This will be the first year in 18 years of turkey hunting that one of the farms I hunt on is in wheat this year. Every year he swaps between beans and corn and the following spring the ground is pretty much bare. The birds always fly down at daylight and strut but this I'm concerned if they will. The wheat is 8 inches tall and green but by the time our season comes in and all this rain it's prolly gonna be a foot tall or better. Went out Saturday morning and heard zero gobbling in my area around these fields. That doesn't mean that there not there though. My ? Is has anybody hunting wheat fields before. It's got me wondering if it's gonna be good. I know I can hunt the edges and the woods but just wondering what some of y'all's thoughts was. Thanks for your input.
From my experiences it should be excellent! Should be lots of bugs in it the turkeys will love to get at.And if its starting to head out at all they'll be peckin at that too.
Turkeys don't usually like to walk in tall wheat. They are just like us...I'd rather walk down a paved sidewalk than in brush 5 ft.tall. When wheat gets above 18" tall or so ,maybe shorter than that,turkeys will change habits and strut in pastures etc. Right now in some of the ground I hunt wheat is about a foot tall....depending on rain etc.I probably have 2-3 weeks more hunting in those fields. It also depends how thick the wheat crop is.....if on good ground and good moisture crop is real thick it's hard for them to walk through.
Usually here in MO by turkey season our wheat might be ankle tall(at least the farms where I hunt)by turkey season.I have seen them in thinner stands that are taller and headed out after poults are even hatched.
I've never done any good in tall wheat. IMO turkeys like to be able to see all around them. They can't do that when the wheat is taller than them... Hopefully there's some roads or openings you can find them strutting in...
Had good luck if it's dry...no luck when it's really wet...
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Depends on how tall - if it is short, they seem to like it for strutting and feeding throughout the day. If it is taller, they seem to stay out until the morning dew has dried it off. Just what I have observed.
YOu will be dis-appointed...Once the wheat gets tall, they are gone. They especially wont be in it in the mornings when its wet from rain or dew......
I've had some of my best hunts in wheat fields. Watch close. The birds can get in very close to you with out you spotting them. They like to "periscope". Stick just their heads above the wheat to look around. Then the next time you see them they may be 20 yrds from their original position. I think you'll actually like it. Where I'm from, if there's a wheat field next to a turkey woods, it's a prime spot.