Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Hunting in the afternoon?

Hello all......relatively new to turkey hunting; I've done it off and on in the past, but it was usually a morning hunt, using the typical "locator" call, then setting up and trying to call a bird in. My job now has me working midnights, so my morning hunting time will be severely limited. I'm just curious if anyone would be willing to share any tips/hints for hunting in the afternoon, say from midmorning on to dusk? Thanks in advance...............

The only thing I can really add to afternoon hunting is hunt where they roost. If you can be in or around the area they roost, I would think the afternoon would be a great time to set up near that.

If you want to hear turkeys hunt at dawn, if you want to kill turkeys hunt 9-12...

Late pm hunt the approach to the roost, not the actual roost, unless you are down to desperate time! But it can be very effective if you know where they are all afternoon and where they roost, call sparingly or not at all.

Especially in the later season which is now for northern Iowa, later in the day can be very good and especially it seems to me in open areas where the toms can see well. Most of the the hens have been bred but the toms are still up for it. IME, two hens and maybe a jake decoy (a small flock) or one hen and a jake work well for "cold calling" and bringing them in.

Put them out in fairly open terrain -- the edge of a pasture, corn or soybean field where toms like to strut and be seen -- where you can sit or hide comfortably nearby and incoming toms can see well and go for the long hall. Just yelp now and then again and be patient. Assuming there are toms in the area they will hear the calls and hopefully one or more will respond. They may not gobble but come in silently so this set-up, combined with patience, and watchfulness, can pay off very well.

Good luck.

Bingo! Mid morning hunts are my favorite...

Well, I killed a Tom last Saturday at 2 p.m. so I happen to be a big fan of afternoon hunts. In fact I may have killed more birds over the years later in the day vs earlier in the day. Hunted a different state in April and killed a bird at 4 p.m.

Set up a blind on the edge of feeding areas (think green) and read a book. A couple of yelps every 30 minutes.

Run&Gun may be fun but patience has lead to far more birds for me.

If you look out from my porch you can see 4 counties, and there is nothing blocking the wind for three quarters around the compass. As the result, the wind can get pretty stiff in the afternoon around our place, and especially so in the spring. That is not to say we do not hunt in the afternoons, but it does present challenges.

My favorite strategy is to get out about 1400 and set up where I know I'll be heard with a suitable box call and give raucous yelping and cackles about every quarter-hour until dinner time. I may get an answer in the first hour, but not have the gobbler show up until three or four hours later. While I'm waiting, I usually read a book or take short cat naps.

I wrote about this on T&TH several times. Here is one of them with links to others:

Afternoon Tactics: What Blythe Taught Me

BTW: Blythe's crew still roosts in the same tree going on 16 seasons.

All the other guys at the camp were sitting around talking when I went out and killed my first turkey at 1PM. Those guys had been hunting for a week and had killed nothing. Of course I had never hunting turkeys before so didn't know I was wasting my time.

It probably depends on the types of birds and areas you are hunting as well. I know folks who hunt open country for Rios and Merriams will set up near roosts. Where i hunt eastern's, they could literally roost anywhere they want so patterning isn't as easy but I find they use the same areas that I find them in late mornings... as for techniques for afternoons, looks like folks have it covered in previous posts.

I have killed more than a few in the afternoon, as stated above, I try to cut them off going back to where they roost.

Thanks to all of you!!
Today was the last day that I was able to hunt due to family/work constraints......managed to put my tag on a jake at 11:15 today! My second wild turkey ever, and my first during a spring season. I learned a lot over the past 3 weeks, and saw a lot of neat, interesting stuff (had a hen turkey come and lay down 10 ft in front of where I was hiding last week). I am glad I decided to hunt into the afternoon, starting at 11:00 on some days due to work. Called in one tom that I couldn't get a shot at, and I do believe I will be trying again for a permit next spring! Thanks to all for your advice...........it payed off!
.....and now that I've shot a wild turkey, I believe it's time for a shot OF wild turkey!;)

I've had my best luck around 10:00 am as well... Early evening also a good time, if you can lure them in closer to where they roost. Sometimes those jakes come running pretty hard in the evening...

Good for you 16ga. Like others have said a lot of Turkey get taken from 9 to noon and the last three hours of the day. It has been my experience that if you set up about three hours before roost time and yelp every now and then you have a good chance of calling one in and often they will come in without making a sound. Got my second bird this year about six in the evening. He came in behind me and never made a peep. I just happened to see him in my peripheral vision. I usually never move once I set up.