There is certain thrill in being able to call a spring gobbler with in shooting range. That thrill is made even greater when the hunter has a bow and arrow in hand, quietly moving through the woods, all the while trying not to succumb to a turkey’s keen eyesight. If the thrill of turkey hunting with a bow and arrow is not what peaks the hunters’ interest, the challenge of this kind of hunt will. Regardless if it is the thrill or the challenge that the hunter is chasing, most would agree that the feeling of accomplishment is like no other when one is able to harvest a bird using such a traditional method. Although the old-style method of a bow and arrow is what fuels a lot of traditional hunters, every turkey hunter can take advantage of the modern technology and innovative designs of the 5 products listed below. These technological advances are designed to help the bowhunter and can also help to make this challenging task a little easier, as well as more enjoyable.
NAP Mantis Blind
For many years, bowhunters have discovered huge advantages when bowhunting turkeys by using a ground blind. In my opinion, there has never been a blind designed specifically for the bowhunter more than that of the NAP Mantis. The Mantis is a hub style blind that features an interior sloped design optimized with room for multiple hunters and more area for the bowhunter to be able to draw his or her bow back without any obstacles. The Mantis is available in a 2 or 3-person design, the 3 person model boast a 48 square feet of floor space area. It also features an innovative elastic style dragnet window system, which allows the hunter to open shooting lanes where they desire, leaving the rest of the window space concealed. If one has bow hunted turkeys in the past, they know more concealment is everything when trying to draw on an approaching gobbler. The unique sloping roof design features no roof hubs which makes concealing the blind easier, as well not having the worry of rain or snow catching on top. I have personally been using this blind for the past year while bowhunting deer and turkeys. I have never felt more comfortable as well as confident in knowing that I can draw my bow without any hesitations inside of this blind. This unique shaped ground blind is a must for the bowhunting turkey hunter.
ALPS Outdoorz Stealth Hunter Blind Chair
Once a ground blind that has the space needed for a bowhunter has been acquired, the next product desired is a seat that is able to elevate the hunter, making it easier to see approaching wildlife as well as making it easy to draw ones bow successfully. The ALPS Stealth Hunter blind chair does the trick. This quality designed chair has four legs that feature individual adjustments, which makes sitting on uneven ground easier. The bottom of each leg has a pad style design to prevent the legs from sinking into the ground, which can also make for an uneven sit. The Stealth Hunter chair rotates 360 degrees easily and more importantly, quietly. I have used this blind chair in cold temperatures while deer hunting in the fall and was able to rotate back and forth without making a sound. As for the turkey hunter, this design allows to rotate one’s position simply by slightly pushing off with the foot in whatever desired direction. This permits the hunter to be able to get in a position to draw a bow on an approaching gobbler without making any unnecessary noise or movement. This blind chair is a great choice for sitting long periods of time or when sitting on the edge of the chair, ready to make a shot. Being comfortable is a big factor in being able to wait on the right opportunity when bowhunting turkeys.
Mossy Oak Eclipse Camouflage
As mentioned earlier, staying concealed when bowhunting turkeys is a must. Paying attention to one’s camouflage is an important factor, yes even when hunting in a ground blind. A lot of hunters will wear black clothing to help stay concealed while in a blind. Even though this has been an effective task, I prefer wearing an actual camouflage such as Mossy Oak Eclipse which is designed specifically for hunting in a dark interior ground blind. This unique designed pattern not only keeps the hunter hidden in a blind but because of the strategically placed patches of camouflage, it also keeps the human silhouette from being detected, due to the breaking up of shapes that wearing black simply can not do. There have been certain situations in which an animal approaches the blind and I have been caught in between two open windows. By wearing Mossy Oak’s Eclipse pattern, I can get by with a little more movement when trying to harvest a turkey with a bow. A turkey has one of the best eye sights of all of the animals that we hunt. Respect that eyesight and take the small extra steps of staying concealed at all times.
Elite’s Ritual 30 Bow
Continuing with the theme of staying concealed and being able to move freely, which are the two most important factors when bowhunting turkeys out of a ground blind, I would like to introduce another important element which is Elite’s Ritual 30 bow. One of the biggest problems I have experienced in the past is that of not being able to draw my bow successfully. I have wasted more opportunities than I want to admit from trying to get my bow drawn while in the blind. I have bumped the interiors of the walls and ceilings of the blind and I have also fallen back in the chair trying not to bump anything while drawing. I have also missed turkeys because of the limbs of the bow striking the blind while shooting. Having a roomier blind has helped tremendously, yet so has using a smaller designed bow such as the Elite Ritual 30. This bow is only 30” from axle to axle, making it perfect for drawing while inside of a ground blind. This Ritual 30 features a dual cage riser that provides unmatched stability, this is one of the smoothest, quietest and most accurate bows that I have ever had the privilege of using. I use this bow with Easton Axis 6mm arrows, combined with NAP Gobbler Getter 100 grain broadheads, which makes for a fast and hard-hitting setup that has made harvesting turkeys out of a blind easier than ever before. The Ritual 30 has a speed of up to 336 FPS.
TruGlo Hyper Strike Sights
Another problem that I have faced when bowhunting turkeys out of a ground blind is that of simply not being able to see the turkeys when I get to full draw. This is mostly because the inside of a ground blind is confined and can also become dark, especially on cloudy days or early mornings when light conditions are considerably low. There is nothing worse than having all the pieces of the puzzle come together, only to be unable to see when it is time to make the shot. The ability to see in a confined and low light area is where the TruGlo Hyper Strike bow sight literally shines. The Hyper Strike has a 1.9 in. diameter circular field of view, it also has extra-long fibers for maximum brightness in one’s sight pins. As if that isn’t enough, it has a glow-in-the-dark shooter’s ring, as well as the TruLite Pro rotary light, that illuminates the sight pins. This makes ease in being able to see the turkey as well the sight pins when in a low light area such a ground blind. The pins on this sight are also noticeably smaller in diameter, which makes being able to see the target easier, as well as being able to find the animal when shooting longer distances. This really is a game changer when bowhunting turkeys out of a ground blind.
For many years I have steered away from the thought of taking my bow while turkey hunting in the spring, in lieu of using my shotgun. If one has spent any time at all in the spring chasing turkeys, they know that getting a mature gobbler into range can sometimes be a challenging task and I truly think that the fear that overtakes me is the thought of messing up when trying to shoot or missing the shot all together after I have spent time calling a bird into a close range. However, by taking advantage of the above listed products my confidence is higher than ever before. Bow hunting spring turkeys has never been more enjoyable and exciting.
