OUTDOOR LOGIC WITH BIOLOGIC
Longing for those Good Gobblin’ Days How to Work Toms during Poor Weather
Sometimes those “good gobbling days” seem few and far between. If you hunt springtime turkeys for more than a few days you’re bound to run up against wind, rain or even snow. (Photo Credit: Todd Amenrud)
Ah…springtime – doesn’t it seem like those “good gobbling days” can sometimes seem few and far between. You know the ones - the sun is shining, high pressure, there’s little or no wind and the toms are fired up and “gobbling their heads off.” I’ve hunted many states for turkeys and oftentimes it seems like those days are too infrequent with the volatile weather spring typically ushers in. With the period’s fast changing, unpredictable weather hunters should be prepared to hunt in the rain, wind and sometimes even snow. It’s important to know how turkeys act when each phenomenon occurs. With rain, it really depends on the severity of the storm. With drizzle or a light rain, the turkeys really don’t seem to change their habits much. When it 30
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comes to a downpour, they will head for cover. They seem to know ahead of time when harsh weather is going to hit. Their inner ear can probably sense the barometric pressure change. Once the grass, brush and foliage are wet, turkeys will frequent open fields, meadows and pastures. Probably for no other reason than so their feathers don’t soak up the water and they can dry off. In this situation, they probably aren’t going to be very vocal so you’ll need to use your optics and knowledge of the area to locate them. I’ll always advocate safety, but sometimes thunder can be helpful. If the lightning accompanying the thunder is close, please retreat. But I’ve killed several birds because they couldn’t resist gobbling when
