Most of you believe that turkey hunting in the wind is not the best time to hunt turkey. It is not true at all. I can assure you by the end of this article; you will be elated and good to go for triumphing turkey hunting.
May also you want to know about Important Safety Considerations For Wild Turkey Hunting
Turkey Hunting In The Wind – A Brief Look
Let us introduce ourselves to the practical situation on a windy day. It will help you understand the strategies that work behind a successful turkey hunting in the wind. No doubt, a windy day narrows down your choices but we can turn it into a significant advantage also with the help of pointers mentioned in the article.
One of the main things that you would notice is that turkeys are likely to be less approachable. This is because they are not going to hear your calls in the condition of branches and bushes whipping in the wind. It means you have to make better use here, especially in a windy weather in order to reach them easily. Turkeys become fabulously watchful of their surroundings in blustery weather. Here, best owl call for turkey hunting plays a significant role in hunting those massive gobblers in such seasons.
Along with it, various factors such as their surroundings, their feeding places or the places where turkeys resides need to be determined. Impractical myths attached with this season also needs explosion here for a successful hunt. Also, hunters have to focus on their careless mistakes as mentioned below.
Given below are the incredible tips that may prove productive to you.
Secret sauces for turkey hunting in the wind
Believe me; lousy weather might be an excellent opportunity.
Change your location.
Higher tracts or ridges are the areas likely to be housed by turkeys, but they will give up these areas as soon as the wind arrives.
So, what is the new location of turkeys in winds?
They are in the deeps. Shielded by a suitable cover upon them, their new location can be the absolute bottom of a small valley, the lowest part of a floodplain surrounded by higher ground and trees, creek bottoms, hollows, big wooded draws or base of a steep embankment. These are some of the hideouts of turkeys in the winds.
Accordingly, change your location as they evolve. It is definite that you are not going to find them on the top of the ridges in those stormy days.
The main advantage you are about to derive from changing location is that you both can hear each of you very well as against the disturbance of winds.
Use high pitched locator calls.
Though you have come to a low terrain, still, some winds are there too. Here, the use of best locator calls comes to your rescue.
I would suggest not using a louder call too soon. Start by using softer calls and then turn to high pitched locator calls after a while. Using louder calls too soon may ruin the scene in case a turkey itself is approaching without your knowledge. Locator calls are designed to get a tom to gobble and give away his location. They can come in many forms ranging from owl hoots, crow calls, and loud, sharp turkey yelps. Goose calls, Owl calls, and crow calls are the important locator calls for turkey hunting in the wind. Kindly use locator calls with a pause. It will allow the turkeys to response.
The box call is another essential call for a windy day to locate those massive gobblers.
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Stay moving
Roost the tom at night before dusk if possible. If breeze builds during the night, then turkey may drop down to a tree at a lower altitude. Try to predict that place as quickly as possible. It could be the nearest tall scattered pines in a more protected area. Call aggressively to attract him into the range.
You have to cover up the territory and find birds that are talking. As you are trying to encourage the birds to sound off in quiet woods, approach them from an upwind position so they can hear you best.
You can also use additional hearing aids to detect more toms above the winds.
Think like Turkeys
You can have leading fall turkey hunting tips once you start to think like turkeys. Step up in their boots and think as what you will do in such a situation.
Turkeys are easy to bump when it’s windy. They will often move out in the fields just after sunrise on a gusty day. Consider sneaking into a sounding location, calling and then waiting it out for 30 minutes. Move only once you are confident that birds are not coming to your location. You may find a bird within a hundred yards or so from your location. Thus it is advisable not to beat on the box call paddle too hard.
Just like you are waiting to hear them, they are also doing the same to listen to those lonesome sounds. This is the reason for suggesting using the calls wisely.
Make use of Decoys strategically
Lots of budget options are available out there in the market of turkey decoys that consist of full-body foam and would trick a tom from across a field. Lifelike decoys are also there for which you might have to observe for new hunters as they get super excited by seeing them.
