A couple years ago, Ohio changed the rules for spring gobblers. Like many states, we allow hunting until noon. However, for the last 2 weeks of the season (started today), you can hunt gobblers until sundown. So the question is.. who has experience with afternoon/evening hunts and what are your tactics?
I usually set up where they roost, literally directly under it (depending on how far they take off to fly up to roost). In my experience, the toms get roosting in their heads and its hard to change their minds. I just pull the ol intercept maneuver.
I agree with ihunt and tacklebox, just make sure you are in position a few hours before you plan on the birds getting back to roost.
for late evening, these guys are right. if you hunt at 3-5pm, you can get lucky and still call them too you.
I can hunt all day in Iowa, but can't be much help. This is my first year turkey hunting, I just set up in a field I had pictures of a Tom coming to on the afternoons, and finally lucked up and he showed up when I was hunting and destroyed my decoy and then I pretty well destroyed him.
Birds around here used to gobble at night (5-6 years ago)...but that quit with hunting pressure. I havnt even heard a gobble in the last 2 weeks...let alone see a bird. As far as night hunting, you screw your chances at a roosted bird in the morning.
I agree - Setting up in the morning is far more effective. I also like going into town grabbing a bite to eat and relaxing instead of hunting until so late at night... I must not really like Turkey hunting as much as Deer Hunting! Ha.
I will only get one morning hunt this season. The rest will be afternoons only. My season starts today and goes till next Tuesday (6 days). The only morning I can go out is Sunday.
Good stuff guys. I appreciate it! I'm pretty much in the same boat as Brad... my mornings are mostly booked solid. Caleb, I feel ya brother... I've hunted 4 mornings without hearing a single gobble, and see nothing but lone hens. Cole, I wanna hunt with you someday!
I'm about 15 minuets from Wesley and I kill a lot of my birds in the afternoon around 6 o'clock like everyone else said get between them and the roost and calling won't do much good until you see a bird then just a few yelps usually works out well.
