What's Your Setup?

[BOWn Hunter]

What's up guys! Just wanting to see how some of you go about your turkey season! Do you use a blind? Nestle back in the weeds? Go from your treestand? You like decoys or go without?

I personally either find a hole in the weeds and hide back in there or set up in my blind. I usually set out a couple feeding hen decoys and maybe a jake here and there. I had one walk within 5 yards of me last year sitting in the weeds but he came from the side that I wasn't set up for and I couldn't get my gun turned for the shot and the weeds were too thick to get a shot. I bought me a new bling this year and will be in black attire for the hunts. Just purchased a new camera so I will be trying to get some good footage to share with everyone!

Please share your preferred method to help not only me but others that are going at it this year and maybe some tips on what you've found to be your favorite calling method (if any). Thanks all!

[Genesis 27:3]

I start my trek to the woods slowly with a mouth call in my cheek incase I bust them off the roost. I'll place out a hen/strutter set and prop up next to a tree. I let my Andy Kaiser call take over from there. If birds get close I use the mouth call softly to reduce movement. If that set up is a bust I move on calling periodically. I like ground blinds in open areas but prefer leaning against a tree. I use box calls on windy days and for birds 300+ yards. I usually go gun hunt but going to take try it again with a bow this year. But, the trusty Mossberg will still be by my side. Favorite time to hunt is first thing in the morning although I have only connected with a longbeard one at first light. It's really the first gobbles of the morning that has me so addicted to that morning hunt. I cut my teeth down in Greene Co. (Bloomfield area) running and gunning turkeys and have loved that style ever since. Good luck and happy hunting! Stay safe and God Bless!

[dbd870]

Blind and Avian-X dekes

[Deleted]

The more I turkey hunt the less stuff I take. I often set up with no decoys since I have had them spook more birds than not. I take a slate and box call.

[featherduster]

Scout, scout, scout do your home work and cross your fingers.

[hornzilla]

Just like featherduster. Scout, scout and more scouting. Then grab a slate call. A box call and my gillie suit.
I get as close as possible to them at first light. I also won't to be the first thing he hears in the morning when he's looking for love.

[ms660]

I always set up a couple pop up blinds on field edges for rainy days and use either my bow or crossbow. Turkeys love feeding in the fields in the rain, otherwise I'm a run and gun type of turkey hunter

[GS1]

I have had to adapt to using a blind since my 6 year old started hunting last spring. It drove me nuts knowing where a bird was at and probably knowing where he was going and not being able to go get him. A blind, a couple chairs, a camera, two guns, an adult and a 5 year doesn't present a lot of opportunities to run and gum. Although I can't wait until his legs get a little longer, last season was the most fun I have ever had turkey hunting.

I usually carry 4 or 5 pot calls and a couple of mouth calls. Love to be there at first light, but have killed more birds later in the morning with just some clucks, purrs and scratching the leaves.

Birds can be pretty easy to kill in the evening, but I don't go since I still think Indiana shouldn't be an all day hunting state.

[BOWn Hunter]

I've been hearing a lot of people saying that they set there blind up in the middle of a wide open field with a few decoys and have better luck than setting it up on the edge.. From what I've understood the birds don't associate it with danger being in the wide open. So that's probably the route I'm going this year!

[Deleted]

Number 1 rule of thumb for turkey setups...
Everything works sometimes
Nothing works sometimes

[parrothead]

I will have 2 blinds up before season starts. So if I have no luck chasing any I will go set in one of the blinds until dark. Getting ready to go to Alabama over my spring break to the hunting club I belong to I will get out there and listen and if nothing is close then set up a blind and set until dark. Good easy way to get 14 hours a day in turkey hunting.

[freedomhunter]

I field hunt with a blind and a couple avian-x hens. I may get the jake this year. But, I love to run and gun with just a chair and my vest. To me that is much more fun and gives you more options.

[tomthreetoes]

If my grandson comes along or if the birds aren't responding to calling I use a blind to watch travel routes, dusting areas, or strut zones, otherwize I like to run and gun, my favorite tactic. Terrain and conditions determine wether or not I use decoys.

[trophyparadise]

I like to run and gun. I don't sit in a blind. I carry 2 collapsible hen decoys, knight& hale stranglehold glass pot call, custom slate call for purring, Zink raspy lady mouth call, and crow& owl locator calls. I did just buy a new gobbler/ blind umbrella called the turkeyfan. Seems like a good idea..we will see

Trophy Paradise Habitat Consulting
"Trophies are built from the ground up"
www.facebook.com/trophyparadise

[henson59]

This will be my first year turkey hunting. My initial setup will be a blind with a couple decoys out in front. If that doesn't work I will just have to run and gun a little and see what happens. I have cameras set up right now to scout the area.

[ridgerunner]

The first and most critical step in being successful at turkey hunting is scouting. Scout a couple weeks before season a see what the birds are doing..where they roost, where they normally go after fly down etc..don't just arbitrarily have a plan for opening day without backing it up with actual sightings and turkey sign from scouting prior to hunting..if you do this you'll be way ahead of the game come turkey season..then you know where you need to set up opening day..(ie. between the roost trees and where they go after flydown).

[MuzzleLoader]

Find where they are roosted the night before, get within 100 to 75 yards the next morning. Call very little, put a hen decoy out and wait. And when your done waiting, wait some more. If its raining, find a field and wait. I don't like blinds, rather sit up against a tree. I feel contained in a blind.

I used to run and gun, all you do is bump birds and push them off the property or they go silent. I use the run and gun as a last resort. Don't call to the birds before season, all your doing is educating them!

[ridgerunner]

Mar 5, 2015 9:39:38 GMT -5 MuzzleLoader said:

Find where they are roosted the night before, get within 100 to 75 yards the next morning. Call very little, put a hen decoy out and wait. And when your done waiting, wait some more. If its raining, find a field and wait. I don't like blinds, rather sit up against a tree. I feel contained in a blind.

I used to run and gun, all you do is bump birds and push them off the property or they go silent. I use the run and gun as a last resort. Don't call to the birds before season, all your doing is educating them!

Some good advice, the only thing I'd add is what I mentioned in my first post..if you only find where they're roosted the night before, and don't know what direction they like to travel after they hit the ground ,you could waste a couple days adjusting your set up..

I like to start scouting the birds at least two weeks before season, find where they roost ,  see where they fly down to, and which direction the like to travel..you could roost a bird the night before and know which tree a gobbler is in, but not know where he goes, so if he likes to go south down the creek drainage and you're north...you have to listen to him gobble all morning heading the direction he likes to travel away from your set up..

I have seen it countless times, if the birds want to go a certain direction hard to call them backwards ...now....if you find a lonely Gobbler roosting by himself...different story..it could go either way...but I usually find their strut zone before season, so I know where he want to be and direction of travel..saves a lot of frustrations chasing birds, trying to scout on the fly during season...pays to scout ahead of season.