Turkey huntin' in the rain

[SurfNHuntSD]

It's been a few seasons since I've turkey hunted in the rain, but for this year's opener we have a forecast for scattered showers and gusty winds in the afternoon. Any tips/tricks you guys use to keep friction calls dry and overall strategy for hunting birds in the rain and wind? Personally, I keep mine ziplocked but am looking for better ideas. I've noticed the birds will hang onto the roost longer and will often hide out until the showers clear, which can give good opportunities if you're willing to wait it out. Just curious what others do in these conditions. For me, the wind is usually more problematic since I have a harder time hearing gobbles and ensuring my calls are heard through the wind.

 

[TRICER]

My only tip is everyone should stay home turkeys don't come out for at least a week after rain. Don't waste your time.

I am going to use a pop up blind to stay dry. Rain or shine I will be out there.

 

[ilovesprig]

I think in my 20+ years of turkey hunting, I've only shot one gobbler in the rain (we actually doubled).....It wasn't because we called them in.....We just knew what trail they used every day.

They will stay on the roost longer and I've actually seen them not leave a tree at all (they probably did, just didn't see it).....I think if I was going to hunt them in the rain, I would want to be as close to the roost as possible.....Call aggressively with mouth or wet box type box calls.....Hunting in heavy rain & wind is miserable, setting up in a pop-up certainly would be better.

This hunt wasn't in a full blown downpour (probably what we'll have this opener), but cold, windy, & wet.....And we called in this tom.....4-12-12

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[SurfNHuntSD]

Thanks Steve. I don't have a wet box call but will be hitting the mouth call a lot. I agree, sitting still for hours in the pouring rain is pretty miserable, so I'm hopeful for some clearing enough to get some action on opener. Drew, I'm with you -- rain on opener will suck, so I also advise other hunters to wait 7-14 days before heading into the woods...

 

[ilovesprig]

I knew I had a picture of a torrential downpour from a number of years back.....Half rain & half snow.....COLD!

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[SurfNHuntSD]

Heck of a downpour right there.. cool pix Steve

 

[MJB]

Sleep in.......it aciallh looks like maybe a sprinkle on Saturday

 

[Snake Charmer]

No BS, If you wanna kill a turkey wait for warm dry weather and sunny day. Otherwise you are wasting your time. I have never seen a turkey killed on my property otherwise

 

[Snake Charmer]

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[Fowl Play]

Can't kill 'em on the couch, that's for sure. I've done my fair share of hunting turkeys in the rain (grew up in Florida). From my experience, light rain can have little to no affect on birds. Heavy rains in the morning will shut them up real quick and they may never come out of the tree if the rain doesn't stop. Most of the times when I see birds out in a good rain, breeding is off. Hens and Toms will group up as if it's the middle of winter and all they care about is food. They'll mosy around all day, making very little noise. If it's bearable, I'm normally out there in rain gear trying to intercept them between roosting/feeding areas. If it's an all out downpour, I'll seek shelter in the truck near the roost and wait for a gap in the rain. They will seek food if the rain stops. One of my most memorable hunts was sitting in my truck with my buddy in an absolute torrential downpour (this storm dropped 25 inches of rain overnight). All of a sudden rain stops, clouds part, sun starts shining through a gap in the clouds. We hustle on over to a path the turkeys walk down once they fly off the roost, and not 30 min later we had 2 birds on the ground. Sorriest, wet dog looking birds you ever did see, but a nice turkey nonetheless.

 

[Matagi]

I been fortunate to get three birds in not so optimal weather in the past several years. For me, I have to hunt every chance I get so I try to get out rain or shine. In my opinion, the birds typically tend to hang in less dense brush or open pasture land during a down pour.

One year while hunting public land, I watched a hen and jake fly down from their roost and sit in one spot in a open pasture for nearly 5 hours. Only reason they moved was because my butt got too painful to sit and I had to go home early. If it wasn't for me moving, they probably would have stayed there all day. I will say that I have never seen a miserable look on a turkey before.

 

[5footshotgroup]

Can't kill 'em on the couch, that's for sure. I've done my fair share of hunting turkeys in the rain (grew up in Florida). From my experience, light rain can have little to no affect on birds. Heavy rains in the morning will shut them up real quick and they may never come out of the tree if the rain doesn't stop. Most of the times when I see birds out in a good rain, breeding is off. Hens and Toms will group up as if it's the middle of winter and all they care about is food. They'll mosy around all day, making very little noise. If it's bearable, I'm normally out there in rain gear trying to intercept them between roosting/feeding areas. If it's an all out downpour, I'll seek shelter in the truck near the roost and wait for a gap in the rain. They will seek food if the rain stops. One of my most memorable hunts was sitting in my truck with my buddy in an absolute torrential downpour (this storm dropped 25 inches of rain overnight). All of a sudden rain stops, clouds part, sun starts shining through a gap in the clouds. We hustle on over to a path the turkeys walk down once they fly off the roost, and not 30 min later we had 2 birds on the ground. Sorriest, wet dog looking birds you ever did see, but a nice turkey nonetheless.

If they bunch up like that would you try to bust them up and call them back in like you would in the Fall?

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

I been fortunate to get three birds in not so optimal weather in the past several years. For me, I have to hunt every chance I get so I try to get out rain or shine. In my opinion, the birds typically tend to hang in less dense brush or open pasture land during a down pour.

One year while hunting public land, I watched a hen and jake fly down from their roost and sit in one spot in a open pasture for nearly 5 hours. Only reason they moved was because my butt got too painful to sit and I had to go home early. If it wasn't for me moving, they probably would have stayed there all day. I will say that I have never seen a miserable look on a turkey before.

I'm with ya, Gen. With two kids under the age of 3, my days in the woods are limited nowadays. So I'll be out there rain or shine! The gobblers I've been watching have hens so it'll be a tough one for me anyway.

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

Ok I'm gonna jack my own thread here... when turkeys hang onto the roost longer in these conditions, often well into shooting light, what's to stop people from blasting them out of the roost? It's obviously not sporting at all and most hunters (I hope) don't do it, but I'm just surprised that with all the regs we have on the books already, including limiting shooting time in the afternoon to allow birds to return to roost, that there isn't a reg against it. I guess it goes without saying, sort of like shooting pheasants on the ground or sitting ducks on the water, but I was just curious.

 

[ilovesprig]

If they bunch up like that would you try to bust them up and call them back in like you would in the Fall?

I actually did that once, but not on purpose.....I was hunting Merriam's in New Mexico.....I tried to get a head of a henned up tom.....When I thought I was ahead of them, I came over a ridge. Only to have the whole bunch right in front of me.....They went all directions......I moved up the canyon and set-up.....Waiting awhile and I starting calling. I instantly got a response from the old boy.....10 minutes later in was in the bag......So, maybe it does work.....

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[Matagi]

I was hunting a well known public spot back in 2004 where I hunted mid day. As I walked in, I bumped a nice long beard and two hens. I went ahead of the direction they traveled, sat quietly with a single hen decoy and made soft yelps. About 15min later, I called in the two hens with the long beard in tow. I had the tom at 55 yards but wasn't confident shooting at that distance so he walked, never to see him again.

 

[Matagi]

Speaking of rainy day turkeys, this big flock of birds were hanging in a open pasture land. Behind the bush was a flock of toms and jakes. I hit the box call and they all gobbled as it started hailing. I have noticed that gobblers will gobble and come in to hen calls in the rain but won't really strut. I'm guessing to keep their down feathers from getting wet?

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