to the myriad of experts I’ve talked with, hunters can utilize blinds and hunt turkeys in places they could not successfully hunt without them.
Another puzzling factor is the contrast in the way deer and turkeys react to a “new” blind. For deer, a blind sitting in a spot vacant of anything the prior day is often a red flag of danger.
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Deer will become accustomed to a blind over time, but turkeys simply accept it on day one. They don’t seem to ask themselves why this thing is here today when it was not here yesterday. It doesn’t move, it doesn’t make sound, it’s not food, and so to a turkey, it doesn’t matter.
A blind masks movement and softens sound. It enables hunters to see turkeys without being seen and to make position adjustments. Blinds enable fidgety hunters, including youngsters, to be successful.
For consistent success, hunters need a game plan and to be most effective a blind should be where a gobbler is willing to go.
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Blinds may not spook turkeys, but neither do they attract them. Keys are selecting the right set-up, using the right calling, putting out a good decoy set (if you choose to use them) and finally, employing of a lot of patience.
Success is also based on blending with surroundings and using shade and light properly. Bright sunlight streaming through the open ports of a blind drastically reduces concealment. If that’s the only spot to place it, then account for it with minimized movements.
Use a blind that best suits your purpose and surroundings. Commercial blinds are sold in all styles, camouflage patterns and sizes. If you are hunting close to tight cover, a small blind with camouflage pattern matching your surroundings is ideal. If more than one hunter is along, a larger blind excels.
Gobblers often use the same routes along woods roads, ridges and streams. Blinds set along frequent travel corridors enhance odds of success.
Highly effective blinds can be improvised using natural cover. A couple of logs or a clump of low ground cover can be a starting spot. Use natural vegetation to enhance and create a 3-D effect. Many hunters also use local vegetation to enhance commercial blinds.
Consistent success comes from planning and execution, not hoping for blind luck.
