When it comes to your best turkey hunting in the rain, or any kind of hunting in harsh weather, it always helps to know the best tips and hacks that will give you the most edge hunting your prey successfully. Because weather conditions can vary day by day, I have come up with a list of the most helpful hacks for your hunting trips to make sure you have all you need to survive the weather and hunt as many turkeys as possible.
#1: Listen Carefully
Via outdoorlife.com
Contrary to some opinions, turkey hunting while it is raining does not mean that the turkeys won’t be in shot view, or that they will be in hiding. However, one of the keys to successfully killing a turkey in the rain is to listen closely to hear the gobbles. In some cases, the sound of thunder may even increase gobbling. In other cases, depending on the specific conditions, the rain may cause you to hear the turkey gobbles less. Make sure you use a keen hunter’s ear to locate your prey and call them within shot view before the kill.
#2: Choose The Right Location
Aside from taking necessary precautions in wet weather, like keeping your gear dry and safe for use, it’s also a good idea to note that rainy weather will affect where you hide out to hunt your prized turkeys. As an example, turkeys may be found in more open areas and pastures where the wet grass is lower for them to walk through. You should find a spot near these open fields or walk and hide out in them directly while being quiet and calling. You will find that eventually the turkeys will show up in or around these more open spaces; so just listen and wait.
#3: Use Scouting Skills
Via realtree.com (Photo by Russell Graves)
Scouting skills are even more necessary when hunting turkeys in the rain than in normal hunting weather conditions. Why is this? Because when it is wet and raining turkeys may either roost longer or head to the open pastures. So, if the turkeys are on the move, you must know how to track where they will be. Look for signs of the trail along the way by keeping a close eye out for things like tracks in the mud or snow or lost feathers. These small things will lead you right behind the birds. Once you are close on the trail, call, wait, and set up your gear for the best kill.
#4: Choose The Right Time
<img alt=”” src=”http://www.bowaction.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/john-hafner0630610.jpg” style=”width: 740px” width=”690″ height=”1039″>
Via realtree.com (Hafner image)
As in most types of hunting, especially turkey hunting in colder or wet weather, timing can be everything. Having the perfect kill set up, the right bow, and even scouting, can all have little impact on your turkey hunt unless you are timing it all correctly. So what it the best time, if there is one, to hunt turkeys in the rain? Well, the general conclusion I’ve come to is when the turkeys are fresh off the roost – in other words, in the early, am morning time. Of course, make sure you’ve scouted out the area and know where to wait for them to start gobbling. Lastly, be patient. Rainy days can keep the turkeys off the usual pace, but they should still give their location away if you listen close enough.
#5: Find A Friend
Via realtree.com (John Hafner photo)
Another great hack for finding and hunting turkeys in the rain is a simple one- just bring a friend along with you. This may sound simple enough but the benefits can be a life-saver out in the woods on the big hunt day. There are three good reasons why I’ve learned having a friend come along can help tremendously. To start, a friend can help lend another set of ears to hear the gobbling the wind and rain may block during the hunt. Second of all, bringing a friend as a second hunter can help you have more visual aid on the hunt. You or your friend can use your scope or binoculars to find the turkeys while the other calls and/or listens for the turkey gobbles. And last but not least, having a friend come along on the hunt is always just more fun, right? Just be sure that your friend follows any hunting rules applicable to your location.
#6: Use The Right Gear
Via pinterest.com
The type of gear you have with you and use while hunting your turkeys is crucial to the success of your hunt, from clothing, to shoes, and everything in-between. Having the right type of clothing for hunting in the rain is not just important because it keeps you dry and warm in the wet and cold outdoor conditions, but it can also help with success in setting up for the best kill. As an example, certain kinds of material may make more noise as you walk through the pastures and woods, and may scare off the turkeys before you even get to them. Luckily, I’ve found that wool, and/or wool-based clothing will generally keep you dry, warm, and quiet while hunting.
However, in the case of a heavy downpour of rain, seek shelter and wait it out a bit so the wool doesn’t soak through. Wool-based clothing is essential for your turkey hunting gear for rainy days. Another good item for your gear pack is a good rain suit. Made with durable material to keep the rain out and keep you dry, rain suits are another essential item to keep in the closet for hunting turkeys in the rain. Some of the best rain suits out there are:
- frogg toggs All Sport Camo Rain Suit
- Frogg Toggs All Sport Rain Suit
- Frogg Toggs – All Sport Camo Rain Suit,Large,M.O.INFINITY
- Waterproof Breathable Big Mens Camo Rain Suit
#7: Don’t Forget Decoys
Via g5prime.com
One other thing you don’t want to forget to take with you while hunting for turkeys in the rain is a decoy or two. Decoys can help because the wet and windy weather conditions can block the prey from hearing your calls. But they can still see your decoy hens and turkeys even in the rain. Try putting some decoys at twenty or more yards away from your set up site and wait. You will find that even on drizzly days, or steady rain days, decoys can come in handy while hunting turkeys at any time.
RELATED: 5 Great Turkey Decoys That You Will Absolutely Love To Have
#8: Don’t Be Shy With Your Call
Although you may be a pro using your call on a good hunting day with good weather conditions, things can change a bit when the weather is raining, wet and unstable. You should make sure to really let loose on your call as you use it in the harsher raining conditions. In order to make your calls more dominant among the weather, practice mastering your call sounds before the big hunt day. Don’t be afraid to get a little noisy, but make sure you call without spooking off the turkeys in the meantime, as turkeys have a very attentive view with their eyesight. As a last tip on using your call in the rain, be sure to take cautious care of maintaining your call and keeping it dry and ready for use at any time during the hunt.
Conclusion
Did you like this list of hacks for turkey hunting? Was it helpful? I certainly hope it was. Learning these important skills and tips has helped me be more successful turkey hunting in the rain, and I had fun sharing them with you. If you liked this list take a minute to share it with your friends and family and share your thoughts on this hack list below. By using this super easy guide to hunting turkeys in the rain you will be a pro in no time. I wish you the best in your turkey hunting days ahead and don’t forget to use these hacks to become a master hunter in the rain.
