The art of calling a wild turkey....

[scott ellis]

Just curious here....but how many of you feel that the "art" of calling a gobbler to gun or bow range has been lost somewhere between decoys and pop up blinds? I never use a pop up , but will deploy a deke once in a great while if I feel the situation requires it.  I'm sure this will get numerous opinions, but I feel as a whole the turkey hunting masses have just lost sight of what it takes to call a gobbler in.....

se

[Spring Creek Calls]

I don't use a blind or decoys but don't hold anything against anyone that does. I take great pleasure in working a bird into gun range with any of the many types of calls that I use, but will also use an ambush site to kill a stubborn bird I've worked for days.

[scott ellis]

I dont fault anyone either...not my point....  and I will belly crawl to one if needed! But that's not what I'm getting at.  Tons of ways to kill turkeys but, calling them and truly talking to them just seems to be more overlooked more these days.


se

[stone road turkey calls]

I have never used a blind, I do use a decoy. If we took away the blinds and decoys we would loose about 80% of our so called professional celebrity hunters.

[pappy]

I believe the "art" is still alive and well, how it is approached by different individuals is up to them. Working a bird to the gun is one of the most heart pumping experiences you'll ever have, whether or not you have dekes or a blind, it still takes a pair of hands, unless you use a mouthcall, to sway that bird close. I also believe there are ample opportunities for those who have little or no chance of hunting without the use of the afore mentioned, and that in the end, a bird on the table is better then no bird at all.

[dirt road ninja]

I agree with Pappy. The art is still alive and well. This will be my first year using blinds, as this will be the first year I try and take my son turkey hunting. I plan on using decoys as well with my blind sets. I've used decoys in the past with success on fields and in the woods. I have killed a few using the dekes that might have slipped by without them. In my experience the dekes will bring birds in front of you that may other wise stayed behind you. They will also draw some attention away from you allowing you to make a shot that might have resulted in a spooked bird without them.

I do think the TV hunts with the blinds and dekes are just an easier way to get a half hour of film with 2 or more people in the woods. Most of the guys on TV are on primo ground and could probably go out and kill a bird without the aid of a blind or dekes, but might take a week or more of filming to put together enough footage for show.

Also, when using dekes it has given me a few more moments to watch the bird before I shoot. I enjoy watching them bump, peck, kick and gobble at the decoy. I don't live near my hunting ground it is 179 miles from the house and 255 miles from work, so if a deke would help me kill one it's just another tool in my box.

I also play/practice with my call just about everyday to help improve my skills to fool birds. Just Wednesday night I was in the backyard hooting back and fourth with an owl. My wife asked me if I was insane.

Nothing is better then roosting a bird then posting up against a big oak long before sunrise hearing the birds start to talk. As the sun comes up throwing a few soft yelps and purrs at him and have him fly down 60 yards off the end of your barrel. Watching him strut and gobble as he zig zags into range a few minutes after flydown. That only happens for me once every few seasons. The rest of the time I'm working my butt off trying to figure out what to do now.

As long as your not shooting them out of trucks, with a rifle, over bait, or on roost YOUR TURKEY HUNT'N in my book.

[MarkJM]

I do no use a blind, but I will use a decoy or two in my setup.

[mossy835]

Great post.
On my first hunt two years ago i was prepared (if that ever happens) having read as many posts here as I could and watching as many videos on calling as I could find I went after a turkey (any turkey) with two friends and a guide. No one I Knew hunted turkeys yet.
We were put on a ridge across from a small farm where the turkeys were known to hang out before day break, the idea was that the turkeys were known to fly down and land on the ridge. Well they did not and actually did not fly down ( we could see them in the trees). The guide kiddingly said bring out the Gasking cedar call and give it a try (I only knew one kind of call then) which I did and the turkeys ignored me. About ten minutes of off and on calling I heard something behind me one gully over so I hand signaled the guide and he got excited and signaled back to keep talking to the birds that walked up on us and were chatting away. We were pinned down and did not get off a shot but that was a thrill for me. I later tried a blind and darn near wore it (wont do that again to darn small for my frame). My first bird that year was from a fly down in the early morning and my second was from a ambush in the middle of a field  all without any decoys. I practice with calls from people on this site and intend to put them to use in the field.

