Any tips on hunting turkeys in the evening

[txbowhunter08]

Been having some touch luck hunting turkeys in the morning and figured I'd give it a try in the evening. Usually by around 8am the Tom's are not very vocal. So not sure how to hunt um. I m pretty sure I know where there roosting. Should i just set up on there way to the roost?

[.243 WSSM]

What part of state are u hunting

[SaltwaterSlick]

Heck, if you know where they are roostin', set up close. When they fly up, get 'em before they reach the tree!! Illegal to shoot 'em off the roost (Roost is defined as a turkey sitting in a tree), but don't say you can't shoot 'em when they are "on their way" to the roost, on the ground or in the air... I'm just sayin'...

[Muddy Bud]

If you know the route they take back to the roost set up on a spot to intercept them on there way back. Also hunt roads. Turkey like to walk down the edges of roads pushing insects out of the grass on to the bare dirt.

[SB09]

I have my best luck during the lunch hours honestly. Our birds shut off early too. But, just because they're not vocalizing interest doesn't mean they're ignoring you. The biggest bird I've killed I never heard gobble. Honestly I was calling to another bird I had seen when he came in from another direction, perfectly silent.

In a lot of ways they're just like deer. You've got to get between them and a food source/roost and be patient and persistent. Since you know where they roost that would also mean you know what area they move through to get to said roost. Get in there unseen and if they're not talking stay at it with some soft purring and what not. Don't be really aggressive like you would if you can hear them and they're coming to you. This type hunting, on a silent bird, is super tough because you never know when and where they'll show up.

We've all got to remember by calling them we are really doing what is unnatural for the Toms. They're used to a hen locating herself, he locates himself, and then she comes to the sound of his call. Him coming to the sounds of her isn't really what they are used to.

[Phdan]

Get up in the tree before they get there. Sorry, could not help it.

[SB09]

Get up in the tree before they get there. Sorry, could not help it.

Solid advice. Wear a harness and a Gopro please. Both are mandatory to do this.

[Patton]

This past weekend we hunted all times of the day and the mid afternoon was easily the best. Got set up around noon (on Saturday and Sunday) and did a few quiet clucks and yelps and essentially 'activated' the turkey woods. Had hens answer me and start calling back and forth. Chain reaction I suppose and turkeys were yelping, cutting, and gobbling from then on out.

Next time I turkey hunt I might just sleep in until 8:30 and then go head out there.

Biggest bird I have killed was a double beard that never gobbled until he was about 30 yards away. I was calling every 7 minutes or so and knew the birds were in the area. Don't overcall.

One property I hunt, we know where they roost and hunt the afternoons mainly. Waiting on a road with thick woods in front of us, and a hillside with a creek behind us. They roost aboce the creek and you could probably put out decoys and never call if you just wanted to wait for them. Find the roost. Listen in the afternoons around sunset for them to be flying up into trees. Set up the next AM close by. When you hear the first hen sound off, mimic exactly what she does.

[gonehuntin68]

While I've killed a lot of turkeys first thing in the morning, I've killed more from 10am - 2pm. The hens will sneak off in the middle of the day to go to their nest and when that happens the gobbler is on the move looking for hens and can be very susceptible to calling. Toms will usually have certain area's they like to strut in and if you can find these area's this is where I like to set up and call from in the middle of the day if I can't get one to answer my call. You have to be very patient hunting these type of area's as I've sat for hours before having a tom come in. Also, I will only call about once ever 15 minutes. To find strutting areas you either need to see turkeys strutting in a particular spot many times or look for wing drag marks in the dirt. Of course looking for wing drag marks in the dirt doesn't work in some area's because the ground it too hard. When you find one of these area's you generally can kill turkeys off that spot year after year.