Wild turkeys are opportunistic foragers. They spend a good portion of their day scratching in leaf litter, chasing bugs and milling for seeds. See their food habits outlined below. Poults: In the first few weeks and during their first summer, broods spend nearly 90 percent of their waking hours feeding.
What time of day are turkeys most active?
General Weather Conditions: As a general rule of thumb, turkeys are most active during calm, clear days in morning and early afternoon hours. Turkey activity generally decreases with bad weather conditions including wind and rain. During extremely wet and rainy days, turkeys are neither vocal nor very active.
Do turkeys do the same thing everyday?
Turkeys are creatures of habit. Although they may not use the precise locations and travel routes every day, the flock will stay in the same general areas. Food, water, fields, cover and roost trees typically dictate their travel routines, so be mindful of these factors when scouting.
What do turkeys do in the pouring rain?
Although feathers guard against rain, turkeys still tend to seek shelter during heavy downpours. Once the weather calms and the sun peeks out, however, toms will resume gobbling, strutting, and seeking hens in open fields with short grasses. They’d prefer not to drag their feathers along the wet, muddy ground.
Do turkeys have the same routine?
Wild turkeys have daily routines involving eating, breeding, dusting and loafing. A hunter can enable success by learning a bird’s schedule.
What do turkeys do mid day?
If you can legally hunt past noon—or simply want to scout—midday is the time to sneak toward loafing areas. Preseason scouting likely uncovered a few select, shady areas adjacent to field edges and feeding zones. Turkeys congregate here to escape the midday heat. Turkeys also spend the midday hours dusting.
What weather is best for turkey hunting?
The best weather for turkey hunting season doesn’t always coincide on days where you hear the most gobblers. Gobblers will be more vocal on days where winds are less than 10 mph, the temperature is between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and the barometric pressure is high and steady.
What do turkeys do in the morning?
Fields and other open areas often contain food sources as well, and since eating is often the first thing on a turkey’s mind each morning, it makes sense that they’d roost nearby an easy meal.
What is a turkeys routine?
They’re simply following a pattern of daily rituals: feeding, calling, breeding, preening and loafing through the day. Use a turkey’s daily rituals to plan a hunt strategy, especially when gobblers are henned up. It can be a long, tough hunt, but those are typically the most memorable.
Where do turkeys stay during the day?
First, turkeys are on the move more than at any other time of day since early morning. In most habitats, turkeys make a circuit out from a roost area, spend the late morning and afternoon hours in loafing cover or other seclusion, then work back toward roost sites as the day wanes.
When should I stop calling turkey?
If you hear gobbling and the gobble is getting louder, that means he is getting closer to you – so stop calling.
What do turkeys do during storms?
On rainy days, especially cold rainy days, gobblers go quiet. Turkeys will opt to stay in the roost longer. Once they do fly down, they will alter their daily routine. Rainy evenings and mornings can also produce fog.
Is it worth hunting turkeys in the rain?
Precipitation: Why You Should Hunt in the Rain
Turkeys want to take advantage of this easy feeding, and they often let their guard down and are less cautious. The rain also helps to hinder birds’ hearing and visibility, which makes it easier for the hunter to get close.
What time do gobblers leave hens?
As stated above, both male and female turkeys will leave the roost sometime between 5:00 to 9:00 a.m. The largest factor that determines the exact time during this window is the weather. If the weather is clear, the birds will leave the roost earlier. The gobbler will usually fly down right around first light.
What does it mean when turkeys walk in a circle?
The circular nature of their march is just a result of their instinct to stay within the safety of their flock. In other words, what looks like extremely ominous behavior to human eyes is actually just a bunch of birds who can’t decide how scared they should be of roadkill.
Why would a turkey be alone?
Your lone turkey could be one of those guys. The bachelor toms will eventually be welcomed back by the females and their broods, once the mating season is over. It might also be a younger turkey that has become separated from its flock and is calling out to its mother and friends.
What do gobblers do in the middle of the day?
Midday gobblers can provide a completely different style of hunt. These birds have moved away from the turkey roost and shifted their focus to feeding, presenting a worthy challenge. With the afternoon ahead and the hens returning to the nest, you can find yourself a lonely tom ready to come to your call!
What do turkeys do in the afternoon?
Finding Patterns for Afternoon Turkey Hunting
It’s been my experience in the afternoons that birds like to hit the fields before they’ll head back to the roost to fly up. If you can glass food plots and fields, you can usually spot your birds to determine what time of the day they like to use a particular field.
What time will turkeys start gobbling in the morning?
Beginning around 9:00 a.m. walk old logging roads, field edges, foot trails on ridges…you get the idea. Pause often and listen for gobbles. Try to strike toms with calls.
How far can you hear a turkey gobble in the woods?
As a general rule a gobble made in a tree can be heard twice as far as one made on the ground. That same “twice-as-far” rule applies to all other turkey sounds.
How do you attract wild turkeys?
Food. Turkeys are omnivorous and will sample a wide variety of foods. To attract turkeys to your yard, you can provide them with a large ground feeding station containing cracked corn or mixed birdseed. Turkeys will also happily clean up any spills under hanging feeders you may have up for other birds.