Sometimes it’s best to mix things up, get off the beaten path, and do something out of the ordinary because the reality is, life is too short to have boring hunts. As we progress as hunters, we often look for new challenges and excitement to keep us coming back for more. Ryan Staab of Kansas found himself in this exact scenario last season when it came to chasing Spring gobblers. Instead of sitting in the same blind over and over again, Ryan chose to get eye level and was able to put an exhilarating approach back into Spring turkey hunting.
The following are the accounts and encounters, as told by Ryan Staab, during a recent interview about his hunt while using a Heads Up Turkey Decoy.
The Clock Was Ticking
It was the second to last day of Spring turkey season and the howling Kansas winds were relentless, to say the least, but Ryan wasn’t going to just sit at the house. Knowing that the archery tackle might not be the best option in the heavy winds, Ryan grabbed his shotgun and his Heads Up Turkey decoy and made the drive to his family farm. Having hunted the property for many years and knowing the general lay of the land where the turkeys might be roosting, he took to a high vantage point and glassed the landscape below.
Shortly after getting set up on the afternoon hunt, Ryan spotted a group of eight hens and a lone tom in the creek bottom, so he began to devise a plan for a stalk. With hundreds of yards between him and the birds, his plan was to sneak through the CRP to conceal his movement and to close the distance in hopes of getting a shot. As he made his way closer to the group of turkeys, he held the decoy in his left hand to cover his approach towards a nearby row of round bales. At this point, Ryan had slipped to within 150 yards of the group so he set up the turkey decoy next to the hay bales and began calling.
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| Ryan capitalized with the Heads Up Turkey Decoy on a thrilling afternoon hunt! You can also see the pond in the background. |
Within minutes, the big tom took notice of the intruder across the field and quickly made his way towards Ryan, gobbling and strutting with each step. When the long beard made it to the edge of the pond, he flew across, landed and made his way towards the row of bales. Ground level displays of dominance proving to be insufficient to drive the intruder away, the big bird jumped on top of a nearby round bale to gobble at Ryan. It was obvious that this gobbler was extremely fired up and ready for a fight.
Swooping down from the round bale like a hawk from the sky, the bird landed and skidded to a stop at a mere FIVE heart-pounding yards away. Before the tom had a chance to realize he had made a mistake, Ryan dropped the decoy, pulled up his shotgun and dropped the 8-inch beard, 1-inch spurred gobbler in his tracks!
Mobility and Heart-Pounding Excitement
According to Ryan, hunting from a ground blind was starting to get old and it hindered the hunt by having to bring so much gear into the field. He finds it much more enjoyable using the Heads Up Decoy due to the freedom and mobility with this particular style of hunting. He also finds it very rewarding to kill turkeys in an up-close, eye-level encounter which keeps him coming back for more each Spring.
If you are looking to experience the most exciting turkey hunt of your life, leave the ground blind at home and pick up a Heads Up Turkey Decoy today. You will never forget the heart-pounding encounters and the rush it brings when a big, strutting tom is staring you down at less than 10-yards away.
Ryan received a Heads Up Decoy Hat and T-shirt for allowing us to share his story. Do you have a story? If so, email us at info@headsupdecoy.com.
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