Should I bother with opening day?

[Scoot]

I drew a ND turkey tag and the opener is April 13th. I am coaching my son's basketball game that morning at 9:00. I couldn't get to the area I'm going to hunt until about noon. Should I bother with going out that day or should I hold off until the next morning?

[DonBo]

Seriously? You think they go back into their dens after 9:00? I'm assuming you only have a handfull of days you're able to hunt right? Get out there and make the most of them.

Certainly that first couple hours when they're gobbling is the most fun, but for the most part turkeys are active all day long. Set up in an area frequented by birds and let your deeks do their thing. Don't call more than every half hour or so unless you hear some activity. IF you hear a gobble later in the day, he's interested and is going to be very killable.

Good luck Scoot!

[sticknstring]

What's the terrain like where you're hunting? I hunt small properties in MN and walking to/from hunting spots during daylight often bumps birds. If you can get in undetected at lunch time, I'd go for it. Birds will be more content, tight-beaked, but often the toms will break away from the hens and be eager for company. I can't think of a better way to enjoy an afternoon!

[Scoot]

LOL- no, it's not that I thought they disappeared after 9:00, but all I ever hear about is people killing birds in the first couple hours of the day.

Don, it sounds like you'd set up and stay in one spot for the most part. I was thinking about moving and calling, looking for a response. If I got a bird to gobble in response to my calling, I'd move in as close as I dared and set up. Bad plan?

I warned you- I don't know squat about turkeys!!!

[Scoot]

What's the terrain like where you're hunting?

The terrain is a scattered combo of open fields, light brush, and heavy woods. It'll definitely allow for some movement to and from that is undetected.

[Hoyt4]

SCoot ,

Most birds are taken from 9-2 hours. Yes some people do get them in the first few hours but that is also when they are henned up the most. You should be fine going in later morning. I would do some prospecting and moving with some calls. Crow call or even peacock work well in the afternoon to get them to fire off. If one answers (to a turkey call)at that time of day i would bet he would be 95% committed to coming in. Once you get to the evening hours make it back to the places you see them going to roost or like to strut before flying up.

[Borch]

LOL- no, it's not that I thought they disappeared after 9:00, but all I ever hear about is people killing birds in the first couple hours of the day.

Don, it sounds like you'd set up and stay in one spot for the most part. I was thinking about moving and calling, looking for a response. If I got a bird to gobble in response to my calling, I'd move in as close as I dared and set up. Bad plan?

I warned you- I don't know squat about turkeys!!!

Scoot you bow or gun hunting? I thought bow but I don't recall for sure. Early season with a late spring will make movement difficult to get away with. Without much foliage to block you out getting picked off is a major concern especially if drawing a bow without a blind of some sort. A better plan is to scout early and either set up blinds or spots with good cover in place birds spend time and sneak to those spots.

The difference between deer and turkeys is that is if a deer looks at you and you sit very still eventually they will think your a tree or bush. A turkey looks at a tree or bush and thinks it's something that is trying to eat it. They are super paranoid.

The past 3 years the earliest I've shot a bird is 11:30 in the morning. The tough part is sneaking out to get set up in the afternoon. I use fence lines, ditches and hillsides to get to my spots midday.

[DonBo]

Yep, moving around too much in the middle of the day HOPEING you hear a gobble is asking for trouble. Most likely all you'll do is spook them onto the neighbors property where you'll never see them again.

With a bow, my best advice to wait them out. Not saying it can't be done, but it's tough when bowhunting. Staying in the blind also gives you a MUCH better chance of actually getting off a shot. Outside your blind, you can not image how hard it is just to draw your bow without getting busted.

Now if you've got unlimited acreage it's a lot of fun to move around and call hopeing to find an active tom, but I don't believe it ups your odds at all.

[Scoot]

OK, I'll again remind you turkey guru's that I don't know diddly about turkey hunting, so please bare with me...

If I get out for a noon to sundown type hunt on opening day, would I be better off trying to sneak in to a more wooded area with a lot of cover? I'd assume I'd have a much better chance of getting in there without being seen than trying to set up on the edge of the field that I'd have to cross.

I'll make a scouting trip or two in a couple weeks and I imagine that'll help guide my decisions quite a bit...

To answer the question from Borch above- bowhunting.

[DonBo]

Scoot, every situation is different. You know I prefer to sit field edges, but it will depend a lot on where they are feeding. Fields may be greening up late this year, in which case there may be more feed in the woods. This will change with the changing weather conditions and scouting now will not reveal the same patterns as scouting just before your season. If at all possible, rely on locals to tell you where they are seeing birds and when.

Wherever you set up, just be very cautious on the walk in notto spook any birds. If you know an area birds regularly roost, setting up there in the evening is a good plan. Just be aware that if they come in and fly up around you that you will be stuck there untill dark before you can sneak out without spooking them.

Just like big bucks, any bird spooked is a bird that will be that much harder to kill.

[sticknstring]

I think you oughta come down and hunt turkeys in NE w/ me and in return I come to ND and hunt mulies with you! Deal?

[Scoot]

I think you oughta come down and hunt turkeys in NE w/ me and in return I come to ND and hunt mulies with you! Deal?

That works for me!

[sticknstring]

You're going to be a regular on the spring turkey scene if you give it an honest go. About the only thing I can imagine being better would be chasing bugling bulls and you've already been bit by that bug!

This weather is starting to get me fired up now!

[surewood]

My advice is get to a vantage point that day. Somewhere that Turkeys may show up, but more for scouting. Get the binocs out and scan the area. When you see where they come out that evening you'll know where to set up under darkness the next morning. It has worked every time so far for me. Of the five birds we've shot the last few years 3 have been a couple hours before dark. Definitely worth it.

[nbadger23]

I think I'm the exception in that I've shot 6 birds in my life, with 4 of them coming within the first 30 minutes of daylight and 2 of them coming in the evening. However, even given that I would still tell you to go out and hunt whenever you have the chance. If I've read it once, I've read it a 1000 times, there are good chances of shooting birds throughout the day.

One thing I love about turkeys, as opposed to deer, is that they don't seem to have a natural "down time" where you know it's just not going to have good odds of seeing movement. They may not be as vocal later in the day but they are still moving around, which is what you need. That, and some patience :-)

[Sinker]

I've shot a fair amount of turkeys and like someone said, the flydown and all of the activity early is exciting, but by far the most successful time for me has been 10 a.m. on. They stay with the hens until they go and nest and then go out cruising. I still call when they're with the hens but I don't expect to pull the gobblers away but give them somewhere to come back and check out.