View Poll Results: Time of day have you havested most of your spring turkeys?
Daylight-8AM
24
38.10%
8am-10am
17
26.98%
10am-Noon
16
25.40%
Noon-2pm
1
1.59%
2pm-dark
5
7.94%
Voters: 63. You may not vote on this poll
What time of the day do you harvest or get spring turkeys to work the best
01-23-2012, 09:12 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MO
Posts: 319
What time of the day do you harvest or get spring turkeys to work the best
What time of day have you harvest the most Spring Turkeys or get them to work calling the best?
If you could explain what you have noticed that makes your best time of day be so good for you and what tatics works best for you at that time.
If you could explain what you have noticed that makes your best time of day be so good for you and what tatics works best for you at that time.
Last edited by steve25; 01-23-2012 at 09:24 AM.
01-23-2012, 09:41 AM
#2
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Southeast Missouri
Posts: 647
I kill most of mine off the roost. But i am a very aggressive hunter. I'm either going to make it happen or its not. Sitting and waiting isn't for me. If I don't kill, then I will get aggressive after the lull period is done and the gobblers are still looking for hens. After 10 am if you can get one to gobble, good chance he is killable. I take his temp and see how he wants me to call, then I plan from there.
01-23-2012, 12:54 PM
#3
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
As soon as they fly down off their roost.
We are not allow to hunt turkeys after 4pm in CA.
Otherwise, once you locate their roost tree; you could just wait there and shoot them before they fly up.
We are not allow to hunt turkeys after 4pm in CA.
Otherwise, once you locate their roost tree; you could just wait there and shoot them before they fly up.
Last edited by Sheridan; 01-24-2012 at 03:49 PM.
01-23-2012, 01:34 PM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
As soon as I take my nap 
they come cruising by...
8-12, and many times 10-12, although usually I'm working them from sun up on... but the shot opportunities usually don't occur til after 10, even if I'm close to a roost.
they come cruising by...8-12, and many times 10-12, although usually I'm working them from sun up on... but the shot opportunities usually don't occur til after 10, even if I'm close to a roost.
01-23-2012, 02:41 PM
#5
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: MO
Posts: 319
I have done the best from daylight to 8am but I have never really given hunting later in the day much of a chance and I think I am missing out on some good turkey hunting.
My problem is that once the lul starts I find myself ready to go home because it is an 1.5 drive home.
In Missouri we can hunt until 1pm so if I leave between 8 or 9 there is still alot of hunting time left.
My problem is that once the lul starts I find myself ready to go home because it is an 1.5 drive home.
In Missouri we can hunt until 1pm so if I leave between 8 or 9 there is still alot of hunting time left.
01-24-2012, 05:36 PM
#7
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Tuscaloosa AL
Posts: 609
If you can hunt till 1, stay after em! Ive taken my fair share of birds at daylight off the roost, but some of the best hunting is around noon. As long as I know I'm on a piece of land that has birds, a lull in gobbling dose not bother me. Lots of times if you had one answering you and he had hens at daybreak he'll be looking for you when they go to nest. Morning is the best time to hunt and locate the boys, but like mentioned before, if you get on him later in the day there's a better chance he'll be alone and they will respond to calls well. Anytime you can hunt is the best time, so don't miss out on a afternoon limbhanger!
01-24-2012, 08:48 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Alabama
Posts: 1,068
First post in a long while, good to be back on and looking forward to this year's turkey contest.
This one is tough to pinpoint an exact timeframe. I'd say I kill about 30% of mine off the roost and the other 70% anywhere from 9AM to 12PM. I'd rather slide in around 9 oclock after the big daddies have had their fun, and get settled to try and call em in for round 2. BUT, there's nothing like calling back and forth to a hot tom on the limb, then having him pitch down and come in on a string within 10 minutes of fly down. I take em any way I can get em! When it comes down to it, I have more luck during mid-morning hours.
This one is tough to pinpoint an exact timeframe. I'd say I kill about 30% of mine off the roost and the other 70% anywhere from 9AM to 12PM. I'd rather slide in around 9 oclock after the big daddies have had their fun, and get settled to try and call em in for round 2. BUT, there's nothing like calling back and forth to a hot tom on the limb, then having him pitch down and come in on a string within 10 minutes of fly down. I take em any way I can get em! When it comes down to it, I have more luck during mid-morning hours.
01-25-2012, 06:05 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NewLowell ,Ontario ,Canada
Posts: 2,765
First post in a long while, good to be back on and looking forward to this year's turkey contest.
This one is tough to pinpoint an exact timeframe. I'd say I kill about 30% of mine off the roost and the other 70% anywhere from 9AM to 12PM. I'd rather slide in around 9 oclock after the big daddies have had their fun, and get settled to try and call em in for round 2. BUT, there's nothing like calling back and forth to a hot tom on the limb, then having him pitch down and come in on a string within 10 minutes of fly down. I take em any way I can get em! When it comes down to it, I have more luck during mid-morning hours.
This one is tough to pinpoint an exact timeframe. I'd say I kill about 30% of mine off the roost and the other 70% anywhere from 9AM to 12PM. I'd rather slide in around 9 oclock after the big daddies have had their fun, and get settled to try and call em in for round 2. BUT, there's nothing like calling back and forth to a hot tom on the limb, then having him pitch down and come in on a string within 10 minutes of fly down. I take em any way I can get em! When it comes down to it, I have more luck during mid-morning hours.
Just kiddin ya welcome back I have to agree so much with your view, as its hard to put a time on when the best time is. I have killed birds all hours of the day but really find that from 1:00pm - 3:30 pm is the lawl time as most birds find it way to hot to travel or move around.
When I used to guide in Florida I found that the 1-3 time range most birds would sit tight under cabage palms and wait for the sun to drop before moving for nighttime feed.
Being able to hunt all day there and here in Ontario I found that most or the highest rate of kills would be in that 5:00pm - 6:30 range.
I still took a percentage of birds off the roast and as well after that 8:00am - 11:00am range too...
01-25-2012, 06:10 AM
#10
Fork Horn
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: PA
Posts: 470
Don't let anyone fool you, you can kill a gobbler any time of day, but I've noticed a definite lull between about 8AM & 10:30 AM, probably because they've hooked up with hens.
Tactics? Here in PA, anything beside calling is considered illegal. In states where it's legal, I'll stalk them, ambush them, belly crawl...whatever it takes. I'm not proud.
Tactics? Here in PA, anything beside calling is considered illegal. In states where it's legal, I'll stalk them, ambush them, belly crawl...whatever it takes. I'm not proud.