[VanHelden Game Calls]

Yes I believe the art of calling is dying.  But not because of decoys, blinds or other attractants.  These offer just a different style to the hunt but they can't shadow the fact you still need to call and call right.

What in my opinion is killing the art is the new gun loads and chokes.  You can be lacking in the art of calling when you no longer need to bring them into 20 - 30yrd max.  Its not to hard to set up with in 60yds of a roost.  And you can use just about anything to yelp a bird to 50yds.

[scott ellis]

Great points gentlemen.....

Just for the record I am not ridiculing people for using dekes or blinds. Not my intent at all. I even stated that I use a decoy once in a while.  So there is no need to defend the use of them.  That is not what my statement is saying.

[dirt road ninja]

No offense taken with me. I like the thread. Madarchery makes a good point, but most of my birds are taken much closer then my guns max range. The same has been said about bows and rifles. As long as there are men we will try and squeeze the last bit of performance out of anything.

[jakesdad]

I have used both,but would say 90% of the time I dont.I do without any apologies plan on using both when my two boys start hunting.Some people cuss the use of blinds but to me it just helps so much with new/young hunters and helps,IMO,with the success factor.I would rather use a blind/dekes and help my boys score on birds than doing it "the real way' as some call it and have them get discouraged by lack of success.do both guarantee success............no,but a bouncing kid needs all the help he can get tryin to lure in ol' tom.I let people decide what methods works best for them,and if its legal,I wont belittle ANYONE for their choice of methods.

[scott ellis]

Again the thread is going off course. It's not about if using a decoy or pop up is right or wrong. It's whether or not the "art" of engaging a gobbler in a conversation and saying the right things to lure him into gun range has been lost. But since dekes and blinds keep getting brought up my thougts are as follows.  My 4 year old sat in my lap at the base of an oak tree, with his .410 on a monopod last spring as I called up a pair of longbeards. He sat motionless as I called these two in. He didnt not feel comfortable with his shot so he did not shoot(even though they were at 15 yards .  I feel teach them to sit still at a young age will cause them to be better woodsman.  If you start them in blinds that is probably the way they will continue to hunt the rest of there life. Just my thoughts.  NOW, is that saying blinds are wrong?  Not at all. As many have said it is all preference.  I just used that as a comparison because many folks I encounter year in and out at trade shows, conventions, in the woods hunting, or guiding hunts are lost with out either of them....

[maustypsu]

The art is fading which is a shame. Not because other methods of killing are wrong.  Its a shame because With sites like this it is easy to meet a dozen great call makers.

I think guns, ammo, dekes, blinds and more all have an impact. Our hectic lives are another factor as well.  Get it done anyway you want. You'll find me sitting in a blind between lunch and 2 or 3 while the birds are loafing!

[Houndstooth Game Calls]

 Who ever would have thought we would have $300 dekes that are so real you can't tell if there real or not and blinds that used to be cut brush are now pop up condominiums with drink holders! It's no different than the calls we have today versus my great uncle that used nothing but honeysuckle leaves for calling in birds. Everything that's out there has become quite user friendly to make a novice speed into a advanced turkey hunter and it's gonna be more to come I am sure. The art is still there it's the advancement in calls and equipment that's just changing the way you get from point a to point b. It's amazing in style of calling in the advancement people have made in calls and calling styles of there sound they create on a yelper old Ben lee would fall out if he was here to see it. So the arts still there it's just way more advanced than it ever was? I don't knock anyone for sitting in a blind or setting a flock out to trick a Tom what ever puts that bead on him is the objective as long as its with in the game laws. Good subject!!