Run and Gun Nebraska Turkey Hunting

Our good friend Ben Guttormson had a great hunt in Nebraska in 2016. He hunted with a traditional bow made by RER and the Heads Up Turkey Decoy. Ben used the Gadget Adaptor to attach the bow mount to his bow. Here is Ben's story.

Author:Ben Guttormson

The spring of 2016 found me traveling to Nebraska with my recurve to try and put a tag on my first turkey with traditional archery equipment.  I would be hunting with two good friends and concentrating my efforts on feedlots as the birds were still in a late-winter pattern. We arrived realizing spring was a little ahead of schedule and the birds had already broken up from most of the feedlots. Spots that once had 200 or more birds the week before now only with a handful. At the advice of our local friend, we decided to stick it out on the feedlots; he assured us we would have opportunities however, in my personal opinion, one of most boring things in the world to do is sit in a turkey blind when there's no turkeys around.

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In order to bag a bird, we would need to change our tactics drastically to a run-and-gun approach. The guy that we were hunting with was granted permission on several farms with plenty of ground for us to hunt. After our second morning sit on a feedlot with no action, I talked to my friend explaining that I wanted to get more aggressive with a different approach. He basically laughed in my face and said, "how are you going to run-and-gun turkeys with a recurve?!"

At this point I had to bite my tongue. I couldn't say what I wanted to say and we'll just leave it at that. Eventually, he pulled out the plat book and showed me the property boundaries for the farms we could hunt. By 10:30 that morning, I was on my way out to look for a bird I could put the HUD to work on.  I didn't take me long; I found a long beard with a couple hens working up a small coulee.

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I worked up to the top end of the coulee and used a couple small cedars to peek over the edge. The birds were all still unaware of my presence and were at about 45 yards and headed right for me. The tom was the last in the group and when his hens were behind a small roll in the hill I slid out from around the cedar with the decoy attached to my bow. The bird immediately went into strut and gobbled a couple times. I waited for him to make a move and after 15 seconds of strutting back and forth, he dropped into half strut and started running right at me.  The whole time I had my HUD in front of me. The bird ran straight for me until he reached four yards where he veered left at the last minute and went back into full strut.  My recurve was already at my anchor point by this time. As he slowed, I was able to put a good shot on him.  Nothing felt better than getting back to camp and showing my bird to my friend that had doubted the run-and-gun approach with the HUD.

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Over the next couple of days, I continued to stun my friend by using the decoy on two more birds. The first, I utilized the decoy to get in front of the tom and his hens and waited him out. This bird, like the first, charged at me but at six yards he figured out I wasn't the intruder he thought I was. Sadly, I missed him as he was leaving.  On the last bird I was able to sneak to within 25 yards using the terrain and shadowed him using the decoy until I was able to get a shot off.

Without the HUD decoy, this trip probably would have been dismal. Never again, will I leave this useful tool at home regardless of hunting with my compound or my traditional set up.

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Bow Hunting Partners...Choose Wisely

2015: My Brother Jeff was running the decoy as I buzzed an
arrow past his ear and into the chest of this buck. 40 yard shot.
We were cruising a small creek looking for a cruising buck.
Click Pic To Enlarge.

Bowhunting partner...those words for most probably flash the face of their partner or partners without much thought. Heads Up Decoy has blessed me with the opportunity to hunt with a bunch of different guys over the years. Before H.U.D it was almost 100% family. Now that I am older, have a family of my own just getting into hunting, and a network of guys, it is not unusual for me to hunt with a variety of people throughout the course of the year. Rather than giving you my opinion on how you should choose a bow hunting partner, I am going to tell you about my hunting partners.
   
Stuff Dies:

When I reflect back to 2008 when Heads Up Decoy first started, there is one guy...and now several guys that I have hunted with where animals get dead. My friend Kent, not only is he a great human, he's a phenomenal bowhunter. I get so excited when I go on a hunt with him because I know our chances of success are extremely high. Kent, is not the only one, there are guys that when they get in my truck or I climb into their's...brown animals or turkeys are in real trouble. I do not believe that it is coincidence. It is confidence.

2008: My good friend and cerified killer, Kent, was with
me on the first Heads Up Decoy bow kill in 2008.
15 yard shot. This buck is a freak.
Click Pic to Enlarge

Many of the guys I hunt with are accomplished bowhunters. Maybe that is why animals get dead. I like to think, at times, two skilled bowhunters are better than one. When I have confidence in the person I'm with, my optimism is high. I am more efficient and more on point.

Humility:

I am not an expert. I enjoy listening to others share their knowledge, regardless of their level of experience. I try to listen to bowhunters' successes and failures. It only makes me a better bowhunter. I can think of three specific conversations that I had with my friend Kent that led to success for me on two occassions. I applied two tips on one instance. His experience and willingness to share his knowledge, played out for me. I recently passed on Kent's experience with snort wheezing to a good friend, and he applied that to a decoying scenerio and was able to get a buck into bow range. I later applied the snort wheeze technique to my set up which led to my 2016 buck coming in for a fight.

I have found that I always struggle hunting with people that have to be right or have no faith or confidence in your ability. Honestly, I have been on both sides of this coin. What ultimately happens is a whole lot of struggle. Over the years, I have found that when I've been "that guy"...a dash of humility would have been a better ingredient.

I learn from my peers. Many of my best hunting partners are guys that fail a lot...but are not failures. I know people that are self proclaimed trophy hunters that never kill anything...failures in the field. I know guys that are humble as dirt that kill trophies at will...but it takes them many attempts. I know who I listen to when the topic of hunting comes up.

