The way a turkey responds to you will differ depending on the type of weather. It’s important to know how they behave in certain conditions to properly prepare for your hunt. Consider the strategies below for hunting in the rain, snow, wind, and heat.

Rain

Turkeys have waterproof feathers, so they will ride out the rain out in the open. This allows them to keep an eye out for predators.

When there’s a break in the rain, the turkeys will become wildly aggressive and begin to fight with each other, gobbling incessantly. This presents a great opportunity to use calls, because your calls will blend into theirs and pique their interest.

If it rains during the day, the turkeys will likely feed longer into the night to catch up on the food they missed earlier. They will continue to feed until they are satisfied, then fly up to roost for the night.

If the rain brings a thunderstorm, toms will gobble loudly with the thunder. This will allow you to locate them more easily. Make sure you bring a weather proof hunting backpack so your belongings do not get wet while hunting.

Snow

During or after snowfall is a great time to hunt turkeys. The turkeys will leave obvious marks in the snow, so it should be easier than ever to follow their trail. Make sure you hunt the sweet spot after snow has fallen, but before the next blanket of snow comes, you also have to make sure that you have the right gun, for example a 9mm silencer is great for this type of condition . If you don’t catch the trails soon enough, they’ll be covered up during the next round of snow.

Make sure you bundle up and wear the appropriate layers. Make sure you have a moisture-wicking fabric as your bottom layer to repel any sweat. Even though the weather is cold, you will still work up a sweat from walking around the woods. The moisture-wicking fabric will help keep the sweat from sticking to your body, while your top layers will keep you warm.

Heat

Dark colors absorb heat, which means that turkeys will get exceptionally overheated on warm days. Their dark feathers will trap in heat, causing them to seek shaded areas for shelter. Focus on shady areas under trees. You might even be able to sneak up on them because they’ll be stationed in one place in the shade, rather than walking around.

Wind

Sound doesn’t travel well on windy days. The wind makes it hard to hear the turkeys gobbling because it’s carrying away the noise. It may also be difficult to use calls in the wind. If you want to use a call, try to use one that has a higher pitch. A call with a high pitch will cut through the wind better than a lower, guttural call. A box call may be a good choice in this situation.

Weather Protection

Even if the weather is miserable, you can remain comfortable if you use one of our Stump blinds like the Stump 4. They are heavily insulated to trap in sound and regulate temperature. The bind should always remain a comfortable temperature regardless of the conditions outside.

The exterior of the blind is made of a polyethylene material that protects from all weather elements. You can leave your blind in the woods during all four of the conditions mentioned. The blind will not deteriorate from UV rays and it will dry quickly in snow or rain.

It’s important to check the weather conditions any time you hunt so you know what materials to bring. You don’t want to be caught off guard once you arrive at your blind simply because you didn’t check the weather. Knowing the conditions will help you choose the right call and right attire to make your turkey hunting experience successful.

What are your tips for turkey hunting in bad weather conditions? Let us know in the comments below!

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