morning, afternoon or evening?

[Powder]

It seems like the most popular time to hunt is in the morning. Has any one had any luck mid day? How about the evening? If so, is there anything different you'd do?

[Buckslayer08]

In Minnesota I have almost always been able to only get them in the morning, but in Kentucky I've called them in all day from dark to dark.

[Archerysniper]

I help my buddy kill his opening day at 5:20pm but what we do is target the strut zones close to the roosts set the blind thier and wait the only calling I do is just to get them to see the decoys it takes alot of homework but pays of for me alot.

[mechanictim]

On Thursday I started my hunt by climbing to a corner ridge and setting up just below the top of the ridge. About ten minutes after I started calling I had a tom gobbling about 300 yards down the ridge. He closed to 30 yards but I couldn't get a shot due to trees and brush.

About 5:00 on another ridge about a quarter mile away. I managed to get another tom fired up. As I was working on closing the range another tom started gobbling and coming in. Unfortunatly another hunter attracted by the toms walked in and spooked the first tom who was about 60 yards out at the time. Oh well, it happens.

On that same ridge top i set up on an area where I have seen turkeys roost before. I saw about half dozen hens and one jake walk up to the ridge and jump up to thier roost. As I was sneaking away from the roost and down the hill I saw alone bird roosting about 300 yards from the other birds. When he gobbled I knew where I would be in the morning. i listenedto that tom gobble till 9:30 that evening.

The nexy morning that tom was gobbling at 5:00 AM. I was able to climb to within 40 yards of the roosted tom by keeping a rock knob between us. I could peek over the knob and see him walking back and forth on his branch gobbling till about 10 minutes after legal shooting time. I started callling with a few quiet clucks. After about 10 minutes I did a call down cackle and landing. and he really got fired up. After about 5 minutes he flew down and started gobbling his head off. This got the hens I saw the night before going with lots of clucking and a few fly downs. Fortunatly I was between the real hens and the tom. After about 25 minutes of me calling and the tom answering and the hens getting closer and starteing to yelp the tom stepped out from behind a rock at about 10 yards and I made the shot.

I walked over to the tom and was admiring him when I heard hens calling from below.They got within about 50 yards and and I did spot one hen with a beard. Tried to get a picture but my little pocket camera was not up to it.

So to answer your question, yes you can call birds during any part of leagal shooting hours. From my experiance you will hear more gobbling early in the morning and during the earlier seasons. From my experience the later in the season it gets the less you will hear gobbling during the later part of the day. It doesn't mean the birds aren't reponding to your calls it just means they are not as vocal about it. I have been working along ridgetops trying to get close to a bird I heard gobble, called and had another tom suddenly and silently step out about 20 yards away. Always set up before you call.

[Gordie]

Ive shot most of my birds in the morning and one in the mid day time but today was the first bird in the evening 6:30 pm

[goblueM]

the later you get in the season, the better the mid-day times get

i hunt the G period, and my best times have been from 9-2 - out of 7 birds, only one has been before 7 AM.

If you know where the birds move, any time of day can be good.

[DonBo]

Mid-day is when I kill most of my birds, especially later in the season. Once the hens have had a bite and get bred they go to set on their nest. When all the hens are gone, the toms are alone and start actively searching for more. If you hear a gobble any time after mid-morning, get as close to him as you can before starting to call. These birds are relatively easy to kill.