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As the days grow longer and the dark doldrums of winter subside, the minds of turkey hunters go into overdrive. We all envision vibrant fans topping a ridge followed by electrifying gobbles. Crisp mornings without a breath of wind evolve into sun-soaked afternoons. It's funny that during our poetic daydreams not one of us imagines buckets of rain or fantasizes about gale-force winds. However, Mother Nature never seems to read the script, and we are often plagued by inclement spring weather. It's at times like these when we have a choice. Do we head for home or high tail it back to camp? Will we allow ourselves to fall into that category of hunters who say, “I'm not going through all this just for a turkey.” Or do we simply play the hand we’ve been dealt, use our brains and put a foul weather tom on the soggy ground? The answer is simple: Forget the weather and make it happen.

This past spring was one of the most miserable of my turkey hunting tenure. I hunted three states and logged countless hours in the field, and can tally the number of “perfect turkey weather hours” on one hand. From pounding hail to hurricane like winds, I endured it all. To be truly honest, it wasn't all that fun at times. On more than one occasion I wanted to toss my bow in the air and cry, “I give up” into the heavens. Of course I never did. I'm a bowhunter; one who believes passionately in pers

everance and dedication. My wallet was lined with tags, and I didn't have the luxury of waiting for my weather conditions to improve. If I was going to release some arrows, I was going to have to brave the elements.

Rainy Day Birds

My dream of hunting Nebraska had eluded me until this past spring. Tales about multiple tags and symphonies of gobbles became far too much to bear. My hunting partners had bombarded me with these awesome, seemingly flawless stories for years. I kept replaying all those picture perfect fables while the three of us huddled inside a Double Bull, listening to the pelting rain and blowing white steam from our mouths. Lighting clashed and thunder boomed, but we stayed true to our plan. Years of turkey experience told us that the birds would seek an open field—our choice was a newly sprouted wheat field. Honestly, I'm not sure why birds seek open spaces during a monsoon, but I believe it to be a self-preservation tactic. Pounding rain creates a ruckus in the timber, thus hampering the bird’s sense to detect sound. When the rain is accompanied by gusting wind, blowing branches and other debris, it all creates motion in the woods. A turkey’s primary defense, its sight, becomes compromised. Holding tight in the timber also prevents these large birds from taking flight quickly. Turkeys simply need more of a runway to take flight, and open spaces provide this.

Now I should make it known that aside from the short sprouted wheat, we also had the choice to sit in an adjacent hay field that was much closer to the roost. Why did we choose the wheat? We knew the hay was thick and wet, and like most animals turkeys will take the path of least resistance. Turns out we made the right choice. As light filtered through the fog the big B-52's took the longer flight plan into the wheat. They were still over 500 yards out, but we got on the calls right away. Knowing that the birds would have trouble hearing, we got really loud. I hammered on my trusty diaphragm call while my buddies let their box-calls buck. At this point we weren't overly concerned about sounding perfect or sexy, the idea was just to merit a little attention. Finally, the single longbeard in the group gobbled and started meandering in our direction. The fumbling jakes followed in tow and soon they were all inspecting our Montana Decoy spread. I love Montana decoys in the rain! Their cloth feature prevents noise; plus they are very realistic. Being that it was my first Nebraska hunt, the boys were kind enough to let me plunk the longbeard and they settled for a couple of stubby-bearded jakes.

As the day progressed so did the rain. The roads became rivers, but we stayed persistent. We knew that a gobbler, regardless of the weather, would be looking to seduce a hen. Peering through our optics we checked fields and clear-cuts in the timber. You see during this time of spring courtship a gobbler’s objective is to be seen. Their love dance of strutting, spitting and drumming is what seals the deal with the ladies. Many hunters believe it is the gobbling, but this simply isn't the case.

It wasn't long before my buddy Graften and I saw a pair of longbeards strutting their stuff in a small clear-cut. They weren't making a peep, however their soaked feathers were trying to puff and their fans were widespread. Our plan was to get inside the timber just off the edge of the clearing and make some sweet hen music. The blowing rain disguised any noise, and we were able to move quickly. Decoys weren't a concern—the timber was tight and thick. If the dynamic duo did approach they would have a tough time seeing an imposter. Personally, I love situations like this. Turkeys are smart, and they know they will have to look hard to spy a hen in the thick stuff. Since the birds are so focused on finding their next girlfriend, they are much less apt to pick-off a hunter.

