Rainy Day Gobbler (Video Included)

To view this site, you need to have Flash Player 9.0.115 or later installed. Click here to get the latest Flash player.

Products You Need From This Tip

In bad weather, keep aware of the news with an emergency radio...

Wade's World Hunting: Scenario: It’s raining. How do wild turkeys respond to rain, and what’s the best advice for hunting them in this condition?

In a heavy downpour, turkeys will frequently move into thick growths of cedar or pine trees where they will hunker down and wait the storm out. In a torrential downpour, go back to the truck or camp and wait for the rain to slack up.
In a light rain, turkeys may continue feeding and carrying out normal daily routines. In this case, hunt normally.
Two excellent times to hunt turkeys are (1) just as a front is moving in, and (2) immediately after a heavy rain has abated. When a front is moving in, rumbling thunder will cause gobblers to shock gobble. (Don’t take a chance by getting caught in a thunderstorm with active air-to-ground lightning!) After a rain lets up, turkeys will become active again, moving into open fields to fluff and dry their feathers.
One especially good place to look for turkeys after a rain is a plowed field. The rain softens the ground and makes it easy for turkeys to scratch for buds and bugs.
After a rain, slip around field edges and scan with binoculars. Call periodically to try to get a response from a gobbler.