Blind location question?

[mplane72]

Ok. First year trying to fill my tag with a bow. I almost did it this past weekend but the bird hung up at 20 and I forgot to take the triangular window of the blind into account and clipped the edge of the window with a blade at the shot. Anyway, I have read over and over that turkeys don't care about the blind. It would be much better on the ground I hunt if I set up on top of the hills in the middle of the fields versus on the edges of the cover at the bottom of the hills. I'm thinking just to make the dekes more visible. Any opinions on this? Can I really get away with it? Thanks

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

I've heard of blind shy birds but I've never personally experienced it...all the birds I've ever called in ignore the blind. I'd set your blind out on top of the hill and in the middle of the fields where your dekes can be most visible. Good luck, sounds like you're close to figuring it out.

 

[Blaster]

Set that blind up were you want it. The birds will walk right to it.

 

[muddy]

Set that blind up were you want it. The birds will walk right to it.

Yup, open field set ups are great

 

[jjclausen]

Bird's don't even care about blinds. I had birds brush there bodies against the blind and not even care.

 

[Daver]

I'll be the contrarian...although I have read many accounts about birds not shying away from blinds and I don't doubt that they are true, I have personally experienced times when they did get hinky around the blind and I know some others that have at times experienced the same too.

From what I can put together, I think it depends on the blind more than the birds. I don't use my blind much nowadays as I really got it to use when my boys were much younger and it would allow them to go with me but still have some movement in the blind.

Mine is an older style Double Bull T2. Although it does have a black lining inside, I think that it may not be as dark as what is common on more recent models and therefore you can get a shadow effect in too much sunlight. I have killed several birds out of this blind, yes, but in most cases they were fixing to get out of Dodge when the hammer dropped on them. They were often not relaxed and at ease once they got within 30 yards or so.

I have had shaky experiences in wide open fields and also timber setups, it didn't seem to matter much. I would say the birds got nervous probably more than half of the time for me out of my blind.

My experiences were on multiple farms, in different counties too. Meanwhile, we have a permanent blind that we have never noticed them shy away from.

Many posts here every year show a hunter in a blind in a wide open field, so it definitely works, but not everyone's experience is identical.

 

[THA4]

I have killed a boatload of turkeys out of blinds over the last 10 years and if the turks are "shying" away, its for a different reason, not the blind. They don't care, as long as there isn't movement coming from within or on the outside.

Put that thing up in the middle of a mowed grass field and they will come.

:way:

 

[slice and dice]

If the wind is blowing good enough to get occasional movement on my blind windows or flaps I opt to tuck to the timber. If its calm I'll consider higher ground in wide open.

Have had birds get a little nervous around blind and have had birds brush up against it. Most birds will look at it and check it out a bit though. Just keep it sealed up, sun to your back, and watch the movement...the decoys take most of their attention and generally hold them in range....even if they get a little spooky.

 

[170]

If the birds are shying away from the blind, they are seeing something in the blind that is making them nervous, not the blind itself. Put it up in the middle of the field and they will come :way:

 

[Brian811]

I've had a few encounters where the birds would keep their distance from the blind. I've always sat as far back in the blind as I could and kept as still as possible. Who knows what turkeys think and how they may react to different setups. Just keep trying.

 

[Daver]

I have killed a boatload of turkeys out of blinds over the last 10 years and if the turks are "shying" away, its for a different reason, not the blind. They don't care, as long as there isn't movement coming from within or on the outside.

Put that thing up in the middle of a mowed grass field and they will come.

:way:

I have seen turks get nervous around a blind when there was no movement whatsoever inside and the people inside were in camo or black. I have set it up in a picked cornfield and had a tom pitch down to within 40 yards, take 2-3 steps towards the decoys, eye the blind and then skidaddle.

I could go on with several more examples, peoples experiences differ and you really can't make a conclusive statement about someone else's experience. To be honest THA4, I get ticked when you reply to one of my posts with a direct contradictary response as though my experience is completely invalid...just because you have had different experiences. This is not the first time you have done it either. There is life outside of your world.

