by Ryan Fair
It was a cool crisp April morning last year as I watched the sun break over the horizon to a frosted over landscape. I sat comfortably in my ground blind and watched the sun as it illuminated my full strut tom decoy, I could hear some tom’s gobbling off in the distance. As the excitement began to build knowing a turkey could appear almost out of the blue at any time, it reminded me how different and fun turkey hunting is. Unlike whitetails who live and die by their nose, turkeys rely on spotting danger. So, you need to adapt your tactics with that in mind.
Turkeys have excellent vision and can see 270 degrees since their eyes are on the sides of their heads. This allows them to pick up movement and identify when things are out of the ordinary and then process it a lot faster than humans. Not only that but it is said that a turkey’s vision is 3 times sharper than ours as well. For this reason, as hunters, we must conceal ourselves the best we can. While camo has come a long way over the years, unless I’m forced to sit out in the open, you almost always can find me in a ground blind or behind a panel blind. With that in mind let’s dive into the benefits of a ground blinds, some of the top blinds, and must haves for blind hunting.
The Benefits
I could type a whole blog post on the benefits of hunting from a ground blind, especially when it comes to turkey hunting but we only have a short time so let’s cover the main ones. The first and probably biggest benefit to ground blinds is the ability they have to conceal movement. With right clothing, usually something black or a darker color, and a few windows up anyone can vanish into the ground blind. This is great for allowing you to call with any type of call, then have time to get your weapon of choice up for a shot. It is also great for taking kids and new hunters out to teach them the sport. Anybody that has taken an 8-year-old out to hunt knows what I mean.
Next is the ability to shield you from the elements. Nothing ruins a hunt faster than soaking wet clothes or cold feet. When hunting from a ground blind you can pack in a small buddy heater that puts off just enough heat to keep you comfortable and when it’s raining the shell of the ground blind keeps you dry the whole hunt.
Lastly, ground blinds allow you to take products like a Final Rest tripod or camera gear into the hunt with you. I find myself preferring to use a rest any time I can, they keep me rock solid for perfect shots. When hunting from a ground blind, filming isn't as difficult than when exposed on the ground.
The Blinds
When it comes to blinds the first company that comes to mind is Barronett Blinds. They are quality built and made to last. With several different options to choose from you should be able to find exactly what you are looking for. There are a few main blinds that stand out for turkey hunting and those are the Ox 5 and Face Off. The Ox 5 is my go-to hub blind for the turkey woods for several reasons but the main one is the amount of space the blind offers. It can easily fit me and a hunting buddy and all are gear we pack into the blind. It also offers silent slide windows and a door allowing me to sneak in and out undetected. When it comes to brushing in the blind it has built in brush holders that make concealing the blind simple and fast. Lastly, it is made up of 2 layers of fabric that is waterproof and reduces glare.
For those of you that like to run and gun hunt or feel that sitting in a ground blind is not for you. Let me introduce you to the Face Off. This panel blind changed the way I run and gun hunt. Gone are the days of sitting up against a tree as still as I can be with my shotgun at the ready at all times. This panel blind allows me to set up anywhere I want and stay concealed behind it. It has one way mesh windows that keep me concealed while using my Esh Custom Calls pot call while working a tom into my decoy spread. Then when the times right, they open with ease for the perfect shot. These blinds are lightweight and fully adjustable, they are a must for any run and gun turkey hunter for sure.
The Must Haves
When it comes to ground blind hunting for turkeys there are a few must haves in my opinion. The first is a comfortable chair. I prefer a large swivel chair like the 360 chairs from Barronett blinds but any style of chair will do if it is comfortable. Keep in mind you may spend 4+ hours in that chair waiting out a gobbler so don’t skimp on comfort. Next up is a good rest. Our go to rest here at Working Class Hunter is anything from Final Rest. Some of us prefer a tripod while others like to use a mono pod. It all comes down to personal preference. The main thing is that you use a quality rest for the perfect shot, and that is why we use Final Rest. Lastly, a good turkey call. With the thousands of turkey calls on the market today it can be hard to decided what to get. We have tried several different brands of calls among the team and have all agreed that Esh Custom Calls are the way to go. They offer mouth calls, box calls, and my personal favorite pot calls. Their glass over slate pot call is what I have use to call several toms in the last few years.
