Turkeys in the rain

[Gordie]

Do you guys go at it really hard or what do find that works best in those rainy day situations?

[Dave S]

I certainly wouldn't let it keep me from going out. The birds may depart from their roost sooner if it's raining out. Since blinds don't seem to bother the birds much at all, I would set up farther out into a field, preferably alfalfa or shallow CRP grass. If you have a tom decoy like the Pretty Boy, I would consider using it wihout the tail. Or any decoy without the removable tail.

I also think more decoys in the rain might be more beneficial than they are in blue bird conditions since the birds tend to gather into larger groups when it's raining. I would say maybe 4 hens and a jake or tom decoy.

[derek5]

I would hunt them the same way in the rain as I would in the sun as far as decoys and setup. Also a blind is must to wait patiently in between rain falling. Just my 2 cents.

[Wanderer]

I still go out because, well, you hafta with only a few days to hunt. I look and listen and make the best of it, but why I'm really there is because when the rain stops, the birds can get pretty active pretty quick and I want to be at ground zero when they do.

Contrary to LEP's experience, I have seen birds stay roosted longer on rainy days. In fact, the last rainy morning I hunted turkeys, I had a vocal tom that wouldn't move so I put the sneak on him. Well, I flushed him and another off the roost at 11:15 am.

Sometimes they don't like getting out of bed either.

[Dave S]

I had a vocal tom that wouldn't move so I put the sneak on him. Well, I flushed him and another off the roost at 11:15 am.

Sometimes they don't like getting out of bed either.

Sounds like a teenager turkey to me

[Gordie]

Well this morning in the light rain we had a vocal tom at day break and he was probally 200 yards from us and everytime I would call he would answer then he just shut up nothing coulnt go where he was (no Permission) but I think he flew down and followed a hen, just a guess

We will head back out tonight for another chance at him.

[delzz7]

Just got back from nebraska. Where it rained about 2 inches in 2.5 days. The birds were out just like any other day. We ended up harvesting several Toms in rain and at times the winds did reached 30 mph. Thank goodness for my double bull blind

[123fish]

That's encouraging delzz7. We are heading there Thursday and sounds like we might encounter the same conditions. Had some friends there this past weekend and although they shot their birds they could only get them to come in using a single hen decoy. Otherwise the toms avoided anything with a jake or Pretty Boy in the decoy set. Did you notice anything like that? Congratulations on your success.

[delzz7]

123fish I tryed B mobile once with no success. The hens seemed to lure the Tom away from the decoy. I called in a group with 3 Toms and 8 hens using a single jake decoy with a gobbler call. I got that group to come in from about 200 yards. I had a Tom leave his hens and come running to my jake decoy too. The Toms seemed pretty henned up. Good Luck

[derek5]

Turkeys were out this morning in the rain, out in the middle of fields for over an hr in the rain. Had 3 jakes in the dekes. the long beard I'm after flew down further out from the woods then I anticipated. He kept working his way away from us. Try differnt spots tonight and tomorrow. Good luck to all!

[Musky Buck]

This may not apply to turkeys in the rain, but my dad and I both let turkey hunters wail away on our land, here's a tip possibly, don't just be a hunt early/late, I understand obligations/work/family/"prime time" etc. but the best turkey movement we're noticing now is at 10:00AM, 2:00PM, and 4:00PM with gobbling heard toward dusk. This entire week, almost as soon as the guys leave, here they come strutting right by their blinds, 1 of the guys took yesterday off of work and connected at about 11:00 AM ? This has changed over the past few years or since they started getting hunted, for all I know you already know this, but don't be afraid to pack a lunch and hang in there.

[Greybeard53]

You're right on about the mid day being a key time. But that's always been the case and not a factor of hunting pressure. It's directly related to the Toms reacting to breeding/hen activity.

One of the key reasons I see for unfilled tags, is that hunters give up too soon.