April 2019 • Nebraskaland 31
With such a good sense of sight they
can notice the slightest motion.
To hide the movement of drawing,
archery hunters use natural blinds
constructed of branches, brush, and
grass or manufactured "pop-up" blinds
– so named because they unfold and
set up quickly. At the time, I used a
pop-up blind for its convenience, but I
now enjoy making impromptu natural
blinds and trying to draw when the bird
is looking the other direction.
The other major difference between
archery and shotgun hunting is that
archery season opens earlier, when
birds are less aggressive and sometimes
grouped in large flocks. As males
become more aggressive, they will part
ways, and flocks become smaller. This
makes calling more effective later in
the season because it's easier to call in a
single turkey than an entire flock.
When turkeys are grouped together,
it's a better strategy to make soft calls
to entice hens or set up along known
travel routes. As with all hunting, no
two situations are the same, but it's
a good idea to start slow and soft and
gradually increase the volume and
aggression of your calling.
To prepare for my opening morning of
archery season, I hiked up a grassy fence
line to the top of a hill that overlooked a
field where I had seen turkeys feeding
the previous week. As the sun inched
downward, a group of birds made their
way into the field. One by one they
took flight and roosted in a group of
cottonwood trees for the night. I knew
the next morning they would glide
down the opposite side of the creek and
begin their day in the field below.
Well before sunrise, I stood atop the
same hill and listened as several hens
yelped from their roost and two toms
Because turkeys have such keen eyesight, archery hunting for these birds can be quite difficult.
