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Bowhunting after gun hunters

I have a chance to bow hunt turkeys with a good friend. There are lots of birds that come to a special spot that we have hunted in the past. The problem for me is that youth day will be on Saturday before the regular season opens, and I'm wondering if the shotgun the kid is going to use will mess things up for opening day.

It's a small area, and I'll be using my longbow so running and gunning won't be an option.

TBB

Probably not. People go in hours after someone kills a bird and kills another all of the time. We've sat in one spot and called birds in 15 minutes apart and killed both of them.

The gun doesn't scare them our of an area, it's people moving all around. If you know the kid/adult, ask them to just let the other birds in sight wander off before going to the bird.

An Oklahoma guide used to instruct his clients to shoot the last longbeard of a passing flock, and not get out of the blind until the guide came to pick them up. Sometimes they shot two or three toms from the same flock, on as many days.

Many times we've gone into places pounded by hunters on a celebrity hunt and arrowed birds within a few hours.

Been hunting behind gun hunters for years. I'm sure it doesn't make it any easier but it is what it is. Biggest thing for me is the birds get call shy and deke shy.

Just be patient and don't give up. Sometimes the birds will come in silently.

It really depends on the area and how much pressure they put on the gobblers. Obviously if they are in and out fast and only using one spot with a blind on a large ranch it may not matter. If they are spotting and stalking gobblers and spooking them all over the hills it will likely be tough.

The turkeys will also likely react a little different as the strutting season progresses and the hens start nesting. I'm not sure how long your season is but that is obviously another consideration. If you are hunting private land with a long season you have lots of time. If you are hunting public land with lots of hunting pressure...that is something else to consider. Obviously there are fewer toms available as they are harvested and the season progresses but it may or may not matter in your particular area?

Look, go hunt. If you're hunting from a blind, can get in and out without burgering up birds, you've got nothing to lose.

Think of all the birds that get killed on public areas every year.

I need to be honest, though, I have not hunted in New Hampshire, but had consistent success from Florida to Wyoming, and probably 10 states in between.

Not many ranches in New Hampshire, Jims.. :-)

No calling? Why even go?

I'd rather leave my bow at home...

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