Joe Bucher explains how weather conditions, as well as sunshine and shade angles, can have a huge bearing on your chances for success with spring turkeys.

On any given cloudless morning, turkeys are apt to pitch off their roost into a field, but disappear within an hour after sunrise. The warmer the air temperatures, the faster they seem to exit an open field, particularly when the sun shines brightly over a portion of it. In fact, it’s a good bet that any extended turkey activity in an open field during a sunny day is likely to be concentrated in shaded areas. The astute hunter can predictably stay on top of turkey action along field edges on a typical sunny day simply by taking into account shade line angles before setting up against a tree trunk or inside a pop-up blind.

As the amount of daylight increases along with average temperatures, turkey movements in fields seem to drop off significantly an hour or so after sunrise. One could surmise that turkeys react negatively to heat in general. Add the baking effect of the sun against the dark body of a turkey and it is easy to understand why they vacate a sunny field in short order. With this in mind, shade should be an all-important factor in any hunting strategy. Once you decide what time of day you plan to hunt and consider the potential angles of shade that are likely to exist during the hunt, picking the most likely setup spot is far easier.

Shady day turkeys

However, everything changes with the arrival of overcast conditions. Overcast destroys the shade angle pattern, essentially opening up an entire field for turkey travel. It also extends the amount of time turkeys are likely to spend out in the open. Add a cool breeze or some rain to this equation and turkeys might spend almost the entire day milling around in a favorite field. This can work both for and against a hunter. While it can mean increased movement out in the open, where they hang out on any given overcast period is likely to be far less predictable. The shade pattern made their location more precise.

Anywhere the wind blows

Other factors might still help you narrow down the best setup, including wind velocity and direction. More often than not, turkeys avoid windy areas. If wind accompanies the arrival of overcast conditions, simply finding a corner, a ditch, or a wood line on the lee side of the field is likely to pinpoint the best ambush site.

Bring on the wet stuff

Rain with overcast is often the ultimate turkey hunting scenario. While rain of any kind was likely to send many turkey hunters in the past back to the cabin, this has all changed now with modern-day pop-up blinds. Inside the confines of a blind, one can hunt limitlessly. Plus, a turkey’s ability to sense dangers both in noise and movement are cut way down. Never miss out on a rainy hunt if you have access to a pop-up blind. Turkeys are sure to be active. You simply have to be set up in the right spot.

I stay prepared for rainy hunts at all times by setting up several blinds in key locations well ahead of time. So, no matter what my hunting strategy is at any given place or time, I have a covered destination to head for once the rain starts falling. Obviously, this means an investment in a couple of quality portable pop-up blinds is in order.

Always check the weather forecast before venturing out on any pre-dawn morning hunt since it is sure to affect where turkeys are most likely to hang out the next morning. Be quick to change plans if strong winds arrive, or overcast rainy weather. Turkeys travel their territory daily and know the terrain well. They not only know where the food is, but also the best spots to hang out at, depending upon the weather on any given day. Keep your options open and don’t be afraid to change things up.

Gain outdoor knowledge you may not have considered in the April issue of MidWest Outdoors, available now at the newsstand or by subscribing on our website.