The rain pounded on us like a sledgehammer, but the wind was drifting our yelps and purrs right toward the boys in the clearing. Moments later two vibrant heads came bobbing through the deadfall. With so many obstacles between the birds, and us, we were able to get drawn and release two perfect arrows. Yes, we were cold, soaked and miserable, but excitement boiled in our veins. Our group had taken a day that would have been easier spent on the couch and made it productive. I suggest you do the same this season.

Snow

Don't tell me you've never had the privilege of getting a fresh blanket of white while on a western Merriam extravaganza. For me it happens all to often. The key when Jack Frost blows his white powder is to stop and think. These mountain birds deal with this all the time. We view it as a ruined hunt, but they simply see it as another day and carry on as normal.The great thing about a fresh blanket of snow is the quietness it creates. You can slip along quite as a church mouse in search of your gobbler. Another great advantage is that tracks are fresh and new. Honestly, I have found no better time to spot-and-stalk a spring bird. Just remember, once a fresh set of prints is located, keep your eyes ahead and not on the ground. Many times I have stumbled upon a steaming set of tracks, only to foolishly ramble through the woods another 60 yards and get busted. Stay alert and move a few feet at a time. Some hunters question spot and stalk when turkey hunting. In my opinion, especially if the sun refuses to shine and snow is still falling, this is the most productive way to ace an old tom. I do recommend stalking on private property rather than public. The turkey woods have become a dangerous place over the years, and as much as it kills me to say it, there are some careless hunters out there. Stay smart and safe.

Many times after a cold spring snow the sun will pop out and the birds will go bonkers. At times like this I get aggressive. Toms are fired up and ready to breed. They want to drag their hardened wingtips through the fresh white and spread those iridescent fans against the landscape. This is one time when I use a large spread of turkey decoys. In these conditions, decoys stand out especially well and can help draw birds from long distances. Plus, many times mountain Merriam's will have just broken from their winter flocks. Seeing a group of birds is nothing new to them. After setting the decoys, I get on the calls. Once I get a bird to honor my call I let him dictate the rest. Too many hunters over-call and don't listen enough. If he is hot, pour it on! If he shuts up, I shut up, and give him time to wonder what happened to his sexy lady friend. On more than one occasion this has sealed the deal for me. The tom will start gobbling frantically and comes on a run. Nothing is more beautiful than the sight of a bright red head against a winter backdrop, especially when its five feet from your decoys.

The “W”

I believe it to be a sin to ever mention the word wind, so we will simply refer to it as the “W.” It seems that whenever my hunting companions or I comment about the wind, it starts to howl or breathes in an unfavorable direction. So over time we developed this code term.

Spring seems to be the W's most favorite time to blow, but even in violent wind turkeys will work and can be killed with archery tackle. A perfect example of this happened to me this past spring. I had waited five long years to draw a coveted Rio tag in my home state of Colorado. My homework was complete, and I had the birds pegged. Of course on opening morning it looked like a hurricane outside. The skies were baby blue and the sun baked, but the good old W never lets me down. After evaluating the situation I took my scouting observations and put them to practice. As we all know turkeys can hear very well, and just like in the rain, they often avoid heavy timber during ferocious W times. It becomes very easy for a coyote or bobcat to make them lunch. Instead the birds move to clearings or open slopes where they can escape the W and still see a good distance. During my scouting I found a perfect slope on a south hillside where birds frequented during gusty conditions. I also knew the W was coming out of the north, which would carry my calling efforts a long way. The plan was to sit tight and call loudly on my Flextone calls.

I staked down the Double Bull and put my decoys very close. This is a good tip to remember on these types of days—the shorter the shot the better. Two hours had elapsed before a gobble tickled my ears. It sounded distant, but I was upwind and instantly started scanning. Then things went nuts! The big baller appeared and started gobbling like crazy. The “W” was screaming so bad he couldn't even stay in full strut, but he was coming on a string. Less than three minutes after that first faint gobble, I was burning my green pin into his wing-butt. The arrow was true and my five-year quest for an archery Rio was complete.

Scouting in the preseason and doing my homework prepared me for any situation. Observing birds during an array of weather conditions will increase your odds of success in the woods this spring.

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