Author Topic: Turkeys and the rain... (Read 897 times)

bigbore442001 · « **on:** April 26, 2005, 01:53:31 PM »

As usual, the Massachusetts turkey season opened on a rainy monday. I won't go into the details of my mornings hunt but let us say that it was a wash out. No pun intended.

Is it me or is it just futile to hunt these birds in the rain? It seems that in all the years of hunting turkey, it is a waste of time to hunt in the rain. i have never been successful in the rain.

Today was beautiful and of course, due to paperwork and BS meetings I could not go out for a short mornings hunt( it seems that everything conspires against me. I have all this work at school to do this week as the turkey season opens). Needless to say I spotted a gobbler gobbling at cars on the way to work. It is in a residential neighborhood and didn't feel like making license plates to take him. ( although a bow would fit in from the back end of the property he was on :twisted: )

Anyways.Anyone here have any sort of success in the rain? If so, anyone care to share tricks?

buckeye hunter · « **Reply #1 on:** April 27, 2005, 05:38:46 AM »

I have found that in a drizzling rain turkeys will gravitate toward grassy areas (fields, food plots, etc). I think that they do this to avoid predators as the rain makes them vulnerable to being stalked, open areas seem to give them a sense of added security. If you can get to the field before they do and set out decoys, you can often just let them come to you.
I hope this helps!

Robert · « **Reply #2 on:** April 27, 2005, 06:02:59 AM »

Turkeys around here don't gobble in the rain....or at least I have never heard one gobble in the rain. If it is totally overcast, I don't even bother to go. If it is intermitent sun and showers you will have a chance in the sun breaks...other than that....you would probably just have to stumble upon them without them answering a call....which means that YOU will be going to THEM, rather than sitting still and having the turkey come to YOU, and more than likely ending up with a shot-up bird. When a Turkey Gobbles....he throws his head straight out away from his body, and that is when to take the shot. If he aint Gobbling, chances are you're gonna have pellets in the breast meat. Been rainy here too.

WD45 · « **Reply #3 on:** April 27, 2005, 07:34:05 AM »

Yup, I'm singin the rainy day blues to :roll:
It is supposed to rain the next 4 days here :x
You aint alone

Robert · « **Reply #4 on:** April 27, 2005, 08:00:58 AM »

But on a good note....I went for a drive with Cissy on Sunday afternoon to one of my favorite spots....way, way up. Did a little Gold panning, then went to the old deer camp at the top of the hill and made a nice campfire. We were just about to take an little hike with my call and a 12 gauge, when I heard a vehicle coming in the main road, so we waited. All of a sudden Boom......Boom, Boom. I went down to investigate, saw a guy in camo, and he is pointing. Just then about 6 birds came out of the bushes straight at me, saw me and headed straight toward the other guy...birds saw him and took off flying in the other direction about 50 yds out. Well I knew I saw beards, so I just waited to clearly identify a Tom and took a flying shot. I usually don't take wing shots and try to keep inside 40 yds, but the bird (jake) went down. As I said earlier..not the best shot when he aint gobbling, and I got a couple pellets in one breast. The other guy came walking up...turned out he had his nice new Benelli and forgot to load it. He was a guy I had met last year at the same place. His freind was the one doing the shooting and he also got a bird with 4 beards, one big one and three little ones. Sorry, I kinda went of this topic a little.

iisabigone · « **Reply #5 on:** April 27, 2005, 03:13:40 PM »

I go turkey hunting whenever I have the chance to go here in Virginia during the spring season. Over the last 35 years I have killed some of my best birds in thunderstorms and on rainy day mornings. A real productive time is after a good morning rain when the sun pops out and the clouds go away. Just my experience here in Virginia. I have never been able to kill anything with the covers pulled up over my head.
iisabigone

quickdtoo · « **Reply #6 on:** April 28, 2005, 09:16:52 AM »

Quote from: Robert

Turkeys around here don't gobble in the rain....or at least I have never heard one gobble in the rain. If it is totally overcast, I don't even bother to go. If it is intermitent sun and showers you will have a chance in the sun breaks...other than that....you would probably just have to stumble upon them without them answering a call....which means that YOU will be going to THEM, rather than sitting still and having the turkey come to YOU, and more than likely ending up with a shot-up bird. When a Turkey Gobbles....he throws his head straight out away from his body, and that is when to take the shot. If he aint Gobbling, chances are you're gonna have pellets in the breast meat. Been rainy here too.

I've shot lots of turkeys, never wait for em to gobble to shoot em, just a putt on a diaphram call and they stick their head up and let em have it, will sometimes get a pellet or 2 in the breast at longer ranges, but they're right at the top of the breast and easy to find, but using Hevi-shot, it usually goes on thru. Having a tight shooting gun makes a big difference, with Hevi-shot and the right tube, killing turkeys out to 40-50yds is easy!! Or just call em in closer!

daddywpb · « **Reply #7 on:** April 28, 2005, 01:28:06 PM »

It was drizzling rain when I shot my bird this season. Didn't seem to bother him at all. He gobbled all the way in, and I was the only hunter in the area.

varmit_master · « **Reply #8 on:** May 13, 2005, 09:03:08 PM »

Hi i have killed a bunch of turkeys in the rain they will hit the open fields because the rain keeps the bugs from flying and PLUS they can see Predators alot better and they will also hit there strut zone too i have heard a few turkeys gobble in the rain and they didnt live to tell about it because if you heard one gobble in the rain he is hot and you can work him VM

MLRowland · « **Reply #9 on:** May 14, 2005, 10:26:50 AM »

Here is my rainy day gobbler.I got him of April 12 2004.I had worked a gobbler with hens on opening day in this soybean field that the turkey like so much.Another hunter spooked the turkeys.So I went to another area and called up a gobbler.So when they were calling for rain on April 12 2004 I knew where I was hunting. You guessed it the soybean field.I knew the turkeys would be there if it was raining in the morning.Sure enough I was setup near the turkey roost.I had a hen tree calling in a tree 20 yards behind me.Another turkey gobbled up the holler.Then another turkey flew from his roost and landed in the tree with the hen.It looked to be a gobbler.The turkeys flew down into the field.I did not have a real good view so i moved to the edge of the field.I could see two turkeys out in the field.I called to them.One of them gobbled.They work there way around the terrases to me.I shot the biggest one.And I had my rain day gobbler.So hunt in the rain.The turkeys will still be there.If you got time off you better go.You never know when the turkeys are going to turn on! Godd Luck. Gobble Gobble!