How stupid are turkeys?

[Bowhunter57]

Turkeys seem to be suckers for a groundblind. It wasn't there yesterday or earlier today, but that's cool...and they walk right by it. Goofy! I plan to purchase one before next year's turkeys season, as it's just not in the budget for this year.

However, I do have a Cabelas Ice House, ice shelter. There are no "shoot through" windows, but I could leave the door unzipped, the air vents open for some air and wear some black. The thing is...the blind is black, all black. There are no ties or loops to hang brush on, to brush it in, like normal groundblinds have. A few branches could be leaned up against it, I suppose.
This is the model that I have:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabel...h-All+Products

Are turkeys stupid enough for me to set this ice shelter up, like a normal groundbling and hunt out of it with my decoys?

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.
Thank you, Bowhunter57​

 

[bamadawg2009]

Its worth a try but dont believe everything you see on TV, remember what they say and what actually happens are often time dubbed in or out. Ive never been one for hunting out of a blind for turkeys just for the sheer fact they travel so much here today gone tomorow sort of thing. Unless you have a steady food source for them to stay around. I have seen and read things that turkeys are the horniest animal on earth, so what that tells me even food wont keep them around all the time without hens. I have used just a little 20" tall mesh screen from wally world and had turkeys notice it and know something wasnt right. Just my .02 but the best of luck give it a try.

 

[Bowhunter57]

Well, it was a thought and that's all it was, but I appreciate the input. I set up my ice shelter this evening and the zipper door has to be opened too much to shoot out of, in order to not hit the blind itself. Plus, with the door that open there's too much light allowed inside and it's clear as to who/what's inside.

I'm just going to continue to hide in blow-down trees and set my decoys in a way to keep the turkey's eyes off of my position. I just ordered 3 more hens, which will be here tomorrow when I get off work. All total that will give me 4 hens, 1 jake and 1 strutting tom. This small flock of birds should give any approaching tom some feeling of safety with numbers. Hopefully, I can take advantage of the situation, before he figures it out.

Bowhunter57​

 

[kweidner]

sit still and be ready before they get to you. let them walk into your sight. Only time I ever use a blind is if I am calling for a person shooting a bow. Too much run and gun for a blind. If i had to stay in one place I would have only gotten 1 bird this season and not my limit. Biggest one I killed this season was nothing but me, my bug tamer, 1 mouth call, and no decoy. Had to move on him too. He hung up and i had to plan a different strategy. Best turkey hunt of my life and I have killed piles of turkeys. More fun when you have to go 1 on 1 with no frills just hunt! JMHO.

 

[califoriahunter]

I think it's funny when people ask me that it's not that they are smart or dumb it all depends on what u get them used to he'll if u put it out befor the season anything will work as a blind
But at the same time the can see great so good camo is a must and sit still ...

 

[skkeeter]

If your using a strutting tom decoy, make sure it's facing in the opposite direction you think the turkeys are going to approach. Sometimes if they get one look at a strutting tom and feel inferior, they split.

And to answer your question, as with most animals. They seem pretty retarded until you try and kill them. They get really smart when they are hunted. I swear to god the large bucks in my area were trained by special ops teams for when hunting season rolls around.

 

[Snubbie]

I've never used a commercial ground blind. I carry pruners and cut a few limbs, stick them in the ground to break up my outline. I also usually sit with my back to a tree. I DO carry a comfortable chair to sit in so I can be still. I believe they'll key in on movement faster than anything. Sitting still is difficult if I not comfortable.

 

[J E Custom]

Turkeys seem to be suckers for a groundblind. It wasn't there yesterday or earlier today, but that's cool...and they walk right by it. Goofy! I plan to purchase one before next year's turkeys season, as it's just not in the budget for this year.

However, I do have a Cabelas Ice House, ice shelter. There are no "shoot through" windows, but I could leave the door unzipped, the air vents open for some air and wear some black. The thing is...the blind is black, all black. There are no ties or loops to hang brush on, to brush it in, like normal groundblinds have. A few branches could be leaned up against it, I suppose.
This is the model that I have:
http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabel...h-All+Products

Are turkeys stupid enough for me to set this ice shelter up, like a normal groundbling and hunt out of it with my decoys?

