How to Hunt Turkeys from a Blind

There's more to killing a tough field gobbler than just staking your blind anywhere.

Hub-style blinds are light and compact enough to carry. Set up is easy as take down. Many can accommodate several hunters. Some have shoot-through mesh windows. Many include zippered exterior windows you can adjust inside and outside. In short, they’re suited for open field gobblers that challenge hunters with minimal cover – especially near strut zones. Some factors to consider when using blinds on field birds include:

• Select a blind with camouflage matching habitat you hunt.
• Practice shooting turkey targets from a seated position using your gun or bow before trying shots while hunting.
• Pick a comfortable chair for waiting on patterned field birds.
• On private land, erect the blind in a field strut zone location before your hunt to familiarize birds.
• Select a model with an outer shell that cuts wind noise and glare.
• Consider placing turkey decoys in the exact location where you want to make the killing shot.

Intercepting Field Gobblers

Why kill him at the strut zone when you can intercept your gobbler on the way there? Pinch points and entrance trails will sometimes define turkey movements. Get a shot at your bird before he gets where he’s intending to go.

Maybe you’ve patterned a turkey from roost to the open field. You could decide to make your setup at the bird’s destination point with a blind. Better yet, you could position yourself at the transitional pinch point (where terrain narrows along the gobbler’s desired path) or entrance trail (at the exact location where this bird enters the field).

First locate the gobbler’s roost. Listen for this turkey in the morning; better yet, watch it fly down. Look for fresh sign in the form of tracks and droppings. It’s as much a matter of isolating the phases of fly-down and the walk to the strut zone as anything. It may take several days until you figure it out completely.

And when you do, put yourself at either the pinch point in the terrain or right where the gobbler comes into the field. The smile on your face as you’re about to pull the trigger or release your arrow is one you’ve earned.

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Steve Hickoff is Realtree's turkey hunting editor and blogger.