Afternoon hunts

[Meleagris gallopavo]

I had such good success in getting helpful replies on mid-morning hunts I figured I'd ask about afternoon hunts.  I've had decent afternoon success, but often I bump birds going in or see them already in the fields I hunt.  What are your thoughts on hunting in the afternoon?  I typically hunt in and around fields.

[StruttinGobbler3]

Afternoon hunting can be great, I've killed a lot of birds in the afternoon. Most guys don't like it because they don't gobble much, but if you're patient it will kill a lot of birds. Best thing is to figure out when the birds are hitting that particular field, and get in there at least an hour before them. Either set up near their travel route or put out decoys, whichever way suits you. Then sit and call about every twenty or thirty minutes. Keep it soft, easy on the aggressive cutting and yelping. Other than that be still and patient


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[eggshell]

I have had decent luck in the afternoons, but yes it pales in comparison to mornings. In the east US it seems that there is a dead period from around 1:00PM -3:00PM from my experiences. I usually take a break around noon and head back out around 3-4 and get in areas I think birds will travel or feed in. Gobblers won't be far off their strut zones. So it's a good time to slip into one of those. I am usually not  a sit and wait guy, but my butt is more stationary in the afternoons and evenings than mornings. when I do move it's slow and not far. My calling is soft clucks and maybe a serious of yelps now and then. When a bird opens up, I hammer him right back with a string of yelps and maybe a cut. If he engages I shut up to see if he moves, if he does I stay silent. He if doesn't I hammer him more and try and stir him up. Keep your eyes peeled, they often show up silent. I'll really listen for spit and drumming.

[GobbleNut]

Although I have killed some gobblers in the afternoon, I have less confidence in hunting then than I do before noon.  Personally, I would just rather focus my time hunting the morning hours.  The birds just seem to be more willing to carry on a conversation at some point in the morning.

There are some rare occasions that things are tough enough that I resort to hunting roost areas late in the evening, as well.  ....But I really don't like having to do that.  Too much "ambush" and not enough "conversation" there for my taste,....but still I do it if absolutely necessary for the conditions at hand.

[1iagobblergetter]

I've killed them from morning legal hours to the end of day legal hours. Most generally I hunt all day regardless with best luck 9 isham-1ishpm. Like i tell my son they aint gonna die if were sitting on the couch. Persistence will kill alot of Turkeys.

[Kylongspur88]

Anymore I almost prefer mid-day and afternoons. It requires more leg work and patience with less vocal birds but if you get on one and you sit tight you have a good chance of getting a shot. Don't just listen for gobbles. I've located several hearing them drum.

[Turkeytider]

Afternoon hunting can be great, I've killed a lot of birds in the afternoon. Most guys don't like it because they don't gobble much, but if you're patient it will kill a lot of birds. Best thing is to figure out when the birds are hitting that particular field, and get in there at least an hour before them. Either set up near their travel route or put out decoys, whichever way suits you. Then sit and call about every twenty or thirty minutes. Keep it soft, easy on the aggressive cutting and yelping. Other than that be still and patient


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Couldn`t have said it better. It`s not for everyone. I love it because I just love the woods. Different style of hunting ( requires more patience than I think a lot of guys have ). You have to know the birds, at least the general area they like to be in or move through. Have to be able to sit still for protracted periods. They don`t talk much at all, but if you ever get one to gobble in the afternoon, get ready, he`s coming!

[KentuckyHeadhunter]

Afternoons are best for me in the last few years.  Once you learn to hunt completely silent birds.  Setup is critical and overcalling will ruin it.  Pay attention the entire time and hunt like you're being hunted.  From a distance a small white bobbing head is what you want to see headed your way. 

[nativeks]

Killed one at 3:10 this afternoon. They never made a peep but I expected that. Just when you think you should give up wait another 15 minutes. Good scouting is key in putting you in the right spot.

[Timmer]

We all have different terrains, land sizes, and styles of hunting.  It might help to share more details of your area.   I assume you are hunting with a shotgun?

I hunt from before sun up until the dinner hour.  I do a lot of sneak hunting so by late afternoon I've covered a lot of ground and am tired and hungry and ready to call it a day.  I would say my number one most successful time frame is from around 7-9am, after the hens have gone to their nests and the toms are now alone.  My umber two is late morning, say 11am to to early afternoon around 2pm.  In the morning I'm working specific birds/areas that I heard on the roosts or gobbling on the ground soon after.  By late morning going into the afternoon I'm covering ground trying to strike one up.  Going after them increases my success rate compared to sticking in one spot or potentially trying to pattern them from day to day.  It took a lot of mistakes and learning to build the skills to be able to sneak hunt successfully.  I still bump birds here and there but not like I used to when I was more of a rookie.

[eggshell]

I do a lot of sneak hunting

Are "sneaks" anything like turkeys?

anything like this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q34-wjgn1QY

[Meleagris gallopavo]

We all have different terrains, land sizes, and styles of hunting.  It might help to share more details of your area.   I assume you are hunting with a shotgun?

I hunt with a shotgun.  We (just about everyone in this area that turkey hunts) hunt field edges.  Back when turkeys made a comeback the guys say they hunted turkeys in the woods more.  Now they have all switched to field edges.  It's flat terrain in the coastal plain of NC and VA.  All private land.  Usually fields that have large trees next to them, even better if there is a swamp right there too.  I typically have the best luck if I pattern birds and watch them go to roost and hunt them the next morning.  Sometimes if the afternoon is nice I go hunt in the afternoon near where they roost.  I typically prefer first light.  When they are henned-up like they are now I feel hunting near the roost works in the afternoon.  Killed a few that way.

[Moneyball11]

The only real times that I have had success in the afternoon is when I studied the turkeys fields they frequent, and beat them to the field. More times than not if they beat you there, you are stuck...


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[g8rvet]

The only real times that I have had success in the afternoon is when I studied the turkeys fields they frequent, and beat them to the field. More times than not if they beat you there, you are stuck...


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Nothing more disheartening than sneaking to a field edge in late morning or early afternoon and seeing or hearing the birds already there. 

I think eggshell was dang spot on .

[captfire]

I think evening hunts are a lot like deer hunting set with your eyes open and be ready you never when its going to happen...