Carolina “day hunter” downs afternoon gobbler

day hunter
Maggie Boineau's sight suffers during low-light conditions, so she's a proud day hunter that has no trouble connecting with turkeys, deer, or hogs long after the sun gets up, and long before it goes down.

Morning hunts aren’t all they’re cracked up to be

Waterfront living on the gorgeous Carolina coast is indeed a wonderful lifestyle, and one that I very much appreciate every day. However, this privilege brings some minor disadvantages when it comes to hunting. I must travel an hour and a half to hunt, no matter what species I’m pursuing.

That typically calls for a 3 a.m. wakeup just to get to our hunt before first light. On top of that, I’m like a kid on Christmas Eve, excited with anticipation, and I cannot sleep. And yes, I need coffee and makeup in the morning. Worst of all, I have poor night vision, so if I’m hunting solo, the drive is pretty intense. Luckily, traffic is light in the wee hours of morning.

Opening day hunt

On opening day of turkey season, my husband and I hunted in the roughest terrain. It looked like a bomb had gone off, with miles of cutover, deep ruts, standing water, and a dreary landscape. That early morning hour navigating in the darkness was challenging. We spent the entire day setting up against trees, walking, running, and wading through trenches in the unforgiving terrain, hunting without a blind.

And then, I did the unthinkable. I face planted when my foot caught a branch. Luckily, I wasn’t hurt, but the fall prompted me to consider some options around getting up at such an early hour.

Go ahead, call me a day hunter. I have earned this title, I like it, and here is why

Don’t misunderstand, for a hunter, probably nothing is better than listening and watching as the woods awaken. Getting situated and quiet before first light is like sitting in the front row of a concert hall; peeks of light give way as they curtain opens, and the beautiful symphony of songbirds fills the air.

But if you are not up to getting into the woods at this very early hour, don’t let it ruin your hunt. And for sure, do not let that stop you from getting into the woods at daylight.

For my second hunt of this season, I opted to start my turkey hunt at 9 a.m. This gave me a lot of extra time to sleep and prepare.

Second hunt

I was so excited to hunt with my friend Kim Davis. We were hunting two open camouflaged blinds on opposite sides of a vast field. I had good coverage next to the wood line, with a canopy of shade trees. It was so pleasant not being in a pop-up blind. This allowed me to be part of the outdoors while still having some protection from the eagle eye of the turkeys.

And sitting was a nice break from the running and gunning I had done on opening day. Don’t get me wrong, turkey hunting can bring out the crazy in almost everyone. I have belly-crawled in the swamp many times, but this year, safety is uppermost in my mind.

Calling to the turkeys

I love my slate calls, but my box call is great in windy conditions. On this hunt, I sat back in my turkey chair and began a series of yelps, purrs, and clucks. I settled in, pleasantly relaxed by the warm breezes. But all was quiet — not one gobble and not one cluck! Only the sound of an occasional owl and a few crows pierced the quiet.

Being outside, surrounded by the beauty of nature around me was enough to fill my soul. Still optimistic, I continued to try different calls.

At 12:08 p.m., out of nowhere, a gobbler came running toward my decoy. I was caught completely off guard. With my chair angled toward the opposing wood line, I never expected to see a turkey off to my left. I scrambled in slow motion to pick up my gun and ready myself for a shot. I knew I had not a moment to waste, and I felt very exposed.

The tom posed in half strive as he maneuvered between my hen and jake decoys. I was almost sure I would put a lot of holes in my dekes, but I took a decisive shot. My heart didn’t have time to race, and I had no time to overthink the shot. The bird went down hard, without even a flop. The 18-pound tom had a 10-inch beard and 1 1/4-inch spurs. I was thrilled to have taken this mature bird.

My daytime turkey hunting strategy

I am no turkey hunting expert by any means, but I know that once the turkeys fly down from their roost, the gobblers have plenty of willing hens to tend. Once the hens start nesting, they will go back to their nests late in the  morning. This leaves the toms searching for hens still looking for love. And that creates an opportunity to hunt these challenging birds after most hunters have long left their hunts.

My hunting parter, during her first season hunting turkeys, also scored a gobbler well past daybreak. She shot her bird at 6 p.m. Another day hunter! Her tom weighed 20 pounds, had 1 1/2-inch spurs, and a 9 1/2-inch beard.

day hunter
Kim Davis, the author’s hunting partner, has also experienced hunting success long after sunrise, and long before sunset.

More evidence for being a day hunter

Although I have continued to hunt at first light, day hunting has been on my mind for a long time. Because of my low-light impaired vision, deer hunting and hog hunting have been super challenging. Yes, getting out at first light or just before dark gives you a great opportunity to see big bucks. But even with one of the best scopes on the market, I can’t count antler points or properly age a deer at those times of day.

It’s very frustrating getting to the stand at such an early or late hour, then not being able to see well enough to take a shot. It’s helped me realized that day hunting is the key for me.

Walking in right after daylight may keep you from bumping deer. And they typically will step out a little later in the morning to top off their stomachs with a snack before they bed down for the afternoon.

On my last three successful hunts, I killed all three bucks between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. I’m proud to be a day hunter! I still love being in the woods as first light, but for me, day hunting is certainly an option, and a much better one that I suspect most people realize.

What’s your favorite time to hunt?

Maggie Boineau is a freelance writer from Murrells Inlet, S.C. and wears camouflage every day of the year. Read more from Maggie at www.camo365.com.

About Maggie Boineau 2 Articles
Maggie Boineau is a real estate agent and an outdoor writer. Her writings have appeared in numerous outdoor publications. She is passionate about sharing her outdoor experiences with family and friends. Find out more about Maggie at www.camo365.com.

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