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Tom Turkey Decoys, Jake Turkey Decoys, and Hen Turkey Decoys are the best-used decoys on a windy day. Set them near to you so that you get a clear shot even when they halt. The next best alternative is to set the decoy up past so that a gobbler has to stroll precisely by your position, bringing them within your desired range.
Against it, do not put the decoys up at the outer edge of your shotgun range. In that sense, the bird will be out of your reach.
So, do not miss to exploit decoys to their full potential even if the weather conditions are windy. Also, make sure to hold the decoys in a stable place, especially in windy weather.
Turkey Hunting Gear
Prepare for your turkey hunting gear before even setting up a decoy. Turkeys have very unforgiving eyesight for bow hunters, so you will need to grab an opportunity quickly. Turkey hunting with a bow is a significantly challenging task as compared to a shotgun.
It depends upon factors such as the setup and type of bow you are using. Selecting a mechanical broadhead for bow hunting is usual because of its normal stay within the turkey. Your setup is everything in bow hunting because you need the turkeys within 20-30 yards to feel confident for such a small target as against 55 yards in a shotgun case. You have to decide blind setup or ground setup? In a blind setup, you have to wait for long in a silent place, calling and waiting for their gobbling. Whereas, ground setup is like ‘gun and run’.
If you are on a shotgun, then choose that is much effective in gauge within yards range. Turkey hunting with 20 gauge shotgun is enough or maybe too much to lug through the woods for a little added advantage.
On the other hand, Camo face is useful in windy days. Camo face also prevents you from advanced eyesight of turkeys.
So, focus on overall quality of turkey hunting gear that ranges from the vest, strut jake to call set, etc. Otherwise, you will not be a happy bunny at all!
I have provided you with the most filtered as well as simple turkey hunting checklist. These are the methods adopted by experienced turkey hunters which may
Some Stated Experiences Of Turkey Hunters In The Wind
Turkeys are not able to hear your voices, but you can use various tactics to hear them gobbling.
- You will get to gain experience in using different call sets.
- Wind conditions help to eliminate a set of choices from the bucket. It is an added advantage because lots of alternatives can be confusing.
- You can learn a great lesson from turkey hunting in the wind. The lesson is like ‘always go for turkey hunting in the season regardless of weather conditions’.
- Wind causes the turkey to move less and become more nervous.
- There is a theory that turkeys prefer to travel into the wind rather than against it.
- They are easy to find in the open fields where winds shelter them.
- Decoys are a significant advantage to be used in low lying open fields as a result of an improved vision of turkeys.
- You will get a chance to know the behaviour of turkeys well in winds.
Fall Turkey Hunting Tips for Turkey hunting in the wind
Have you ever hunted fall turkeys?
Here are some pointers in your service about fall turkey hunting tips.
- Calmly wait for turkeys to show up in the range. You can either use a blind-and-bow tactic or find-and-flush approach.
- It is better to scatter the birds in flocked turkeys and then set up a call in your position. For this purpose, dogs are also permitted in nearly 30 states. This activity is total fun. Plus, you can use canines wherever legal.
While shooting, remember to move slowly. Who knows that wary turkeys could see you first?
- Scout for the evidence like tracks, scratching, moulted feathers, droppings or roosting and dusting areas. A glance at scattered and persistent evidence related to turkeys will place in a better position.
- The next tip is to find their food sources. Small pebbles, pine nuts, miscellaneous tubers, alfalfa leaves, beechnuts, hard mast, salamanders, frogs, worms, stinkbugs are some of the examples. It seems like there is nothing a wild turkey won’t eat.
- Some hunters shoot birds regularly with only clucking and yelping. Others use vocalizations which we call ‘locator calls’. It is an interactive game which makes you think like turkeys. Wild turkeys use calls to locate or prevent flock members. This is why a call is needed by a hunter to locate them too.
- Using a shotgun? Then, it should be camouflaged or dull finished to avoid detection. Know your gun completely like the gauge, the loads it shoots or optimum shooting range. However, the optimum shooting range for a shotgun is 20 to 60 yards.
