Morning vs Midday

[thunderchicken09]

Is it just me or do you guys think that turkeys are easier to kill in midday when they have left the hens? I have never killed a turkey in the early morning and i was just wondering if it was just because im not good enough to call them to me off the roost.

[bigpuddin43]

killed them both just depends if they have hens with them in the morning you have to be where they want to go. midday is much easier calling if the hens leave them. our problem the past few years is ours have stayed with the hens all day. just have to get where they want to be.

[Pinwheel8]

From my experience I have three rules.

Rule #1. Birds are easy to strike, hard to call in during early morning.

Rule #2. Birds are hard to strike, easy to call in the midday.

Rule #3. Birds never act like they are supposed to, the only sure thing is you can't kill them from your couch. If the season is in, hunt when you can.

BTW, I kill more and call in more when guiding for others between 10am and 2pm then any other time.

[maxcam]

Good post Pinwheel......I get up way before sunrise and stay out until Im either exhausted from chasin em or headed back with one over my shoulder.....Either way I enjoy every minute of it!

[Double B]

I agree with #3 Pinwheel, sometimes when I am at decision time in a hunt, I will think, well, the Tom's going to do such and such. Then, I do the opposite. It works about half the time:rolleyes:. They can be unpredictable. Keep at it though, once in a while it all comes together;).

[big300mag]

Pinwheel's right. One thing I've always done is, if you get on a bird gobbling hard on the roost and he moves away from you goobling at your calls, then chances are he's "henned up". Instead of getting frustrated and taking the chance on spooking this bird, leave the area and try to find another tom that is hot and alone. If you don't have any luck, come back to the one that was henned up earlier. Chances are he will probably still be in the area and more than likely more receptive to your calling. I have found that midday gobblers tend to be (but not always) less vocal and it requires a little more patients to hunt them. But some of my biggest birds have come between 10am -2pm.

[wildman]

These guys are right. I've killed them at all times of the day. we set up in the morning and try to get one to come in and then if we have no luck we switch to our stalking mode. We usually try to see one in the field and then it's on.

[notimlmit]

I've taken birds from morning till afternoon but I agree between 11-2 is my best success--I usally take a backpack with food and water and make all day hunts--if after 8 or so and no birds work I stay quite and listen till they start sounding off again then get back in the game--makes for a long day sometimes but a bad day hunting still beats a good day at work anytime

[huntindawoods]

I like the mornings but it does seem like the birds do work better at the mid day point, I did kill a bird opening day last year but he come in on the tail of a hen and quiet but if we all remember opening day in south central ky. last year it was a gully washer of a day. I'm like ntl when I go I stay til they roost or come out packing a bird

[killer]

I've killed about the same number off roost that I have mid-day. The last couple of years I have had better luck in the afternoon (around 4:30 or 5:00)

[turkeyhunter91]

I have killed them all times of the day,but i have killed more around 3:00,but my favorite time is early morning when you are waiting for them to fly down off the roost and they are gobbleing there brains out.