What's everyone's experience with fog while turkey hunting? I'm out hunting right now in SE Wisconsin and the fog is terrible. I only heard 2 gobbles on the roost and one when he hit the ground. That's it. There's usually a good amount of birds here with 2 roosting sites. One to the NE and one to the NW of me. I know it's later in the year (5th season), but two days ago in another location I had them gobbling like crazy. So my thought is that the birds are nervous with this fog as far as not being able to see predators approaching. Anyone have any thoughts/experience with fog? I'm gonna play the patience game here. I'm hoping that with the sparing calling that I'm doing, a Tom will remember where I'm at and slide in silently. I think calling aggressively in this situation would seem unnatural to the birds. Thoughts? Thanks Greg
I love fog and mystic mornings when I hunt. Just last deer season I had a morning after a freezing rain where everything was covered in a thin layer of ice and it was foggy. It was a very eerie, quiet, morning. I'm sure they're waiting until they can see the ground better before getting off their roost. I think far too many people think they have to setup a football field or two away and hope the calling brings them in. I'd try setting up 50 yards from a roost, move in slow and quiet really early and increase your odds. I can't tell you how many times I got in my deer stand really quiet in the pitch black and had a few turkeys fly from their roost and land within 20 yards of me. I say get in closer and if the fog is still there, give a few yelps and wait for one to respond and then use your hat and flap it on the brush and ground to imitate a turkey landing. Then start clucking and see what happens.
Unfortunately, I'm as close as I can get. I've been denied permission to hunt both properties where they roost. I've got to pull them to me. Last year second season I was able to do just that, but the second and fifth seasons are much different as far as their behavior. I think patience and a little luck is gonna have to work. I've got tomorrow morning as well. The fog has burned off and they are still quiet. Got 5 minutes left before I've gotta leave got work.
Ahh, well that changes things a bit. Have you tried using a baseball cap to flap it around on the brush and ground to simulate a turkey landing from its roost? If you do a few yelps and hear a turkey in its roost, try that and see if it flies down in your direction.
I love the fog as well. From what u have found, when foggy, the turkeys hit the ground and tend to quiet down a bit.