If you wish turkey hunting with a bow, 10-20 yard shots are ideal. Your arrow’s broadhead should have a severe cutting diameter.
These tips are interdependent on secrets that I have mentioned above.
Some prevalent myths about turkey hunting in the wind
- Myth 1: Hunting autumn turkeys with dogs is iniquitous.
Dogs are like hunters. They can quickly locate and flush turkey herds much better than we do. You have to conceal them for the call back session. Serious fall turkey hunters usually utilize the services of turkey dogs.
- Myth 2: Fall gobblers don’t gobble.
Fall gobblers strut too. They roost gobble, ground gobble and gobble after a flock break.
- Myth 3: Spring Turkey hunting is traditional.
It depends upon thinking. You can even call it trending because of its popularity. No doubt, it has a long tradition, and some traditions somehow prevail.
- Myth 4: You can’t call fall long beards
Be persistent. It takes time, but sometimes it happens quickly. The birds can come back gobbling, yelping and even strutting after a flock break.
- Myth 5: Fall turkeys are too easy.
Though, this myth looks fine to a serious hunter because he always wants easy hunting. But, it isn’t always a packed deal. It might be effortless to find their evidence and troublesome to find themselves.
- Myth 6: You can’t call a spring turkey back after a shot.
Do not be anxious to hunt for the day’s remainder after shooting a bird from a fall flock. It is just a myth.
- Myth 7: Spring turkey hunters kill young birds or adult hens.
It is a total nonsense myth. It’s upon you to choose the bird. Set your eyes on the long beard or super jake.
Do not make these myths as obstacles in your turkey hunting project.
Mistakes while turkey hunting in the wind
The theory that turkeys are dumb animals is not entirely true. They have an incredible sharpness of senses.
Notwithstanding, turkeys have perceived lack of intelligence that can be explained by a genetic condition called ‘tetanic torticollar spasm’.
In spite of this fact, here are some of the mistakes that you should avoid while hunting these gobblers.
No excessive calling
Too much call at the same time is not good. You should give calls in a pause to make them interested.
Adjust the pitch of calls according to the situation. In windy days, louder calls are used to cut the stronger winds.
Get your setup spot ready
You get over excited when gobbler responds to your turkey call. In that overexcitement, you forget to get your setup spot ready before the bird reaches the target position.
Have a little patience
Be committed to your spot with the right call, and it will surely pay off in the end. Sometimes, you lost an approaching bird just by losing your patience.
I am not telling you to wait for a long duration, but a little patience is mandatory in turkey hunting, especially in the wind.
Keep the pathway clear.
Roasted turkey is not interested in obstructions like fences or creeks to respond to a call. So, we should ensure that the pathway between you and the gobbler.
Scout properly.
There is a valid reason behind a proper scout. It can lead to greater success if understood clearly. It will let you know about the bird’s behaviour when the wind picks up.
Understand calls.
Calls here refer to hunt calls used by hunters. You should distinguish between workings of friction turkey calls, locator turkey calls, and diaphragm turkey calls.
No worries at all!
Let us discuss these in detail.
Friction turkey calls are instruments used by beginners or intermediate turkey hunters. They are also known as box calls or push calls.
All the hunters use locator calls. It comes in various sounds such as hen, crow, woodpecker or owl.
High pitched locator call is the best owl call for turkey hunting.
The skill of a mouth can use diaphragm turkey calls. Experts usually opt for such hunt calls.
In windy circumstances, locator calls are preferable. However, you can choose the one according to your expertise.
Conclusion
Turkey hunting in the wind is not impossible, rather an experiencing task. Exploit the wind as an opportunity to scatter most of the gobblers than stable weather conditions. A wind can give us many advantages and direct hints.
Thus, nothing is impossible if we add specific strategies and determination to accomplish our goals. I have shared the secrets that not just work well, but also prove to be fruitful in a practical situation.
Have a different experience? Feel free to share with us. We would love to add to our knowledge.