Post by: kevinp16 on March 20, 2013, 04:01:54 PM
Post by: SB on March 20, 2013, 04:14:51 PM
Post by: baldopepper on March 20, 2013, 05:27:48 PM
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on March 20, 2013, 05:45:26 PM
Personally, I've never had much luck chasing them when it's very windy. Aside from the obvious calling problems, they just don't seem to be very active when it's windy. My own theory is that they are just sight oriented birds that all the movement makes them very nervous to move around much. Additionally, all the brush movement makes it difficult to see them. If I have to hunt on windy days, I usually try to find a canyon or other area where I can get out of the wind. Seems that even when they move out to feed on those windy days they are very skitish and never really get out far from cover. Frankly, I have enough time during the season to hunt that I usually just sit out the real windy days. (Aside from the fact that wind can make it very cold sitting early in the season!)
+1. I agree totally. I think it freaks them out a little.
Post by: Limhangerslayer on March 20, 2013, 06:12:20 PM
Post by: turkeydancer on March 20, 2013, 06:31:06 PM
:twocents:
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on March 20, 2013, 07:26:36 PM
Post by: ChadH on March 20, 2013, 11:49:57 PM
I will usually go to a slate call or box call when it gets windy ....just like Turkey dancer mentioned ...stay along open areas when it windy and definitely when it is raining ...the turks like to hang out where they can see in these conditions since the hearing part is minimal :tup:
With the Caveat that I am new to Washington and birds here may act differently than I expect, my experience has been that BH45 and Turkdancer are correct. Birds in the Midwest, Southeast, Northern Plains and Wyoming/MT that I’ve hunted headed to open fields on Windy days (as a general rule)... something that may seem counter intuitive, as you would expect that they wouldn't like their feathers being blown around that much. Personally, I agree that their senses of sight and hearing are so effected by the movement of understory and ground clutter, and their hearing interfered with by all the rustling on windy days that the safest option is in the wide open where the predators advantages are somewhat neutralized. Calm days... well back to the woods and field edges they love.. This is all just my experience, like I said I may learn differently this spring. The biggest thing about turkeys is that any given bird, on any given day, will do what ever it wants, without following predetermined rules. It is best to be prepared for (and willing to try) anything, every time you go out. Experience is your friend, so don't sweat killing every bird you play with. Just go for it and see what happens and learn from the inevitable mistakes. In Missouri, where I grew up, I learned by being pretty aggressive with birds. I was told by an old time turkey hunter (my grandpa) that, "there is always another bird out there, so don't sweat it and just have fun 'jerkin a gobble out of them'.” That works well in the midwest and south because of the shear numbers of birds. Heck, if you set in one place long enough a bird will eventually come by. If you enjoy that kind of hunting, it sure is relaxing (and great for a nap under a tree), but I've found my grand father was right about a good many things in my life, not just turkey hunting. So, have fun and don’t be afraid to try anything that seems right to you. It’s more about the hunt and the experience than killing a bird anyway.
Chad
Post by: Karl Blanchard on March 21, 2013, 09:11:51 AM
Post by: kevinp16 on March 21, 2013, 03:33:47 PM
Post by: Austrian Hunter on March 21, 2013, 04:14:35 PM
Post by: turkeyfeather on March 21, 2013, 04:17:47 PM
I have taken a lot of long beards but not one in the wind :dunno: and also none in the rain!:yeah: I generally won't even go if the weather isn't good.
Post by: Austrian Hunter on March 21, 2013, 04:19:35 PM
I have taken a lot of long beards but not one in the wind :dunno: and also none in the rain!:yeah: I generally won't even go if the weather isn't good.
Yep! I second that! I wake up, look outside, if it blows or rains I go back to sleep :chuckle:
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on March 21, 2013, 04:56:04 PM
Post by: SteelheadDC on March 21, 2013, 05:12:22 PM
Post by: hunt3636223 on March 21, 2013, 05:35:34 PM
Post by: turkeydancer on March 21, 2013, 06:04:53 PM
:twocents:
Post by: SB on March 22, 2013, 09:20:16 PM
Post by: Karl Blanchard on March 22, 2013, 10:33:24 PM
Post by: turkeydancer on March 23, 2013, 06:53:30 AM
Tough to be out hunting when cold, wet, miserable! :bdid:
So I bought a couple umbrella blinds years ago and if it looks like it'll be wet and windy, I put them in the back of my turkey vest ... when at location I'll put one up in a tree to keep dry and stake the second one as a wind break/blind. Many times I've sat comfy while watching the turks parade by ... :tup:
Even started taking them for deer and elk hunting too. Was well work the approx $30 each, and the results have been priceless !
:rockin:
Post by: The Gobble-stopper on March 26, 2013, 04:29:54 PM
Post by: Tom Tamer on March 26, 2013, 05:03:32 PM