Yes when Toms quit gobbling it gets harder, but they seldom quit gobbling completely. I hunt moon times. Sometimes midday can be a much better time to hunt. I have heard plenty of Toms gobble after noon. There has been nothing I have hunted that makes me scratch my head more than a wild turkey.
There has been nothing I have hunted that makes me scratch my head more than a wild turkey.
You can say that again! I know where they roost, I know where they feed, and I know where they travel on a daily basis but there is nothing on this earth that I could do to get one close enough to take a shot. Every day, for 5 days, just watch from a distance. I guess I can’t complain too much though, most hunters would be thrilled to see 57 turkeys in 5 days.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Born wrote:</div>
There has been nothing I have hunted that makes me scratch my head more than a wild turkey.You can say that again! I know where they roost, I know where they feed, and I know where they travel on a daily basis but there is nothing on this earth that I could do to get one close enough to take a shot. Every day, for 5 days, just watch from a distance. I guess I can’t complain too much though, most hunters would be thrilled to see 57 turkeys in 5 days.
Next time go to them, as said before they aren’t very smart when it comes to blinds.
Aren’t most turkeys done gobbling by C or D season and later? Doesn’t that make it a lot more difficult?
I hunted Memorial Day weekend last year and had Toms gobbling. Northern MN thou.
Wouldn’t a blind in the middle of the field stick out like a sore thumb though? It seems very unnatural.
Yes, a blind in the middle of a field does stick out like sore thumb. But turkeys don’t seem to perceive it as a threat. I’ve had hens walk around the blind talking to my decoy. Tom’s don’t get a chance to do that 
Sometimes it seems like they may shy a way somewhat but at other times they act like it’s not even there. It’s very important to not be silhouetted in the blind. I keep all the windows mostly fully zippered with only some small openings to peak out of. Make sure the blind is staked down very well if it’s windy. The blind moving and flapping can spook them.
Hunting turkeys from a blind is not my favorite way to hunt them. But in some situations, such as in your case where the turkeys were leaving the roost and going directly to the middle of an open field, it can be the best way. It’s also effective when it’s raining lightly where it seems like the turkeys like to go out into open fields.
Aren’t most turkeys done gobbling by C or D season and later? Doesn’t that make it a lot more difficult?
I never hunt before the fourth time period in WI or MN because either I’m a nonresident and can’t draw an earlier tag and/or hunt after the landowner’s family and friends are done hunting. When the weather is nice, they’ll be gobbling.
Hunting turkeys from a blind is not my favorite way to hunt them.
The first year I tried turkey hunting I didn’t use a blind. I sat on the ground in full camo and it was not only very uncomfortable, but I got wet when it rained, and I couldn’t move a whole lot. The blind offers me the chance to look through binoculars, drink coffee, and stretch my legs. Plus I can sit in a comfortable chair for hours on end. Given the weather conditions I had the past 5 days, if I didn’t have a blind, I would not have even gone. I am not sitting out there in the rain, snow, and wind.
Next season if I run into this scenario I will place it more out in the open if I need to instead of trying to blend it in.
gimruis – Turkey hunting can be really difficult one time and rather easy the next. Early in the season before the Tom have gathered up a lot of hen’s is probably the easiest. The problem is when that happens changes from year to year and location to location. Once a Tom has a bunch of hens gathered up is probably the hardest time to hunt them. He is not likely to risk leaving the ones he’s with to try and pull in one more. At this stage you are at the mercy of where the hen’s decide to go. Where they go the Toms will follow. Once the hens the Toms are with starts to nest those big old toms will go back to looking for any hens that were missed. This is also often a rather easy time to hunt them. I’ve had years where no matter what I did as far as calling, Decoys, setups I could not get a Tom or even a Jake to get within shooting range. I’ve also had years where I was setup at 5:30 and had Toms pitch down and sail right into my decoy and the hunt was over in less than A half hour.
As far as blinds go I have never hunted out of one. I can see where in crappy weather they would be nice. The closest that I’ve been to hunting out of a pop up blind was last Friday when I called in a nice Tom for my cousin while sitting in a Deer stand. Hunting out of that was a little different for sure. I managed to call that bird in from all the way across a Large field. I was only able to watch the bird till it got about 1/2 way across the field. After that I got out of the view of the window of the stand. My cousin keep me informed of what the bird was doing and I called out the side window to keep the bird coming in. I wish I would have been able to see the action the last minute or so. My cousin said the bird put on a real show at the end. I wish I could have been able to film it for him.
Hope you have better luck next season !!!
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>boone wrote:</div>
Hunting turkeys from a blind is not my favorite way to hunt them.Given the weather conditions I had the past 5 days, if I didn’t have a blind, I would not have even gone. I am not sitting out there in the rain, snow, and wind.
Next season if I run into this scenario I will place it more out in the open if I need to instead of trying to blend it in.
I will also add birds always seem more fired up and willing to play better in nicer weather. Sunny calmer days always seem to be best. Warmer temps can help but not as important and sunny calmer days.
I will also add birds always seem more fired up and willing to play better in nicer weather. Sunny calmer days always seem to be best. Warmer temps can help but not as important and sunny calmer days.
Ya I definitely agree with that. More activity out of them and more noise from them when there’s better conditions. Which kinda surprised me with the number of birds I saw the last 5 days because the conditions were awful every day except one.
A little late but had a Season A WI tag this year and harvested my first gobbler the second day of the season. Having never experienced the turkey woods before it was an awesome experience to listen to those first light gobbles.
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