muddy
Well-Known Member
Find pine trees. For some reason I will find birds in pines when it's raining out. If the rain is super hard I just don't go, HOWEVER, just as soon as it stops raining I will find an open field where I've seen gobblers before. More often than not, they'll be out there right after the rain trying to dry out.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Daver
PMA Member
In a hard rain, they will get under pines and cedars. In fact, looking at the forecast for rain tomorrow I am planning on starting out near a cedar grove with just that thought in mind.
A very light rain though doesn't seem to affect them much, I'll hunt them as normal.
Between the two extremes of very light rain and heavy rain, they seem to prefer the open fields IMO. Other have observed, and I agree, that the sound of the rain in the timber is disconcerting to them and they gravitate to the open fields and rely on their eyesight as their hearing is muted by the sound of the rain.
They won't gobble as much during a rain, but they can still be had. I once called in a strutting tom in the rain that was so wet that his tailfeathers looked like sticks, the feathers were completely matted down. It was an odd sight.
A very light rain though doesn't seem to affect them much, I'll hunt them as normal.
Between the two extremes of very light rain and heavy rain, they seem to prefer the open fields IMO. Other have observed, and I agree, that the sound of the rain in the timber is disconcerting to them and they gravitate to the open fields and rely on their eyesight as their hearing is muted by the sound of the rain.
They won't gobble as much during a rain, but they can still be had. I once called in a strutting tom in the rain that was so wet that his tailfeathers looked like sticks, the feathers were completely matted down. It was an odd sight.
Ghost
Life Member
Daver is correct about birds hitting the open fields when it rains. Their vision and hearing is impaired during a rain in the timber so they head to the fields.
They also will head to the fields to feed on the worms and insects that a rain brings out of the ground.
I shot a gobbler in the rain once that had so much mud packed on his feet that I seriously doubt he could have gotten airborn. Looked so funny walking around with big clumps of mud stuck to his feet I just about broke out laughing.
They also will head to the fields to feed on the worms and insects that a rain brings out of the ground.
I shot a gobbler in the rain once that had so much mud packed on his feet that I seriously doubt he could have gotten airborn. Looked so funny walking around with big clumps of mud stuck to his feet I just about broke out laughing.