# Turkeys after rain...



## simba (Dec 31, 2013)

So, it's been raining like crazy up here in Cache Valley. I'm a first-season turkey hunter and I've been out once so far. I've heard that turkey hunting is worthless in a downpour but just after the rain (it's supposed to be clear tomorrow from 5am to 3pm) it's supposed to be prime time. Advice I've read so far says to focus on open ground after rain because the birds don't like the dripping woods because they can't hear as well. Also, keep calling soft to moderate. The small area of public land I'm going to is in the foothills of the Wellsvilles and there are some broken up open spots on tops of the hills with lots of sage brush. and huge open spots in the little canyon bottoms. Which place spot would be better tomorrow morning? I've got one hen decoy and a mouth call. 

Last week, under similar conditions I was getting consistent gobbles in response to my calls after about 8am. I was on the top of a small ridge off a two-track road to a comm tower. I was in a very small clearing with trees all around and they never came in. Advice from anyone who reads this before tomorrow early morning? Thanks!


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## duck (Dec 31, 2014)

go in really early way before they wake up, sit where you think they were last weekend set out your decoy and do some soft calling. let us know how it goes:mrgreen:


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## duck (Dec 31, 2014)

how did it go?


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

simba said:


> Last week, under similar conditions I was getting consistent gobbles in response to my calls after about 8am. I was on the top of a small ridge off a two-track road to a comm tower. I was in a very small clearing with trees all around and they never came in. Advice from anyone who reads this before tomorrow early morning? Thanks!


If they are answering you but not coming to you, make a flanking maneuver. Rinse and repeat.


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## ram2h2o (Sep 11, 2007)

They may have an something between you and the Gobbler. They are funny, sometimes wont cross fence or go around down tree. If they have stream between you and the Tom. They may be with hens and not going to come to another hen while they have hens at hand to service. That's the challenge of Turkey hunting. Look up Kenny Morgan on-line and buy either or both of his books. You wont be disappointed and you will be a better Turkey hunter. I hunted with him back in Louisiana and Mississippi before the Cancer got him. Great hunter!


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## simba (Dec 31, 2013)

So, I set up this time in the canyon bottom under the ridge I was on the first time. I let out a call and waited. A little while later I heard I gobble that couldn't have been more than 50 yards from me up in dense trees. Being the beginner I am, I responded to that gobble and every other the same bird made. When he flew down, he flew across the canyon and I watched him walk up and over the far ridge. I couple clucks I let out didn't even slow him down. Later, I checked this article that I've been using http://www.dccl.org/information/turkey/turkeyhunt.htm and saw the part where he says after the gobbler responds to your call, shut up! I wish I had remembered that out there. If I get another chance this season, I'll definitely go easier on the calling.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

simba said:


> Later, I checked this article that I've been using http://www.dccl.org/information/turkey/turkeyhunt.htm and saw the part where he says after the gobbler responds to your call, shut up! I wish I had remembered that out there. If I get another chance this season, I'll definitely go easier on the calling.


Nobody died and left me in charge of anything, but don't believe everything you read on the internet. Though there are times for shutting up, I'd suggest that "after the gobbler responds to your call, shut up" is the wrong advice most of the time. If he's walking your way, or if he's looking at your location, shut up. But shutting up to a gobbling bird doesn't serve much purpose if he hasn't developed an interest in your calling yet. If he was less than 50 yds from you in the tree, and you were calling to him frequently from that close,chances are he saw you or figured out something wasn't quite right. If you didn't call like a bird would call at such close range, that's a no-no and would not feel right to him. But there are lots of factors that come into play that determines whether he comes to you or not.


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## manysteps (Sep 28, 2009)

hawglips said:


> Nobody died and left me in charge of anything, but don't believe everything you read on the internet. Though there are times for shutting up, I'd suggest that "after the gobbler responds to your call, shut up" is the wrong advice most of the time. If he's walking your way, or if he's looking at your location, shut up. But shutting up to a gobbling bird doesn't serve much purpose if he hasn't developed an interest in your calling yet. If he was less than 50 yds from you in the tree, and you were calling to him frequently from that close,chances are he saw you or figured out something wasn't quite right. If you didn't call like a bird would call at such close range, that's a no-no and would not feel right to him. But there are lots of factors that come into play that determines whether he comes to you or not.


Most of the articles you read about calling in the roost are earlier season hunts when they get henned up really fast... if you call to much during that season, the hens lead the toms away.

Later in the season like we are now, the hens are on nests, so the game changes... you need to adapt to the current situation just as the birds do.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

From what I've heard the last several days, long spurred toms in central/south UT are working good to calls right now. They seem to be out looking for hens (the last week or so), from what I gather...

I have my own style of calling/hunting, as everybody else does, and I'm not saying what is or is not better or easier or harder or whatever. But I like to hunt toms who are with hens early in the season. Hens are still somewhat sociable, generally speaking, and I have good success calling them up with their toms in tow during that phase, historically speaking. But I approach things differently than what most folks will tell you to do with "henned up" toms - i.e., make the boss hen mad, etc. I like to take the opposite approach and try to act like a subordinate hen that is non-threatening. 

Early season toms with no hens are apt to be timid birds that are difficult to get to commit due to pecking order or other factors that get into a bird's psyche. Anyway, that's been my experience.

In 2012 when UT had an early spring after a mild winter, I hunted the last week of the season, and found where I was hunting that the toms were flocking back up and had no interest in hens. The only way I finally killed one on the third day of trying was to use gobbler calls. And if I hadn't had fall hunting experience and knew how to do that, I'd have struck out most likely. 

Seasonal fluctuations in turkey behavior are fascinating to me.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

Simba, in this case it sounds to me that your Tom was listening to some other birds over in the direction that he walked. Turkeys have great sense of hearing and he probably was responding to some hens or even other toms that you did not or could not hear. You didn't really get his attention or spark his interest enough for him to sneak over and take a look. So, possibly, by "shutting up" you lost your chance at that bird. When calling a Tom you generally need to brake down his natural inclination to stay put and have you, the hen, come to him. If he has committed to joining another group, a group he is familiar with or has somehow been separated from, calling him in can be a tough proposition sometimes. Simply put, you just can't call in every bird.


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## hawglips (Aug 23, 2013)

BPturkeys said:


> Simply put, you just can't call in every bird.


Yep.


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