Changing your pattern and styles through out the day?
04-13-2010, 03:43 PM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Ontario
Posts: 646
Changing your pattern and styles through out the day?
If your heading to the woods at 5am and set up a jake hen decoy when should you switch styles?
I have heard that after 9am hens are gone laying and Toms are eating so if so then what?
At night should you set up below or near the roost?
I have got them flying down off of roost and heading toward the roost but am lost at the other times of day!
All help is appreciated!
Treebeard
I have heard that after 9am hens are gone laying and Toms are eating so if so then what?
At night should you set up below or near the roost?
I have got them flying down off of roost and heading toward the roost but am lost at the other times of day!
All help is appreciated!
Treebeard
04-14-2010, 01:34 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: west central wi USA
Posts: 2,242
Usually after 9:00, after the hens have drifted off to the nests or are elsewhere, the toms are looking for some company. I don't think they feed much during the breeding season. If you had responces from toms earlier, sit tight. After the ladies go home, he'll remember the hen he heard and may come looking for her.
04-17-2010, 04:38 AM
#3
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Ontario
Posts: 646
Hey not doubting you but any idea how long food remains in their crop?
I have only shot two Tom's but both of their crops were full of corn and soya bean.
Not sure what that means in regards to your post.
Treebeard
I have only shot two Tom's but both of their crops were full of corn and soya bean.
Not sure what that means in regards to your post.
Treebeard
04-17-2010, 05:31 AM
#4
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Ontario
Posts: 108
In my experiences... The toms are either locked up w/hens after that time or they go into cover to get away from the sun + to feed... All depends on where you're hunting i guess... we're here in southern Ont. and the season opens in a week so we have a late season compared to many others but yeah.
Agreeing with Wingbone... sometimes it really pays to stick it out and wait.
The problem hunting birds throughout the day is that they become so much less vocal! Ahh that is so frustrating... i know this from experience! I think that it is a result of either toms being locked up w/hens or they just lose some of that morning fire! In any case persistence will bag a bird at some point... If you know where the birds are headed eg. dusting bowls/feeding areas.... Get there ahead of time and set up your dekes and do some calling... but don't over do it...
One thing i tried last year was to set up my strutter jake and a hen deke late afternoon close to a roosting area and do some quiet sporadic blind calling... a trio of toms came in putting on a show....
you'll learn the most from your own experiences... try to pattern the birds so you know where they go mid-morning... just a few thoughts...
Gerard
Agreeing with Wingbone... sometimes it really pays to stick it out and wait.
The problem hunting birds throughout the day is that they become so much less vocal! Ahh that is so frustrating... i know this from experience! I think that it is a result of either toms being locked up w/hens or they just lose some of that morning fire! In any case persistence will bag a bird at some point... If you know where the birds are headed eg. dusting bowls/feeding areas.... Get there ahead of time and set up your dekes and do some calling... but don't over do it...
One thing i tried last year was to set up my strutter jake and a hen deke late afternoon close to a roosting area and do some quiet sporadic blind calling... a trio of toms came in putting on a show....
you'll learn the most from your own experiences... try to pattern the birds so you know where they go mid-morning... just a few thoughts...
Gerard
