Turkeys ignore pop up blinds?

[bhw]

Gang,

I attended a seminar by Double Bull. They state that turkeys basically do not care about a blind, even in an open field. Does anyone have any experience with this. I just purchased an Ameristep Doghouse and want ot use it for NY's usual rainy season. Another question.. How effective is the doghouse at stopping rain?

Thanx,

BHW

[kevin1]

I have the Outhouse ,
but a friend of mine has the Doghouse and seems to like it . It sheds rain well . My Outhouse has a tendenct toward rain blowing in the windows because of the high sloping sides , so I got a blind similar in shape to the Ameristep Roundhouse .

[JW]

Bought mine this year.

all I can say is YUP!!

Never made the birds spook even when the 0le blind was rattlin' due to the wind.


Had several Jakes within grabbin' distance of where I sat. I could have reached out the window and rung their neck!

JW

[MOTurkeyTamer]

BHW,

I've owned an Ameristep Doghouse for a couple of years now and have used it quite extensively during spring turkey seasons and the fall deer seasons. I've sat in it during wind, rain and snow and it does a pretty good job of shedding water. The only place mine leaks is around the seams in the roof where there are a few holes from the stitching that are large enough to allow droplets of water to drip in occasionally but not really a big deal compared to sitting out in the weather unprotected. I suspect that you could buy some kind of seam sealer that would take care of this problem. And like the Double Bull reps stated, the turkeys don't pay any attention to a blind from my experience either. Deer are a little more wary of the blind if you don't have it concealed or brushed in to some extent, but the turkeys don't care at all! I still believe that of all the hunting gadgets and paraphernalia that I have purchased over the years, some good and some totally worthless, that my Ameristep Doghouse blind is some of the best money that I've ever spent towards hunting gear. You will be VERY happy with it, I promise you!

[k1wild]

I have hunted from a Double bull for several years now. I have taken some big Toms from it and the jakes and hens are not spoked at all. I have had 4 big boss TOMs all on seperate occasions spoked as the entered the field from the far side with the blind set up in the edge of the field. I now always set up with cover all around back in the tree line.

There is no question that big boss three year TOM will sometimes be spoked by a blind set up in the wide open.

[bushmaster_5bko]

my friend had one, went out using it last weekend, lets just say he coulda reached under the blind and grabbed the hens feet

[c j]

I can attest that turkeys don't care about the blinds. The tom I took last weekend walked within 3 feet of my blind.

Last spring I had two hens who decided to camp out for well over an hour within 20 feet of my blind. Couldn't get them to leave, and they weren't successful in calling in any gobblers, either!

[deerdust]

We use them quite a bit at IMB Outfitters with great success. Whenever I set one up, I always place small branches and grass around the base to help with concealment. Never had a problem with turkeys being spooked, but on occassion deer will be spooked if the wind is high. Also, if the weather is calling for freezing rain, beware of the zippers freezing while you are inside. We have had many destroyed because the zippers were frozen shut and the hunters wanted out. Possibly there is a product that will melt the ice, is odorless, and will not harm the fabric.

[bhw]

thanx guys, that is some encouraging feedback. I was wondering about the holes I see in the seams.

BHW

[Antler Eater]

Last week I was calling for a guy in a wheel chair. I have a pop up made by Easton. We were set up along a fence line in a hay field. Basically out in the open. While we had a number of hens in our decoys the big Tom stayed out of reach and watched the hens for about 20 minutes. He never came within gun range.