Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

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stash59
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Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby stash59 » Sat May 13, 2017 4:34 am

Need a little advice from all of you turkey pros.

I have a tag for last season here in Wi. 5/24-31. Any advice on calls, loud/soft, type, etc. To decoy or not to decoy.

My mornings are still tough for me to get going. So early morning is probably out. Getting up early will just upset the apple cart too much. I'd rather hunt every day than try to get up early and not be able to make it out again.

My thoughts are to try and locate roosting areas and set up on routes to or near them. To try and catch a tom on his way to one in the evening. Getting set up early afternoon, even midday.

I've been driving around early evening looking for birds in fields or setting up in the car where I can observe birds heading toward roosting areas. Also listening for gobbles. Especially ones around or after sundown. Near or from the suspected roosts. Problem is I'm not sure how far away I can actually hear them from. I plan on observing/listening from a different spot these next couple of nights. So I can kinda triangulate the roosts. But there is no guarantee they'll be at the same exact spots as previously.

I'll gladly settle for a jake. I have one that is consistently heading through a grass field towards a roosting area. The gobblers aren't as consistent. Nor not necessarily traveling or roosting on public, but near the edge of it.

The jake has been showing up about 7:00 in the field. Big problem is he is heading east. So on sunny days, which seems to be when I see him. He has the full advantage of the sun. But he does follow an old brush line to the south towards the trees. Where he must be roosting. I can't really sit stone cold still for very long. Don't have nor could carry in a blind.

I'm using my xbow also.

Thanx in advance!

Chuck


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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby BigHunt » Sat May 13, 2017 4:40 am

What do you consider early? 2am? 3am? Lol

Your best bet is to hunt from 8am till dark...
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby Stanley » Sat May 13, 2017 7:23 am

Just relax, hunt when you can and when you want. Don't turn it into must do, want to do is much better.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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stash59
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby stash59 » Sun May 14, 2017 2:30 pm

Yeah Bighunt most days lately if I can get working on my projects or go for a drive to scout by noon I'm doing good. Actually being able to hunt may improve that. :handgestures-fingerscrossed:

Birds have been hard to come by lately. At least where they can be seen from a road or parking spot. Haven't heard many gobbling at sundown either.

I should be discouraged but I went and bought a tag for E season today. Just don't wanna wait another week. Now I gotta get busy to be totally ready!!!!! :doh: :mrgreen:
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby stash59 » Sun May 14, 2017 3:00 pm

burkhart wrote:Soft calling. Clucks, n real aggressive calling they are all past that by now ...find social areas like dust spots or preferred hen travel routes As for decoys some say none because he has seen them already but if you do use them one r two hens.

I don't hunt early mornings most years and I have no reason. Not to.. I believe unless your in tight. Your better to let the hens leave him and find him lonely up in he morning...


Thanx burkhart!! Read some stuff today that mentioned the same. It will be nice only taking 1 decoy with. More room for water and food!!! :lol:
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby oldrank » Sun May 14, 2017 3:14 pm

I put the hammer down on my late season calling some times. Loud n aggressive... I would say my number one working call sequence is where I work my slate like im 3 hens calling back n forth. I go soft n sharp then loud n low.. Fighting purrs work too. Alot of times if you start working a bird do what he wants. I worked a bird a couple weeks ago that had no interest unless I was working the slate hard. When I thought he was set n coming I cut back n he lost interest. As soon as I went crazy again he came right in.. I choked on the shot unfortunately. Some days its exactly opposite n they want something different.

One other thing is get your dekes where they can see them. If they see them they will come in a good % of the time.

Turkeys can be like fish..some days they just run in like the decoys n calls are a long lost friend..the next day you might think there isnt a bird within miles. I trust my scouting. It doesnt matter if im getting gobbles or not. If I know turkeys r within hearing distance I am very confident they will come in to check out my stuff sooner or later.
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby oldrank » Sun May 14, 2017 3:31 pm

One other thing.. Hit the evening food sources. Im not sure what ur states laws are, here we can hunt till half hour before sunset. Both my bird n my sons bird we killed at about 7. I work till 4 so weekdays are evenings only. The birds seem to be feeding about 6:30 pm on the dot.

Public of course is always tougher but still Id say 75% of my birds are after 4:00 pm. Depending on pressure everything can go out the door. Ive hunted birds that will not gobble unless they r on roost. They are scared to death of popup blinds n run from decoys... Ahh, the struggle is real, as the old thread says..good luck Chuck.
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby stash59 » Mon May 15, 2017 1:14 am

Thanx OR!!!
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby matt1336 » Mon May 15, 2017 5:36 am

I always liked mid day dusting spots. It's a good place to find hens. Hens=toms.
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby Ack » Mon May 15, 2017 6:20 pm

Mid-day is prime time at this point of the season. Get out there, move slow, call occasionally, and if you strike up a bird chances are he'll be closing the distance.
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby stash59 » Thu May 18, 2017 4:45 am

Thanx guys. Had more last minute gear tweaks than planned. Gonna through on some camo and head out soon.

Went in on a logging trail last night. No gobbles heard. but I found a dusting bowl. Freshly used since the earlier rain. Set it up abit on my way out. It's right there for everybody and his uncle to see/find. But it's easy for me and I'm hoping middle of the week I'll be alone with the birds. May not see a gobbler but just seeing a hen will be fun. :D :handgestures-fingerscrossed:
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!
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Re: Advice for a non-morning hunter!! + last season!!!

Unread postby stash59 » Sun May 21, 2017 1:27 am

Was too tired to make it out Thursday. Had appointments yesterday. But I drove around alot of spots. Saw some birds that may be huntable. Looks like I'll be sitting in the rain all afternoon!!!! :doh: :mrgreen: :D
Happiness is a large gutpile!!!!!!!


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