2013: Matt Dorram with the giant prairie buck. We worked on this buck.
The hunt evolved by the minute. We talked each other through it.
It ultimately led to a 40 yard shot. This buck was with a doe.
A smaller buck was making it difficult to get this deer in bow range.
Click Pic To Enlarge

The Dance:

I am not sure this is the greatest analogy, but here it goes. We've all been to wedding dances when a couple gets on the dance floor and they seem like they are floating on air. They own the floor and it's obvious. I like to think that I can lead...or be lead at any point during a hunt. When I have been forced to lead...or force to follow I've become the hero or the goat. Not the "greatest of all time" kind of goat. I personally don't want to be the hero or the goat. A natural flow of responsibility on a hunt has always been more satisfying and fulfilling for me. There are times when I will be on fire...and times I am as cold as ice. I know when I'm in the zone and I know when I don't have it. It seems to me that when I've been a part of a natural exchange of philosophy more things go right.

2010: Kent holding the decoy as this buck postured in. Cut milo field.
Shot this buck at 17 yards and closing.
Single best H.U.D moment to date. Been hunting like this since.
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My best hunting partners seem to have a great deal of self control or awareness. Stumbling and bumbling through the woods has not worked with me. A good idea or plan that both parties buy into...whether right or wrong has worked well for me. My best partners try to find success in failure. By that, no one gets saddled with blame and we can check a hunting spot or technique off the list and move on.

My picks:

The guys I work best with are guys that are ethical. Guys that have confidence in me. Guys that I have confidenc in. It always helps when they are experienced. I enjoy those that have a degree of humility. Not afraid to take the lead or the backseat. Guys that share both in success and in failure. When you screw up they let you live it down...but every once in a while bring it up to give you the business.

Heads Up Decoy and Partners

One of the things I appreciate about Heads Up Decoy is how enjoyable the product is to use when you have a partner. Many of my greatest moments with Heads Up Decoy have been with a partner. I am more aggressive and less conservative.

2015: Charging Buck. My friend Kent running the decoy as his hired hand was the shooter.
The wind was blowing about 30 mph. Miserable conditions, but we were able to get a shot.
We worked for this chance. Click Pic To Enlarge.

When I am with a partner, I have played many roles: the shooter, the guy running the decoy, or observing a guy going solo. I find it very satisfying helping someone tag out. My best bow hunting partners feel the same.

2013: Good friend David Gillan. We've killed some animals together.
Turkeys, deer, and now elk.
David is optimistic and positive. Spring Turkey.
David shot this bird at 5 yards. Click Pic To Enlarge.

When there are two people that are accomplished, humble, and confident...animals die. Heads Up Decoy is deadly when there are two people working together. Bowhunting is about making memerois as much as anything. Having someone to experience a hunt with Heads Up Decoy helps keep the memories alive and furthers the bowhunting bond.



If you find yourself hunting with a partner, Heads Up Decoy has a product for you that can improve your results and create moments in the field that you won't believe until you experience it.

2016: Holding the decoy as my friend Nathan whizzed the arrow by my ear.
This is a screen capture of the arrow going passed me.
This buck is at 20 yards. Made eye contact with him before
I could get the decoy up. He was locked down with a doe.
Came posturing in from over 100 yards away.
Click Pic To Enlarge.

2012: Matt and Lucas Palmquist with 2 great mulies they shot in the same field
approximately 30 minutes apart. Both bucks were inside of 20 yards when the arrow made impact.
Click Pic To Enlarge.

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Point Blank Turkey Hunting with a Bow

As bow hunters, we always want a slam dunk shot. With the Heads Up Turkey Decoy, we expect it. Not the ground blind traditional set up, I'm talking the wide open turkey fanning bow mounted set up.

It is not unusual to get multiple point blank...inside of 10 yards...shots during a season. For that to happen, the birds do need to cooperate. But it is frequent to say the least. I can remember a picture perfect day in 2015. I was hunting by myself. I had one golden opportunity to seal the deal on a bird inside of 10 yards. And a couple more that were not far outside of that 10 yard mark. It was day where I was not following my own advise...DON'T RUSH!

Our Heads Up Turkey Decoy continues to prove it's worth season after season. There are a lot of people out there with their own version of turkey decoys. As I said, it's difficult to compete with the Heads Up Decoy when the weather is bad or when the weather is good. Our simple design lends itself to versatility and effectiveness. We've proven that time and time again...to the point we have nothing left to do other than keep having fun and introducing our product to new folks.

I have some great footage of my friend David from a couple years back that has never been formally produced until now. (Click  Video) It was a windy spring, but this day proved to be picture perfect for turkey hunting. We did not roll out of bed at o-dark-thirty. David and I sneaked down a low wash to a steep bank. As the sun was beginning to light up the pasture, we eased up the steep bank and settle into a small yucca patch on the top of a ridge. The ridge had a great vantage point and it happen to be adjacent to a small grove of trees the toms filtered into after they loose their hens to the nest.

We occasionally called. We could hear birds in several directions. Pretty soon we realized one gobbler was really picking up what we were putting down. Easily the farthest bird I've ever called and decoyed in. He was merely a speck when we saw him.

When an animal is way out there, I don't mind doing some really crazy things to get an animal to see the decoy. Once I know they have made eye contact, I reel it in an begin making more natural movements. This was one of those instances where I raised the decoy high above my head. Rotate the Heads Up side to side until he made visual.

Once this bird made visual contact with us, he didn't know whether to strut, gobble, run, or all of the above. He was fired up. When I saw the bird run down the draw toward us a few hundred yards away...I knew this bird was going to finish close...and well...he was in David's lap.

We get a lot of hunts that work out like this, but not all of them are on film.

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