Afternoon turkey hunting

[Stuck-on-Seven]

here in ny we cant hunt turkeys past 12  so i was just wondering if the birds are just as vocally active in the afternoon? and if they are easier/harder to hunt in the afternoon? or if you guys have had better afternoon success than morning success?

[SLED_NECK]

here in WI they gobble just not as much as they do in the morning

[stka]

It's my understanding that as the day goes on more of the hens keep leaving the toms to tend to their nests. This should make the toms easier to call in once all the hens are ignoring them. This worked for us last year on a tom we couldn't get away from his harem. He would call to me like crazy, but wouldn't leave the hens he already had.

Also I think this law exists in NY to keep hunters from scaring hens from their nests, it's just an assumption though.

[John t.]

I have found that the turkeys are more vocal in the mourning,when there not with hens. when the breeding season starts . the hens fly down to there nest and stay there till the air temp warm up, then feed , and mate .when all her eggs are laid she will stay on the nest all the time. this may take several days. they will lay one egg a day. they will also hatch in that order.

[Stuck-on-Seven]

It's my understanding that as the day goes on more of the hens keep leaving the toms to tend to their nests. This should make the toms easier to call in once all the hens are ignoring them. This worked for us last year on a tom we couldn't get away from his harem. He would call to me like crazy, but wouldn't leave the hens he already had.

Also I think this law exists in NY to keep hunters from scaring hens from their nests, it's just an assumption though.

im pretty sure you are right about the reason for the law......being a fellow new yorker would you agree with me in that our season should start a little earlier like half way through april or so?? it seems that all the birds do way more strutting/gobbling in april than in may....even when i did the youth weekend in april the hunting was much better i heard way more gobbling and seen way more birds than during the regular season.

[BigRedDodge1500]

It's my understanding that as the day goes on more of the hens keep leaving the toms to tend to their nests. This should make the toms easier to call in once all the hens are ignoring them. This worked for us last year on a tom we couldn't get away from his harem. He would call to me like crazy, but wouldn't leave the hens he already had.

Also I think this law exists in NY to keep hunters from scaring hens from their nests, it's just an assumption though.

\

He is exactly right.....hens go to nest in the afternoon therefore more TOMS would be wondering around and get harvested therefore populations would drop....A lot of people have to realize that in most states turkeys were reintroduced last century in order to restore populations so its still a work in progress.

[CAPTJJ]

im pretty sure you are right about the reason for the law......being a fellow new yorker would you agree with me in that our season should start a little earlier like half way through april or so?? it seems that all the birds do way more strutting/gobbling in april than in may....even when i did the youth weekend in april the hunting was much better i heard way more gobbling and seen way more birds than during the regular season.

Here's what DEC has to say about the seasons: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/48823.html

[Adam Bomb]

I think it depends on the bird myself. Ive killed turkeys in the afternoon that were just as fired up as one that just came off the roost. Others come in silent. I like to get in high traffic areas and call every 20 minutes or so. May be a few purs and clucks or a few yelps. They may come thundering in or sneak in silent as a church mouse.

As far as easier or harder to hunt, i think it is a bit more challenging as they are generally less vocal, so its easier to bump a bird thats roaming around on the ground rather than starting out stationary in a tree gobbling...Im glad we can hunt em all day. We used to have the half day rule here as well. Glad they changed it.