Information.
08-17-2006, 09:08 PM
#1
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
Information.
I'm asked to participate in a instructional video for calling and hunting spring gobblers. I know what I want to say but I'm asking some of you for your input as well...I'll pose the question, you give the answer.
What do you do when the weather turns sour, it starts to rain or the wind picks up?
What do you do when the weather turns sour, it starts to rain or the wind picks up?
08-17-2006, 10:07 PM
#2
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Roanoke, Va
Posts: 3,562
RE: Information.
Rain always seems to put a damper on things. Thats what I used to think anyway. It was pouring down rain this opening day in Va but I decided to still go. I spooked one gobbler off the roost and thought it was over. I headed down to a pine flat and decided to sit in the semi-dry at least to keep my slate dry. I called once and just sat there kicking myself in the rear. Anyway, I see gobblers coming over the hill and I smack one w/ my 12 ga. Biggest gobbler I had ever killed.
Sorry for the story but I always lost hope in the rain. It turned out to be the most successful spring gobbler season I ever had. Sometimes you think you have that old bird in the bag but hes really got you.
Hope you see where I'm getting at with this.
Sorry for the story but I always lost hope in the rain. It turned out to be the most successful spring gobbler season I ever had. Sometimes you think you have that old bird in the bag but hes really got you.
Hope you see where I'm getting at with this.
08-17-2006, 10:29 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Racine, WI
Posts: 254
RE: Information.
Wow,
Neat offer to participate in making an instructional video, is it for a major call maker or gear manufacturer? At any rate good for you.
Hmmmm, what to do when the weather sours? Not to state the obvious, but there are two distinct camps there to be sure.
#1 - go in, go to sleep, get some breakfast, go antique shopping or whatever floats your boat but no sense hunting cause I'm not going to have a chance at a turkey in this weather.
#2 - keep hunting!!! I came here to hunt, I only get so many days a year to go, I LOVE turkey hunting andgosh darn it, I'm staying out here till quitting timeor untilI kill a bird!
I guess that neither camp is wrong and it depends on who you are. Iknow that I'm in#2 because unfortunatly for meturkey hunting isvacation time and not a full time profession (yet) and I don't live where I can just go out the next day or the next week when the weather blows over. Its funny, a local is usually in camp #1 for that same reason - who wants to sit in the rain andwind, when you can just go tomorrowwhen its sunny out.
Having said that,my experience has taught me this - I'll take rain anyday over wind. I've shot twonicegobblers in a downpour (big deal), I've only been at it for 5 years seriously, but when its windy out, its tough to get anything done. First of all, you can't hear very well and they can't hear you. Now I know this depends if you are hunting out west or in the big hardwoods etc. But right fro the get-go, I'll take rain anyday over wind.
Where I hunt inMI,WI, IL, PA farmlands - if its raining, I try to head to an open field where I know birds are likely to go after the rain or rain shower - banking on the come - that after it blows over they'll be out in a field somewhere trying to'get the wet off'. If its not raining very hard at all, I just keep on hunting and doing my normal thing (wish I knew what that was sometimes LOL) and ignore the rain.For wind, again much more problematic in my book, Ifind a place where I'll figure I can get very closeto some moving turkeys hoping that I can either ambush them or call to them where they can hear me, I'm not going to say I haven'tever ambushed a turkey but its definately not as fun and exciting as calling them in.........don't think anyone woulddisagree withme there.
I'm not into blinds, and avoid hunting out of them at all costs, but some folks that have been gracious enough to let me hunt thier property or 'took me hunting with them' that insist that I sit in a blind, I'll do it (at least for a while!!) - HOWEVER, many turkey hunters have FANTASTIC success hunting from blinds and enjoy doing so - my point is - hunting from ablind in a proven spot where turkeys come out or go into the woods is a great tactic for hunting in nasty weather (if the turkeys cooperate!)
Another thing you might want to cover for gear is to mention that slate callsdon't work very well when they are wet...........you know the rest of that story. And -when windy, don't be afraid to crank as loud as you can on that favorite box call, glass or metal potcall, etc. Let er rip!!
This is maybe anotheobvious, but dress accordingly and have clothes for wet weather, if you are going to stay out, your morale will be much better if you are at least comfortable, two words, GORE TEX - RUBBER BOOTS dont leave home without em.
Finally, I'm not being a smartA** but - youwill never kill a gobbler inthe diner or in yourbunk so stay out as long as you canunless itsjust plum nasty. Its funny, I hunt an early season in WI and then take my wifea week or two later eachyear,every year I havehad great weather (thanks God!!) and her first and last days have been absolute blowouts, I mean 40-50 mph gusts and torrential downpours- now of course we can't hunt, but what we DO instead of being in the #1 camp above is drive around, look for new spots,sit and wait it out and pray it will blow over, stay out in the woods and just scout, mushroom hunt, etc. but just don't give up, you reap what you sow as the saying goes!!
I know that you know all of this (and a lot more) butitwas still fun to write, and I've got to do lots of posts so I'm not a fawn forever!!!!
Hootnscoot
Neat offer to participate in making an instructional video, is it for a major call maker or gear manufacturer? At any rate good for you.
Hmmmm, what to do when the weather sours? Not to state the obvious, but there are two distinct camps there to be sure.
#1 - go in, go to sleep, get some breakfast, go antique shopping or whatever floats your boat but no sense hunting cause I'm not going to have a chance at a turkey in this weather.
#2 - keep hunting!!! I came here to hunt, I only get so many days a year to go, I LOVE turkey hunting andgosh darn it, I'm staying out here till quitting timeor untilI kill a bird!
I guess that neither camp is wrong and it depends on who you are. Iknow that I'm in#2 because unfortunatly for meturkey hunting isvacation time and not a full time profession (yet) and I don't live where I can just go out the next day or the next week when the weather blows over. Its funny, a local is usually in camp #1 for that same reason - who wants to sit in the rain andwind, when you can just go tomorrowwhen its sunny out.
Having said that,my experience has taught me this - I'll take rain anyday over wind. I've shot twonicegobblers in a downpour (big deal), I've only been at it for 5 years seriously, but when its windy out, its tough to get anything done. First of all, you can't hear very well and they can't hear you. Now I know this depends if you are hunting out west or in the big hardwoods etc. But right fro the get-go, I'll take rain anyday over wind.
Where I hunt inMI,WI, IL, PA farmlands - if its raining, I try to head to an open field where I know birds are likely to go after the rain or rain shower - banking on the come - that after it blows over they'll be out in a field somewhere trying to'get the wet off'. If its not raining very hard at all, I just keep on hunting and doing my normal thing (wish I knew what that was sometimes LOL) and ignore the rain.For wind, again much more problematic in my book, Ifind a place where I'll figure I can get very closeto some moving turkeys hoping that I can either ambush them or call to them where they can hear me, I'm not going to say I haven'tever ambushed a turkey but its definately not as fun and exciting as calling them in.........don't think anyone woulddisagree withme there.
I'm not into blinds, and avoid hunting out of them at all costs, but some folks that have been gracious enough to let me hunt thier property or 'took me hunting with them' that insist that I sit in a blind, I'll do it (at least for a while!!) - HOWEVER, many turkey hunters have FANTASTIC success hunting from blinds and enjoy doing so - my point is - hunting from ablind in a proven spot where turkeys come out or go into the woods is a great tactic for hunting in nasty weather (if the turkeys cooperate!)
Another thing you might want to cover for gear is to mention that slate callsdon't work very well when they are wet...........you know the rest of that story. And -when windy, don't be afraid to crank as loud as you can on that favorite box call, glass or metal potcall, etc. Let er rip!!
This is maybe anotheobvious, but dress accordingly and have clothes for wet weather, if you are going to stay out, your morale will be much better if you are at least comfortable, two words, GORE TEX - RUBBER BOOTS dont leave home without em.
Finally, I'm not being a smartA** but - youwill never kill a gobbler inthe diner or in yourbunk so stay out as long as you canunless itsjust plum nasty. Its funny, I hunt an early season in WI and then take my wifea week or two later eachyear,every year I havehad great weather (thanks God!!) and her first and last days have been absolute blowouts, I mean 40-50 mph gusts and torrential downpours- now of course we can't hunt, but what we DO instead of being in the #1 camp above is drive around, look for new spots,sit and wait it out and pray it will blow over, stay out in the woods and just scout, mushroom hunt, etc. but just don't give up, you reap what you sow as the saying goes!!
I know that you know all of this (and a lot more) butitwas still fun to write, and I've got to do lots of posts so I'm not a fawn forever!!!!
Hootnscoot
08-18-2006, 05:58 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 2,820
RE: Information.
Rob,I'm not a rainy weather type of guy. That being said, I guess it would depend on "how hard it's raining out" for me to commit to a hunt.
If it's a major downpour, I'll sleep in period!! But if there's a chance that it may stop in an hour of two, I may head out later in the morning and try to skirtsome fields. As forwindy days, I'll just keep to the lower elevations for better chances of hearing a gobbler respond. Wind doesn't bother me as much as a downpour.
If it's a major downpour, I'll sleep in period!! But if there's a chance that it may stop in an hour of two, I may head out later in the morning and try to skirtsome fields. As forwindy days, I'll just keep to the lower elevations for better chances of hearing a gobbler respond. Wind doesn't bother me as much as a downpour.
08-20-2006, 08:57 AM
#6
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NewLowell ,Ontario ,Canada
Posts: 2,765
RE: Information.
Now Rob, are going to tell everyone in the DVD that our friends at huntingnet turkey forum has helped out with the question and answer period [8D]
When it starts to rain and your all ready in the field , I as a general rule I will head for a travel route leading to an open feeding area. Whether I setup on the field or in the cover that is lead to it, quiet my calls and spend most of the energy on watching for birds sneeking out to the open.
Windy days as Maytom has said , I'll head to the lower places out of the wind or to the side that offers more cover from the wind.
Is this a golden rule for turkey hunters on the bad weather fronts that come in after you have hit the field, I think not. I have seen birds move along filed edges in the wind and have taken birds in dence cover in the rain. I do beleive the odds are in the hunters favor to spend their energy to these type areas when the wheather applies a cerve to us.
...BT
When it starts to rain and your all ready in the field , I as a general rule I will head for a travel route leading to an open feeding area. Whether I setup on the field or in the cover that is lead to it, quiet my calls and spend most of the energy on watching for birds sneeking out to the open.
Windy days as Maytom has said , I'll head to the lower places out of the wind or to the side that offers more cover from the wind.
Is this a golden rule for turkey hunters on the bad weather fronts that come in after you have hit the field, I think not. I have seen birds move along filed edges in the wind and have taken birds in dence cover in the rain. I do beleive the odds are in the hunters favor to spend their energy to these type areas when the wheather applies a cerve to us.
...BT
08-21-2006, 09:08 PM
#9
Boone & Crockett
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 1998
Location: Hughesville, PA USA
Posts: 18,322
RE: Information.
M.Hensler/PA, yes it was for River Valley Game Calls. The DVD should be coming out soon and should be available everywhere River Valley Game Calls are including Cabelas and Bass Pro soon.
