hunting late afternoon birds??

[razortec_hunter]

Whats your tactics/ strategies for hunting birds in the late afternoon? Where are they likely going to be?

[3whunt]

Well if the rios in NE are like the rios in Oklahoma/Texas, all you need to do is setup with 50-100 yards of where they roost. To me, this is by far the easiest way to kill a rio. From 5:00 on, they are headed back to the roost trees. It's like clockwork.

Set out a few decoys and hit the raspiest/loudest friction call you can find. Works like a charm nearly every time.

[ruttinbuc]

I'd go with known roost areas, too. Trouble is they sometimes only roost where they end up for the day. We can't hunt turkeys after 12 noon here.

[dbHunterNY]

can't hunt after noon here either. from what i've seen scouting and if i could hunt then, i'd pick out the birds from a distance. try to get ahead of the bird between it and a close area you think birds have roosted before. use some locator yelps with different calls and cadences so he thinks he can pick up a few ladies for the next morning.

[The Kid]

I would never consider hunting birds coming back to their roost before they fly up, to me turkey hunting is turkey hunting because of the challenge to speak turkey. shoot anyone can pattern a turkey and kill it the next day? To each there own though

If I were you I would look in the fields, look for strut zones, and just get out in the woods and walk until you find one. Usually later in the day you can find a lonely tom. Good luck

[ruttinbuc]

I don't know what he difference would be if you know where they roost in the morning or at night....Nothing is guaranteed with these pea brains anyway. You see the bird in the fields in the afternoon and set up on him and talk to him. How do you know he is not near his roost?

[magnatecsteve]

Like many others said, if you know where they are likely to roost, set up 75 to 100 yards or so in the direction you think they are coming from. It helps if you can get a visual since they arent always as vocal in the late afternoon as they are in the mornings I find. Worked for me a few times, don't have to get too carried away with calling so less chance of getting busted. I consider patterning animals and taking advantage of it totally fair in hunting, isn't that what we try to do to close the gap with a big buck? Know where he beds, feeds, chases, and try to intercept him? I see hunting near roosts more ethical than patterning a big buck with technology and remote trail cams. Not that Im bashing that, to each his own.

[pointing_dogs_rule]

  The Kid said:

I would never consider hunting birds coming back to their roost before they fly up, to me turkey hunting is turkey hunting because of the challenge to speak turkey. shoot anyone can pattern a turkey and kill it the next day? To each there own though

If I were you I would look in the fields, look for strut zones, and just get out in the woods and walk until you find one. Usually later in the day you can find a lonely tom. Good luck

Pattern them in the morning or pattern them in the afternoon what's the difference?????????? You still have to call them into range and away from the hens. To me it sounds unfair to roost them and set up 100 yards away in the morning.

All in all, it doesn't matter. Here in Iowa we are allowed to hunt the afternoons and I love it. I have three ways I hunt these birds. 1. Most of the time the hens will go off to the nest and the toms will follow. Find out what direction the hens go and you will usually find the toms. Sit under a nice tree call. The hens are no longer interested and the toms will come to you in the mid afternoon. 2. I know where the birds roost in my area (lots of small woodlots and open fields so they are easy to see). These birds have travel patterns (fencelines & draws). Set up the decoys and start calling about 3 PM and as the birds move back to your direction they will gain interest. "Like how did that bird get back there before I did" the tom thinks. 3. These birds also use the same strut zones in the afternoon as they do the morning so set up near one as start calling.

In the afternoons I only call once every 20 minutes: less then my morning calling. The weather is often nice and warm so sit under a tree... call, nap a little, call and listen for the gobbles. Good luck and have fun.

good luck to all

the dog

[Flintlock1776]

Soory to say there are still a few states where you have to be out by noon:angel2:

[The Kid]

I'm not here to argue I'm just saying deer hunting and turkey hunting are different i was brought up with turkey hunting being more calling and being vocal, not by patterning turkey, If I can't convince that tom that I'm a hen then I don't want to kill that bird. Its not about getting or not getting a bird its the hunt its the practice that goes into calling birds in away from other birds. It's the challenge that goes into it.

I have turkeys that i watch behind my house, that roost in the same tree every night on the same limb. If i wanted to i could kill that bird by sitting 50 to a 100 yards out from that tree, thats not a challenge? And when i hunt birds in the morning I set up further away than 150 yards. I've walked under birds and spooked them out of their roost and once those birds are spooked where they roost they don't usually roost in the same spot. just my 2 cents not trying to ruffle any feathers here just saying.

Its called hunting, not patterning:toot: Ha j/k

[Rhino]

  razortec_hunter said:

Whats your tactics/ strategies for hunting birds in the late afternoon? Where are they likely going to be?

Like others have said the birds won't be too far from their roost in the afternoons. If you know where birds tend to roost you can try to cut them off near that roost area.

With that comes risk though. You risk busting them away from the area they have been roosting to other unknown areas that may or may not be on your property. You could even be blowing them out of the area just by going in to try to hunt there without ever knowing you spooked them away from that roost site. The birds could be milling around close to the roost area for a while before flyup time. For these reasons (and a few more), I personally don't care to hunt turkeys in the late afternoon on my home turf. I will go out and listen for late afternoon birds for the next morning's hunt.

[Ethan Givan]

  The Kid said:

I'm not here to argue I'm just saying deer hunting and turkey hunting are different i was brought up with turkey hunting being more calling and being vocal, not by patterning turkey, If I can't convince that tom that I'm a hen then I don't want to kill that bird. Its not about getting or not getting a bird its the hunt its the practice that goes into calling birds in away from other birds. It's the challenge that goes into it.

I have turkeys that i watch behind my house, that roost in the same tree every night on the same limb. If i wanted to i could kill that bird by sitting 50 to a 100 yards out from that tree, thats not a challenge? And when i hunt birds in the morning I set up further away than 150 yards. I've walked under birds and spooked them out of their roost and once those birds are spooked where they roost they don't usually roost in the same spot. just my 2 cents not trying to ruffle any feathers here just saying.

Its called hunting, not patterning:toot: Ha j/k

So you never scout before the season starts? You dont go to certain spots to hunt because you have seen turkeys using that particular ridge or field? If you do, then you have patterened birds.

If you hear a bird gobble on the roost early in the morning, 50 yards off the edge of a hay field where you have seen birds strutting before, you will set up 150 yards deeper into the woods from him, correct? Setting up on that field just wouldnt be a challenge.

My point: If you dont pattern birds or learn the areas they frequent, then you are really limiting yourself, and I seriously doubt the ablitliy of anyone to consistently kill turkeys without patterning them to a certain extent.

For afternoon hunting I like to set up on a field where I have seen birds strutting in frequently, and just call ever so often. Hopefully there is a lonely gobbler that has lost his hens during the day, and he will head to that strut zone and to my calls. I prefer hunting mornings though.

Edited April 11, 2011 by Ethan Givan