Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire For you hunters out there - Nice gobbler within 5 feet

New to the forum, well sort of, was a member about 9 years ago and back now. From San Antonio, love to hunt, fish, camp and everything Boy Scouts. Good to be back.

I shot this video at Philmont a couple of months ago. The turkeys stayed within 5 feet of me the whole time. Never experienced this before. Thought I'd share it with you all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u08NdzKIeWU

welcome back!

are those Merriam's?

That’s funny. Coldcocked a hen with an arrow a couple of years ago. Tom ran back, mounted her on the ground. Missed him, but he ran back, mounted up again. Didn’t miss the next shot.

Those gobblers look jacked up on somethin. Is this Oregon?

They say you can put a mirror in the back of a pig trap, pigs go right in.


It would have to be outside-protected to keep them from running into it and breaking it.

Yes I do think they are Merriams. Video was shot in N.E. New Mexico (5 miles south of Cimarron).

Wow..... I've never seen turkeys that are so conditioned to being around people & buildings. No Merriams around here but the turkeys in the woods next to me display a distinct preference for avoiding people and places of human habitation. Especially in May during spring turkey season, LOL.

Got a friend says they peck on his patio door when they're out of food.

I had a few walk into my garage while I was shovelling snow the other day. Appleton turkeys are a pretty tame bunch.

I've hunted turkeys on and off for almost 30 years here in Texas and have seen birds that were somewhat acclimated to humans. However, I've never experienced (or seen) turkeys that would go about their business just five feet from a person and not be the least bit concerned.

I had a merriams hen stick her head inside a pop up blind.
Arrowed a Jake, also merriams. The arrow was sticking out both sides of him and he continued to come to my decoy. I was nocking another arrow and he saw me and decided to leave.
Second shot anchored him.
I have shot 25 or so of them with a bow. It always amazes me how they have zero fear of pop up ground blinds.

My first ever turkey (1991) came from a plywood ground blind we had drug in on skids the day before.

Two gobblers and a hen walked 100 yards up to the blind and I took the bigger gobbler at about 15 feet.

To this day, the biggest turkey I've ever shot. I too was very surprised they would come that close to a temporary blind they weren't familiar with.

We have some that live in town.

My boys use the fan from a gobbler they shot as a decoy. Other gobblers will essentially charge across a field to within a few feet of them.

Makes for some exciting turkey hunting in the spring, to say the least.

I bow hunt out of a box at times, best way to get bow pulled back on a turkey. You can see it on the background.

I always read that they were super smart and a wary critter. I started bowhunting them about 20 years ago. Have arrowed 1-3 every year. Mostly merriams but some easterns. They are very easy to call and decoy and are oblivious to a blind that is extremely obvious.
Looking forward to April and plan to arrow some more.

Well hello there. What's your sign, and what are you wearing?

Must be wearing HECS

My buddy Joe used to say the best way to fool a turkey was to play the Turkish National Anthem and wait for them to stand at attention.

It outta be sure-fire!