What's the latest you've called one?

[jasnt]

I've been stuck working most the season sofar having to hunt in the evenings. Having a heck of a time getting them located after work. Also they never seem to roost in the same spot twice lately. How late in the day have you called them in?  Any tips for locating those evening toms?

[wannabhntr]

Probably not much help but I called in my first bird ever at exactly noon. A couple years after that I called in a Jake around 1630. That one i was just blind calling. Surprising that they aren't roosted in the same general area. Is there a lot of pressure where your hunting?

[jasnt]

Yes the last two weeks there has been been a lot of people in here. Not all turkey hunters tho. Plenty off horse back riders as well. Tonight it's dead quiet   I been going deep as I can get as fast as I can get there but still having a troubles. Tried every located I can think of and blind calling known turkey areas. Hunting the freshest sign and checking every known roost. I sit till dark listening for gobbles. There got to be some thing I'm forgetting or over looking. I been roosting toms here since end of March. I know there are lots of gobblers here

[tgomez]

Never had alot of luck in the evenings. I have called a couple in about 20min before dark. Honestly birds are usually in the tree a good 30-40min before dark, they know those predators have the advantage at night. 10Am-2pm has been my "golden hours." Try not to overcall, a few yelps and cuts, when the gobbler responds bring him in the rest of the way with purrs, it drives em crazy! Good luck old sport!

[wannabhntr]

I'm no expert so hopefully someone else will chime in. If I had to guess, I would say it's the wind today. It's weird how different areas produce. I was up by Newman lake opening weekend. Couldn't get a gobble to save my life that Saturday. That Sunday I was a couple miles north of where I hunted Saturday and had birds gobbling all around me. They were all henned up still but they were very talkative. My wife and I went fishing at Hauser on Monday and heard three or four different birds gobbling between 1200 and 1300 in the afternoon. We're heading back out Saturday so we'll see what happens.

[jasnt]

Hope fully I can hunt this weekend in the am. I've never had any troubles getting a tom fired up and running once he gobbles to me. I'm sure early morning would be different.

[wannabhntr]

Never had alot of luck in the evenings. I have called a couple in about 20min before dark. Honestly birds are usually in the tree a good 30-40min before dark, they know those predators have the advantage at night. 10Am-2pm has been my "golden hours." Try not to overcall, a few yelps and cuts, when the gobbler responds bring him in the rest of the way with purrs, it drives em crazy! Good luck old sport!

I ran into an older couple about ten years ago when I was out hunting. They claimed to have been hunting turkey's in Washington since the very first season in the state. They said they would wait for two weeks after the opener and wouldn't go out before 1000. Neat old couple.
I get too excited. I can't wait. I have to go out opening morning at the crack of dawn.

[earlmarne]

The turkeys over here have been silent as all get out the last week.I only hunt afternoon and have em come by me every night but never can call em the rest of the way in.
I am no good at this stuff, but maybe you got the right idea about the morning stuff.We got turkeys everywhere out here it seems but I too can not get them to work with me

[Seatown5]

I called my first one in this year after 1400, it was 1845. He strutted for a half hour in front of Us. Called him all the way out of private but wouldn't quite come through the fence. Other than that I have had almost no evening luck. 1000-1400 is my golden hours like others have mentioned. Morning roost is fun but only about 25% success from there.

[Britt-dog]

Killed a nice tom last Saturday at 5:30 pm. Saw him on adjacent property at around 4:30, a quarter a mile away. Got set up and called him into decoys at ten yards. Bow kill.

[lokidog]

I shot one on the last day of the season and one on the second to last day.  The second to last one was a jake with a buddy, they gobbled and gobbled until I worked in below their tree and finally got them to fly down about an hour and a half after sunrise.

Don't give up.   

[jasnt]

I shot one on the last day of the season and one on the second to last day.  The second to last one was a jake with a buddy, they gobbled and gobbled until I worked in below their tree and finally got them to fly down about an hour and a half after sunrise.

Don't give up.   

im talking about late evening tactics.  Also tom#1 is already down.  Mornings I got no problem. Problem is I've only been able to hunt evenings around 1700 till dark.


I've cleared my weekend so I'll be out at dawn come sat morning.

[Gobble Doc]

I like 10 a.m. 

[whichwaydidhegogeorge]

I have not fully called one in during the evening hours, but I have managed a lot of response.  I think softer calling is better. The 10-2 hours the sun's angle feels them with confidence.  Towards evening it seems like they are doing reassurance gobbles and respond to coos and clucks more.

[lokidog]

I shot one on the last day of the season and one on the second to last day.  The second to last one was a jake with a buddy, they gobbled and gobbled until I worked in below their tree and finally got them to fly down about an hour and a half after sunrise.

Don't give up.   

im talking about late evening tactics.  Also tom#1 is already down.  Mornings I got no problem. Problem is I've only been able to hunt evenings around 1700 till dark.


I've cleared my weekend so I'll be out at dawn come sat morning.

Oh....

[BOWHUNTER45]

I never had much luck calling them in , in the evenings ..The best thing to do in the evening is hang out where they roost or somewhere in front of them and wait for them to return ..I usually spend time in the late afternoon scouting ...Birds are usually in the fields late in the evening and that's the main ingredient  for success in the morning ..watch where they go in the timber to roost and be set up where they were coming from to go to roost ..always like to be about 75 - 100 away from the roost in the morning ..soft tree calls and purrs and hopefully they hit the ground and are on their way ..as far as when they jump into roost , I have seen them jump up really late ..almost so dark I could barely see ..

[turkeydancer]

Have taken thunderchickens all times of the day .... agree with BH about late evening though ... a little harder to call them, but soft calls near their path can divert them into your lap ....   

[Tom Tamer]

Evening hunts, if you can find an area known for nesting of hens, as they are hanging in those areas more and more. The toms know this and will typically troll those areas, waiting for the few hens that may fly back to a roost and are not yet setting their clutch.. I've called them right up to fly up at dusk. good spot for afternoon and evening hunts. My latest kill I think was about 18:30.

[tgomez]

The last 2 days 2pm-3pm has been " sound of time" for the gobblers and jakes. Ive had good luck strting soft, then getting agressive for 5 min, back to soft. The birds will come. Remember "patience kills turkeys!" Best times to hunt right now as follows. Sunrise to 8am, 10am-12noon, 2pm-4pm. Other times between hydrate, eat, nap! Good luck!

[Tom Tamer]

Nice sounds like we're through the major henned up time. Now should start seeing a few more lonely Toms. I saw three hens by themselves right after fly down. Must be a group nesting near each other. No Tom around them. May is going to be good.

[jasnt]

Birds were quiet this weekend but I was able to get my brother on 2 birds.  His first attempt at archery turkey this year.  Less pressure on them now and they seem to be using there normal roosts again.  Thanks guys for all the tips