Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, winter storm warnings; it sounds like the elements that win Weather Channel forecaster's daytime Emmys. Unfortunately it's what you and I have been dealt for a spring turkey season. I woke up again this morning to a white world of winter even though it's well into spring.
If you're having weather issues with your spring turkey hunt remember that tweaking your strategy could be the difference between fresh drumsticks or a bucket of the Colonel's best.
If it's raining look for turkeys in the open. Turkeys often retreat to edges or even open fields to use their eyes since the sound of raindrops on foliage hampers their hearing. If you know of a good feeding or strutting area in an open environment it could also be a hotspot on a rainy day. And don't forget to bring the ground blind for waterproof comfort.
If you find yourself in snow look for turkeys in old winter haunts. Turkeys have remarkable memories of what areas offer comfort and will return to winter havens if the snow returns. Check out farms, ranches and river valleys to find turkeys confused about the seasons.
If wind invades your hunt you need to act like a turkey and try to find a windbreak. Turkeys will often find small canyons, ravines or other terrain features that block the wind. I once found a flock of turkeys hiding behind an old barn while hunting turkeys in Kansas during 50 mph winds.
It's spring and the weather is as zany as the antics of a strutting tom so change your strategies to put some drumsticks in the smoker.
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| Kansas winds were no match for the Kaysers! |