Only have 10am-12 to hunt Turkey! Any tips

[L. Daniels]

Hey everyone!

I am a fairly new hunter in MA, about two years in with no mentor or knowing any other people who hunt. Right now we are in my second Spring turkey season, however my night job doesn't allow me to get to the woods until usually around 10am right now giving me only 2 hours of late morning hunting time. I live in zone 10 and if anyone has any tips on things I could do in that short late morning window that would be very appreciative. Or even possibly zone 10 specific tips since I pretty much cannot leave due to time restrictions.

So far in 4 turkey seasons (2 spring + 2 fall) I have yet to even see a turkey in the woods during the actual season. Does not seem to matter what I scouted beforehand, everything seems to change that first week. And of course I drive by multiple turkeys in residential neighborhoods every day on the way home from the woods haha.


Thank you for any help and your time!

 

[neum69]

Following. Similar experience.

 

[Marty McFly]

If zone 10 i could help. Ill leave it to the boston people

 

[RDG]

at that hour,,,, run and gun baby.
keep moving and calling till you get a response,
then make a quick setup and try to work him in.

 

[whacko]

at that hour,,,, run and gun baby.
keep moving and calling till you get a response,
then make a quick setup and try to work him in.

This. 100% run and gun calling as you go or.....drive arpund and scout legal areas....if you see birds even in front yards......check the on x ap or a map and see if you can get a setup in a legal spot within earshot to call em in and take a shot. It works.

Bagged a few Tom's between 10am and noon in the past this way. In my experience the boys feed a bit from 8am to 10AM then get back to it. Last one I took at that time we saw a group of Jake's feeding on a field edge at about 9:30am. Ran around Into a clearing in the woods behind them and called em in. This bird was shot at 10:30am......with a crop full of fresh feed.

 

[dhuze]

Since you can't get out earlier you have to keep moving and hope to run into them. This is not the ideal way to hunt turkeys. Or much of anything for that matter.

This was yesterday morning at 9:51 am. A single hen. Seemed very odd to me to be alone.

 

[Marty McFly]

Since you can't get out earlier you have to keep moving and hope to run into them.

This was yesterday morning at 9:51 am. A single hen. Seemed very odd to me to be alone.

What a slut. Out whoring

 

[MP-In-The-Wind]

Since you can't get out earlier you have to keep moving and hope to run into them. This is not the ideal way to hunt turkeys. Or much of anything for that matter.

This was yesterday morning at 9:51 am. A single hen. Seemed very odd to me to be alone.

Not sure why, but I've seen LOTS of single hens this spring!

 

[Wickedcoolname]

This guy and 7 of his buddies show up in my yard everyday.

 

[Dennis in MA]

This past Sunday??? My side yard. Hen wandered quietly into the yard from the street with her suitor horny as hell. My next door neighbor is in Western MA for a week turkey hunting. He could have taken the thing in my side yard instead.

 

[chocolab]

10-12 are some of the best times. All advise above is pretty sound. Get out and run n gun or drive around and find a lonely gobbler. Late morning the hens are usually out of the picture so makes calling in htat gobbler a little easier sometimes.

 

[Chevy 2 65]

Yes, if you see one shoot it

 

[Chevy 2 65]

This. 100% run and gun calling as you go or.....drive arpund and scout legal areas....if you see birds even in front yards......check the on x ap or a map and see if you can get a setup in a legal spot within earshot to call em in and take a shot. It works.

Bagged a few Tom's between 10am and noon in the past this way. In my experience the boys feed a bit from 8am to 10AM then get back to it. Last one I took at that time we saw a group of Jake's feeding on a field edge at about 9:30am. Ran around Into a clearing in the woods behind them and called em in. This bird was shot at 10:30am......with a crop full of fresh feed. View attachment 478800

Seasoned already