After a solid first week of the spring turkey season, I went into the weekend with a forecast of unseasonably cold temperatures and a higher-than-average wind speed.
On the sixth morning in a row of waking up at 4 a.m., it would have been easy to pull the covers over my head, go back to sleep and head out for a midday hunt. Not only was I tired, I knew the weather conditions were going to be less than ideal. My enthusiasm for the morning was lower than usual, and I was trying to find excuses for why I should not go hunting.
That morning two things pulled me out of bed: the plans I had made to hunt with a good friend and the fact that I had two unfilled turkey tags in my pocket. With the wind blowing and the temperatures in the low 30s, we made our way down a wooded fence row that typically was in an area that turkeys roosted. As we made it into the region where we had planned to hunt, we had yet to hear our first gobble. After using an owl call, we continued to have no luck of a gobbler answering us.
We elected to sit down on the fence row with no located turkeys found and make a few calls in hopes of a gobbler getting fired up. After ten minutes of silence, except for the howling of the high winds, I was shocked to pick out two gobblers who were roosted in the same tree approximately 100 yards through the timber. The two gobblers had never made a sound all morning, so I was surprised when my eyes adjusted to the low light to see them roosted.
After calling periodically with no response, it was now 7:40 a.m., and the two toms were still on the roost after a solid hour of daylight. Finally, the first gobbler leaned forward and pitched off onto the ground, followed by the second tom. With my diaphragm call still in the side of my mouth, I made two soft yelps. The two toms walked directly towards my buddy and me as if they were on a string. They were a mere 20 yards when they reached the fence row where we were sitting. The only problem was that I was the only one who could shoot from where they entered the fence row. After shooting the first tom, the other ran down the fence and then out of sight. The entire occurrence left my friend and me wondering why they had never made a sound and what had just happened.
You must go hunting if you want to harvest a turkey. Hunting turkeys in bad weather can have several different meanings. Windy and cold days like my friend and I experienced can be considered bad weather. Often the spring season can have multiple days of rain forecasted. Hunting in the Midwest, mainly in Missouri, you never really know what the weather will entail; I have even hunted turkeys in the snow during April. No matter what the weather conditions may be, I know the spring season only lasts a few weeks of the year, then you are left waiting for another 365 days to do it all over again. Whatever the forecast may be, one thing is required to harvest a bad weather gobbler: patience.
Many turkey hunters dread rainy weather during spring turkey season After all, we all love those beautiful sunny mornings when the toms are gobbling their heads off at first light However, the reality is that spring weather is often wet, with frequent rain showers. As an avid turkey hunter myself, I’ve learned that you can absolutely still kill toms when it’s raining – you just need to adjust your tactics. In this detailed guide, I’ll share my top tips for successful wet weather turkey hunting so you can keep filling tags even when the skies open up.
Why Hunt Turkeys in the Rain?
Before jumping into strategies, it’s worth covering why you should hunt in the rain rather than just waiting it out indoors. Here are some of the key benefits:
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More hunting opportunity – If you only hunt when it’s sunny, you’ll lose many potential hunting days during the season Hunting in the rain allows you to maximize your time in the spring woods
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Increased success – Believe it or not, some of my best hunts have happened in the rain. The bad weather changes gobbler patterns and behavior in predictable ways that you can use to your advantage.
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Less hunting pressure – Far fewer hunters will tough it out in heavy rain, so you’ll likely have the woods to yourself if you head out
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Awesome feeling – Bagging a soaked tom on a nasty day is incredibly rewarding. The bragging rights are well worth braving the weather!
How to Hunt Turkeys Successfully in the Rain: 7 Key Tactics
Now let’s get into the meat of how to kill toms when the weather is wet. Follow these proven tips:
1. Sleep in a bit
If it’s pouring at first light, it’s fine to sleep in for an hour or so. Just don’t overdo it. Set your alarm to get back after it once the rain lets up a bit.
2. Target roosted toms
Look for toms that are still roosted later in the morning due to the weather. Rain delays fly down time.
3. Get on birds during sunny breaks
Time your hunting to coincide with sunny breaks between rain showers. The improved weather really fires up the toms.
4. Hunt open fields
Look for toms grouped up in fields trying to stay dry. Their vision is limited by the rain, allowing you to sneak in.
5. Use blinds effectively
Bring a pop-up blind and decoys to fields and wait for roaming toms to come to you.