Your thoughts and opinions are appreciated.
Thank you, Bowhunter57​

If you place someone with black clothing in a blind that is blacked out on the inside and has camo
screen in all of the windows you wont be able to see them ether , so are they stupid ? I think not.

There eye sight is second to none and if you can defeat that ability you should do fine.

Try bow hunting without a blind or a shoot through screen and the results will not be as good
with a bow because you have to draw the bow , and any movement will alert them and make
it a lot harder to be successful.

Or try to still hunt a turkey with a bow. In a 1 on 1 with a turkey you will lose.

But outsmarting them is half the fun.

J E CUSTOM

 

[screech]

We must have some of the dumbest turkeys known to man in id the way you guys are talking. Im not kidding the majority of the turkeys i have killed is either drive by them on fourwheeler and shoot them, drive down the road see them, step out of truck off the road and shoot them or one when i was young i walked across a couple hundred yard open field. When i got to within a hundred yards they walked over the bank when i got to where they walked over they were just sitting the 10yards off the bank and i shot him. I havent shot to many turkeys the last couple years simply because i have been working out of state during turkey season so maybe its changed in the last four years or so.

 

[J E Custom]

We must have some of the dumbest turkeys known to man in id the way you guys are talking. Im not kidding the majority of the turkeys i have killed is either drive by them on fourwheeler and shoot them, drive down the road see them, step out of truck off the road and shoot them or one when i was young i walked across a couple hundred yard open field. When i got to within a hundred yards they walked over the bank when i got to where they walked over they were just sitting the 10yards off the bank and i shot him. I havent shot to many turkeys the last couple years simply because i have been working out of state during turkey season so maybe its changed in the last four years or so.

Hear in Texas we have both the Eastern and the Rio grand. The Eastern is not as wary but they
are not stupid ether. the Rio grand however, Is in a league of their own.

Hunting pressure has a lot to do with how wary they are also if they have mixed with domestic
turkeys, they will still look the same but wont be as wary.

Even though their brain is the size of a marble, they have simple needs. Eat, breed and stay alive.


J E CUSTOM

 

[MachV]

We must have some of the dumbest turkeys known to man in id the way you guys are talking. Im not kidding the majority of the turkeys i have killed is either drive by them on fourwheeler and shoot them, drive down the road see them, step out of truck off the road and shoot them or one when i was young i walked across a couple hundred yard open field. When i got to within a hundred yards they walked over the bank when i got to where they walked over they were just sitting the 10yards off the bank and i shot him. I havent shot to many turkeys the last couple years simply because i have been working out of state during turkey season so maybe its changed in the last four years or so.

Have noticed the turkeys around Casper have very little in common with the ones on the farm in SE MN. The eastern turkeys have a parascope sticking out of their bodies and they USE it, no curiosity what so ever=If in doubt their GONE! Not sure what keeps the fools around here alive as they just dont seam to care about much at all?

 

[T3-OleMan]

Not real smart, but PARINOID AS HELL!

Big Buck walks through the woods......Every hunter he sees ...thinks it is a stump!

Old Gobbler walks through the woods.... every stump he sees ...thinks it might be a hunter!

Not far from the truth.

If they could smell....only way to kill them would be with the truck!

Good Luck

 

[midwesthunter]

Turkeys are the stupidest/smartest birds out there. Here's why I think there stupid, have shot them using a white pvc pipe for decoy legs, have had more than one bird come right back after one of his buddies was just shot with a shotgun at 30 yards, last spring we archery shot a tom, his buddy flew a short distance and landed on a fence post, no shot for my partner, we picked the blind up and moved 10 yards while the bird was watching us, buddy killed him at 40 yards.

 

[stevenjackson]

I agree with the DIY blinds for turkey hunting. the right setup with branches and what not is too easy.