Hunting Turkeys in Foul Weather

April 25, 2022 greg wagner

Nebraska weather. Don’t like it? Wait a short while. It’ll change, maybe.

Reality is rarely so kind.

The Cornhusker State’s spring wild turkey hunting seasons are in full swing amid the ever-changing, ever-fluctuating weather patterns and conditions here on the Great Plains. But one unfortunate thing has been fairly consistent this spring: Wind. And lots of it!

National Weather Service data since 1960 for eastern Nebraska show that it is averaging its second-windiest year to date and the second-windiest spring thus far.

Nevertheless, should we wait to turkey hunt until we have calm to no wind and those beautiful bluebird-like days with warm sunshine? If time is not available to do that, we might have to hunt when the weather is dealing us fits. What if the weather does a 180-degree turn when we are in our blinds trying to call in a big gobbler? What then?

All good questions. For answers, I went to one of our expert, more seasoned wild turkey hunters, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission outdoor education specialist, Aaron Hershberger.

“I’ll say this first: “Patience in less than ideal situations is the main thing to remember when turkey hunting in rough weather. If you’ve done your homework, the turkeys are not going to be as far away as we sometimes convince ourselves they are,” explained Hershberger.

The good news is bad weather does not mean bad hunting. “The keys,” said Hershberger, “are to go when you can safely go, have the proper gear, analyze the conditions, determine how the conditions will affect turkey behavior and adjust your strategy appropriately.

Your blogger harvested this gobbler (adult male wild turkey) during the opening day of Nebraska’s spring shotgun wild turkey hunting season with windy conditions in a more sheltered area of a southeast Nebraska farm. Photo by Mark Hintz of Gretna, NE.

Let’s also remind ourselves that blinds can be a hunt saver in unfavorable conditions.”

Here is a portable, pop up, camouflaged hunting blind with decoys placed for spring wild turkey hunting. Photo by Greg Wagner/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Here is how to cope with some of the more common inclement weather scenarios for spring wild turkey hunting in Nebraska, according to Hershberger:

Wind

Seems the wind always blows in Nebraska and sometimes more today than yesterday and the day before that. Turkey hunting in wind is downright difficult. Flapping branches, waving grass and rustling leaves make male wild turkeys quite wary. “Wild turkeys in Nebraska are accustomed to wind, and more so than any other gobblers I have pursued,” pointed out Hershberger, who is originally from Iowa. “Which is good, because wind is rarely absent here on the plains.”  Turkeys know how to use the creases in the landscape (e.g. More open creek bottoms, valleys and hollows and the leeward sides of hills) to get out of the wind and still be able to see. However, the stronger it blows the fewer places they will have to escape it. “The challenge for the hunter, said Hershberger, “is to get to these places before the birds do.” Once in them the turkeys may not leave until they absolutely need to do so. “Bumping them out of one of these areas is crucial not to do because the birds will have little interest in returning,” he added.

A hen wild turkey has its feathers fluffed up by wind gusts while checking out a decoy spread on a low rise during recent spring shotgun wild turkey hunt in southeast Nebraska. Photo by Greg Wagner/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Extreme Wind

A major challenge regarding spring wild turkey hunting is high wind or what I call extreme wind and how it affects sound. Inevitably, your calling efforts will not reach as far. Worse yet is the hunter’s ability to be able to hear any response with high winds. “My go-to call in extreme wind is a big, squeaky box call that many longtime hunters term a “boat-paddle,” indicated Hershberger. “These things can create hen music that travels better than any other call.”  The box calls do not sound like much if you are close, but further away the calls are hen-like and raspy. What about trying to hear gobbles with the wind howling? “I’ll pass along a tip I learned from my brother,” he remarked. “Position yourself on the downwind side of where you expect the gobblers to be.  Take advantage of any pauses with gusty conditions. Having great hearing, turkeys can pick up calling better than we think. If they gobble you’ll have a better chance to hear it sitting downwind.”

A male wild turkey is seen gobbling on a low rise of hilly terrain. Photo courtesy of NEBRASKAland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Rain or Drizzle and Storms

Driving, soaking rains often cause wild turkeys to act differently. Expect turkeys to stay on their roost longer with moderate to more intense rain. Hershberger noted: “With rain, once off the roost, wild turkeys know they are better off in the open to use their sharp eyes for defense and realize their feathers don’t work well to repel moisture when continually brushed up against wet vegetation. This means pastures; meadows, fields and larger clearings in woods are where you will find the birds.” Thunderstorms are something completely different. For your safety, you should never turkey hunt in those conditions. “No gobbler, jake or bearded hen is worth injury or death in a thunderstorm or tornado,” emphasized Hershberger. However, when it stops raining or when a thunderstorm moves off and the sun comes out, you can encounter some of the best gobbling activity and turkey movement of the day. “To set up after a rain event, I would suggest looking for sunny places, out of the wind and usually in the open or near open areas.”

What about light rain, mist or drizzle? “Turkey feathers work a bit like shingles on a roof,” Hershberger explained.  “Raindrops will roll from one feather to the next until they fall off.  So a light rain, mist or drizzle means very little.”  Though if the rain intensifies and gets a bit heavier some birds may make use of “umbrella cover” where they can get some overhead protection from the falling raindrops. “Often times, with rain, toms seek cover in old growth woods, particularly those woods that are more open so they can see. When rain showers are brief in duration you may notice this behavior, as well,” further commented Hershberger. “Just remember, for turkeys, life continues even when it rains all day.”

A male wild turkey approaches a decoy spread on a day filled with drizzle and mist. Photo by Greg Wagner/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Sleet

If there is one weather aspect that wild turkeys are likely to despise the most, it is sleet! Turkeys hate sleet and I do, too,” Hershberger exclaimed. “Sleet will weigh their feathers down, quickly rob them of body heat and not enable them to hear or see danger.” Gobblers will stay on the roost longer in the morning if it is sleeting. “If their roost does not provide adequate protection from the elements, they will head for the nearest open stands of timber with good canopy cover at first light. Be there waiting for them,” said Hershberger.

An adult male wild turkey is fanned out while walking through open woods. Photo courtesy of NEBRASKAland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

Snow

Unless it comes in blizzard proportions, or mixes with sleet, a little snow barely registers for turkeys whose primary focus is breeding. “Strategies for spring turkey hunting need to change very little with regard to snow, if at all,” commented Hershberger, “other than making sure you have a dry place to sit.  Getting a wet bum while working a gobbler is not much fun.” Being a bit louder on the call might help, too, as the falling snow may muffle sound.

A puffed out male wild turkey walks in snow cover. Photo courtesy of NEBRASKAland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The post Hunting Turkeys in Foul Weather appeared first on Nebraskaland Magazine.

Previous Article
Omaha peregrine falcon tests positive for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

The peregrine falcon that died in a nest box on the WoodmenLife Tower in downtown Omaha tested positive for...

Next Article
She Goes Outdoors Podcast: Grab Your Binoculars!
She Goes Outdoors Podcast: Grab Your Binoculars!

She Goes Outdoors Podcast · Grab Binoculars For This One! American robin, arctic tern, bar-tailed godwit, s...