6. Gear up appropriately
Make sure you have quality rain gear, waterproof boots, and weather-resistant calls and gear.
7. Persist all day
Stick with it – the afternoon may clear up and offer great late-day hunting as toms look to breed.
Key Rain Gear for Turkey Hunting
To successfully hunt turkeys in the rain, specialized gear is a must:
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Rain jacket – Go for a lightweight, breathable, and quiet jacket like the First Lite Vapor Stormlight.
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Rain pants – Lightweight waterproof pants will keep you dry and comfortable.
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Waterproof boots – Your feet will get soaked without waterproof boots like Muck Boots.
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Weatherproof calls – Carry weather-resistant pot calls and keep mouth calls in plastic cases.
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Water protection for gear – Use waterproof bags and cases to keep gear, ammo, and electronics dry.
Consider the Turkey’s Perspective
To hunt toms effectively in wet weather, it helps to think about how rain impacts their behavior:
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They hate getting their feathers soaked as it makes them heavy, cold, and vulnerable.
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Their vision and hearing are both reduced by rain, changing response to calls.
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They seek open areas to feed, interact, and watch for danger.
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They often delay flying down from the roost and gobbling less.
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Bad weather suppresses breeding behaviors like strutting and calling hens.
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But…rainy periods followed by sun often supercharge breeding behaviors.
Final Tips for Wet Weather Success
A few final tips for filling your tag in the rain:
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Persist all day – The weather could improve at any time, so stick with it.
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Use topo maps – Use terrain features like saddles to intercept toms moving to feeding areas.
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Watch the forecast – Time your hunt based on down-to-the-minute weather predictions.
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Enjoy the solitude – Embrace hunting while everyone else is inside near the fire!
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Be flexible – If the birds aren’t cooperating, don’t be afraid to switch up tactics and locations.
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Be safe – Make smart decisions if thunderstorms roll through.
So there you have it – an overview of how to kill a tom when the skies open up. Don’t let rain keep you inside. With the right mindset and tactics, wet weather turkey hunting can be incredibly rewarding. Now get out there and bravely hunt those soaking wet gobblers!
Cold And Windy Days
When the temperatures are cold and windy, a spring gobbler is no different from humans; they are a little slower getting out of bed. I think a turkey knows that it is a battle to fight the wind and stay warm after they fly down. It is common for gobblers to stay on the roost for an extended period, as with my hunt. Even when it is their breeding season, they lose their ambition and stay on the roost where they have been relaxing all night. S
taying on the topic of the breeding season, hens are another reason for a slow start when the weather is cold and windy. When temperatures are colder, hens often stay on their nest to keep their eggs warmer, and it is probably warmer for them to stay there as well. Fewer hens out wandering around means less activity for the gobblers to encounter, thus being the reason behind breeding activities being slower when the weather is terrible.
The key to lousy weather hunting is not to let it deter you. Instead, use it to your advantage. It may take more time, yet gobblers will respond to calling. When hens are on the nest, gobblers get lonely. When hunting in colder, damp weather, it is vital to dress the part. You must face the elements and stay in the woods to harvest turkeys. Wear a warmer garment such as the new Blocker Outdoors Silentec jacket and pants in Bottomland. Garments such as Silentec keep you warm and comfortable when waiting out a slow-moving gobbler. Plus, the soft outer layer keeps you quiet when turkeys are in close range, which is a must when spring turkey hunting. Outlasting mother natures elements means you will be ready whenever a gobbler decides he is ready to play.
Turkey Hunting in the Rain
FAQ
Is it worth turkey hunting in the rain?
No matter where you target turkeys, early season hunts often find you in the rain. At this time the testosterone levels are high in toms, and they’re ready to breed. This means they’ll react to calls and decoys, even in the rain.
How active are turkeys in the rain?
During and after a rain, gobblers will crowd into flooded fields to eat swampy insects and other grubs from the ground. Turkeys like to huddle in open fields during rainfall because their eyesight is not as good in those conditions, and the rain falling on leaves through trees limits their hearing.
Are turkeys okay in the rain?
Ensure turkeys have adequate shelter to protect them from heavy rain and cold temperatures, as they can succumb to hypothermia if they get too wet and cannot warm up.
Where to hunt turkeys when it’s raining?
Hunt the fields , open pastures and old roadbeds. Turkeys like to get out in the open when it rains.