A few years ago, a hunting companion of mine fractured his ankle before spring turkey season. Not wanting to sacrifice the season, we tried to figure out a way to get him into the woods on opening day, but in a cast and crutches it was going to be a challenge.

Another friend suggested a portable ground blind.

"You can set it up anywhere," he said. "They're roomy and Dan should be quite comfortable."

It seemed like the answer to our prayers, so we went down to the local department store and purchased a blind measuring 68 inches square at the base and 68 inches high. We figured the blind would offer ample room for both of us, and its large wheelchair-accessible doors would allow easy access for Dan and his artificial "legs."

After some deliberation, we decided to hunt a field about a mile from where I live. Pre-season scouting had revealed a popular roosting spot in a stand of hardwoods on the bordering east-facing ridge, and on more than one occasion I had observed birds, including several adult gobblers, strutting in the field just after sunup.

The area was easy to access and seemed like the perfect spot. Hoping to give local birds time to acclimate to its presence, I erected the blind about a week before the opener just inside the wood line where Dan would have good shooting lanes into the field.

To make a long story short, just after sunrise on opening day, Dan and I heard the birds leave the roost on the ridge behind us, and within an hour after our arrival, Dan had a nice 19-pound gobbler with a full 10-inch beard on the ground. Two days later, I took a tom from the same blind that could have been its twin.

Needless to say, I was impressed, but I became a firm believer in the advantages of hunting from blinds the next spring after Dan and I again doubled on gobblers using the blind.

This past spring, my brother, Dave, purchased his own blind after witnessing our success and we all filled our tags. You could say we are now full-fledged blind converts and I have no doubt my free-standing portable is one of the best turkey-hunting investments I have ever made. It's improved my success to the point that I rarely leave home during the spring gobbler season without my "doghouse" in the truck.

CONCEALMENT IS THE KEY
Hunters who are consistently successful in the game will tell you an important key to taking gobblers, especially educated old toms, is concealment. Most hunters back up against a stump, tree or other backdrop and remain motionless in a prepared shooting position. The idea is to break up your silhouette and to blend in with natural surroundings.