FWIW, if memory serves, a similar thread here a couple of years ago showed that others had similar experiences as well.

 

[Limb Chicken]

I have seen turks get nervous around a blind when there was no movement whatsoever inside and the people inside were in camo or black. I have set it up in a picked cornfield and had a tom pitch down to within 40 yards, take 2-3 steps towards the decoys, eye the blind and then skidaddle.

I could go on with several more examples, peoples experiences differ and you really can't make a conclusive statement about someone else's experience. To be honest THA4, I get ticked when you reply to one of my posts with a direct contradictary response as though my experience is completely invalid...just because you have had different experiences. This is not the first time you have done it either. There is life outside of your world.

FWIW, if memory serves, a similar thread here a couple of years ago showed that others had similar experiences as well.

I agree Daver. Depends in the ground. We've had them run to the decoys at certain places and have them skirt at others. It's fairly consistant at these particular properties. But what the heck do we know.

 

[mplane72]

Thanks for all the responses. So far I have just been setting up on the edges of cover. I guess I will just have to try moving to the high ground in the middle of the fields and see what happens.

 

[Blaster]

Move to were you are seeing the birds and you will get it done!:way: Let us know how it works!

 

[Crockett]

I'll chime here also! I had more birds skirt my Matrix last year, more times than in the ten years or so I used one of the first DB blinds! Always setup in a open field! I hunted alone, wore all black, was'nt jumping around, ETC.!!!! If any thing, I'd say the camo of the blind was the problem!! Or the big open slash in the front!! The old DB just had 8 oval windows!! Skylines Apparition camo(I Think!) was hands down the best!!

 

[sureshot]

I'll chime here also! I had more birds skirt my Matrix last year, more times than in the ten years or so I used one of the first DB blinds! Always setup in a open field! I hunted alone, wore all black, was'nt jumping around, ETC.!!!! If any thing, I'd say the camo of the blind was the problem!! Or the big open slash in the front!! The old DB just had 8 oval windows!! Skylines Apparition camo(I Think!) was hands down the best!!

The old Double Bull T5 (I think?) that I have was in predator camo. I haven't had any issues with my dark horse in the new camo.

 

[Liv4Rut]

setting up on the edges of cover.

In my opinion that is the problem. I couldn't tell you how many times I used to sit on the edge of cover with a gun and watch all the birds work out into the middle of the field. They don't like to be near the edge. I always set up right out in the middle. There are a lot of other things too that I think can cause birds to be a little skittish around blinds. One is high winds (cheap blinds are not good for this), 2 is blinds that shine( again cheap blinds are not good for this) 3 is when they pop out of cover and all the sudden there is a blind at 8 yards. More often than not it is not the blinds fault but everyone scrambling for a weapon.

I do believe some birds are truly blind shy or they had their buddy whacked out of one and they won't come near them. Maybe they are not coming to the decoys vs the blind. I also believe birds that watch decoys that do not move start to get a little skittish and take much longer to come in. I think a lot of these little things can make people think that birds are shy of the blind when they really aren't that shy of it.


What a turkey cannot resist is a Double bull out in the middle of the field with a DSD jake and a couple hens tied with movement. Most birds don't mind the blind at all. I rarely have any issues. I love the double bull dark horse and ground swat camo.

The only down side to sitting in the middle of the field is when #2 is knocking at the back door and you have nowhere to go and you have a buddy or two in the blind and a timber edge full of gun hunters.

 

[Crockett]

Are you saying if you were alone in the blind you would do #2 in the corner?

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Whats the big deal????? Just stand up and move the blind outta the dump zone!!!! Had a guy that did this in a ice fishing hut after we had gotten out! Nice!!!!!!:thrwrck:

 

[Liv4Rut]

Are you saying if you were alone in the blind you would do #2 in the corner?

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I thought that was standard protocol???? :moon: There is a reason why I hunt disced up fields. You can dig a hole real quick if you need too. :drink1: