Mid Morning Hunting Tactics and Success
 

Let me start by saying this is partly me wanting to vent, and partly me wanted some advice. That said, I just switched jobs and with the hours I work I wont be able to hunt any day this season until 10a.m. Now I'm in NY where you can only hunt until noon. I'm one of those guys who absolutely loves sneaking in on a gobbler on roost and hearing him bellow until he flies down, then working him afterwards. I've been hunting for about 8 years with some great success. However, I admit I am...... well was, one of those guys who went out before sun rise, found a bird on roost, hunted that bird in the A.M. either until I killed him or he worked off and then I would head back home. This year I wont be able to get in the woods until 10, like I said. I have been reading articles about how hunting is "the best" and "easier" (if such a thing) mid morning because of the toms being lonely while the hens are off laying eggs. I was just hoping for some reinsurance on this and any tips you all have. Thank so much!

Experience has taught me that turkeys seem more receptive to calling in the mid/late morning timeframe. I think they expect to gobble up some hens from the roost or soon after flydown and don't come in most times because of that. Not every turkey, obviously, as I and you have killed many turkeys just after flydown.

I don't get discouraged anymore if I don't score early. I keep covering ground until I have to leave trying to find a willing bird. In thinking about it, I believe I have taken more turkeys after 8am than before 8am over the course of the last several years.

In my opinion, 11:00 to 12:00 is one of the best times to be in the woods turkey hunting. I'm like you though, I love to hear him gobbling on roost before flydown. Obviously this is when they will gobble the most. The gobblers very well may be looking to find a lonely hen after the rest have been bred or go to nest. This is what makes that 11 to 12 period great sometimes. I've killed two nice birds this year, one at 11:00 and the other at 12:26. You may miss most of the gobbling, but you will be in the woods at a good time.

I can tell you after 27 years of turkey hunting, 10am - 2pm is awesome for killing a tom. In the mornings on the roost they gobble for the hens to come to them, that is how nature said it was to be. They are most vocal at this time however they attract hens in those first couple of hours.

Give the hens time to get bred and off to nesting duties and around 10 they start getting lonely. If you can get a gobbler to sound off mid morning to early afternoon you have a good chance he is alone or at least with some other gobbler buddies, but most likely without hens and will be a lot easier to call in. He won't usually be as vocal though so be ready for that magical "drumming" to alert you of his incoming presence. Good Luck!!!

Any time is a good time to hunt Wild Turkeys and 10:00am- 12:00noon is a great time to get one, coming. Hens are sitting so the Tom is vulnerable to calls. The trick is to be close to where the hen is most likely nesting, cause that's where the tom is going to be. Glassing fields on your hunting areas helps a lot and the birds will be on the same area the next day.
Just one advice avoid using decoys. The intense sun shining on those decoys during that time frame is a handicap.
CHEERS and good luck...louie

I'm in the same boat as you this year, with working nights. Will not be able to get in the woods till around 9:00, and like you, can only hunt till noon here.

Very discouraging, as this will be my first year working nights, and missing the early gobbling mornings at first light, but I'll be out there. As others have said, mid to late mornings can be a good time, I know over the years I have killed many between 10-12. Although there's just something about being out there before first light? I know how you feel, and I'm going to miss the traditional before light, listen and setup hunts also. Good Luck

Thanks alot guys..... very helpful, I appreciate it! And Buckhound, I feel your pain. The most exciting part for me is the early morning set-up....... but at least we still get to be in the woods and hunt! Good luck!

I have been hunting turkeys for almost 30 years. I'd take 10a-1p over 6a-10a any day.

I kill the majority of my turkeys after 9am.

I agree that hunting mid morning through the afternoon can be just as productive, if not more so, as the fly-down. I'd plan a couple calling locations, and try to spend half my time at each one. You don't have much hunting time with 2 hrs.

About half of my later birds come in silent, so I don't mind calling for over an our in a spot before I move on.

I'd take that too, but this crazy azz State makes you quite by noon.

After all the reading I do, PA has to be one of the worst States for Spring Gobbers?

1. Can't start to May 1st, everything is usually bloomed out by then.
2. Can only hunt till noon.
3. Deal with constant non-stop pressure through out the whole season
4. Deal with birds that simply quit gobbling for the most part by the third week, because of pressure and simply because the season starts too late to begin with.

After all I read about other States, I know for a fact it sucks here.:rant: