rainy days
 

The season opens here in GA tomorrow and it looks like its going to rain hard. Again. I have never had any luck with rainy day turkeys and the weather here has been baaaad(tornadoes and golf ball sized hail) for the last week with no end in sight. Whats yalls experience with stormy weather and any suggestions(short of staying home cause that aint an option) would be appreciated.

RE: rainy days
 

If it's pounding rain, stay in bed. The turkeys sleep in on mornings like that. But, when it slacks off, even if it is still raining, head for the greenest field nearest to where the birds are roosting. They'll be out in the open field, picking greens and worms.

RE: rainy days
 

I've never hunted them in hail storms... but you're missing out if you stay home on rain days. The wind can get nasty with heavy rain too, which is a good thing for me considering the public lands I have to hunt on. [&o] Ahh, but there is yet another upside to keeping hunting pressure away due to rain...

I've found that the birds will generally stay out of the fields for the most part, as the woodlots become more to their liking. I'll sit tight through really heavy downpours and then begin locator calls when the sounds are audible for detecting replies. I'll never forgot a day just like that, I mean it was really BAD... (with 3 D's), tons of small branches falling all around, horizontal rain with wind that was just unreal.

We sat tight for over an hour and the rain finally slowed. I didn't own rain gear back then and there was no way I was leaving soaked before sun up. Daylight broke, the rain became mild, though the wind was still strong and no birds were heard or seen. We waited another 1/2 hour and decided to cutt on my box call before leaving. I hammered out cutts as loud as I could without breaking the paddle off and guess what... two gobblers answered off in the distance. A couple more cutts and a little mouth calling had those two birds on scene in less than 10 minutes. A real nice mature gobbler went home with me that morning.

I've long since bought quality rain gear and would NEVER pass on a dismal morning. Turkey rain days... I flat out love 'em.