how to hunt them, nterpret them, times of day their used or time to hunt them etc?
Trail cam, never had any luck hunting dust areas, I am going to set a cam up at a spot where I see them year to year!
THIS IS INTERESTING , TWO SEASONS AGO I HUNTED , WHAT WE CALL DUST BOWLS AND DIDNT SEE A THING , WE CAN ONLY HUNT TILL 1 PM , SO I DONT KNOW WHAT TIME THEY WOOD BE THERE ..
NOT WHEN I WAS THERE ..
See them for what they are, proof that turkeys are in the area. Generally, turkeys visit dust bowls during the heat of the day. Turkeys can make a dust bowl almost anywhere, but on most properties I have hunted, there are certain spots that have a lot of dust bowls. A protected field corner, a sand pit back in the woods, or clearing on a logging road are all likely spots for turkeys to dust. They are usually tucked back out of the way and away from human activity.
Sometimes after a fruitless morning of hunting, I will find a good tree to sit under where I'm well hidden back in the shadows, but can watch over one of these dust sites. Get comfy, and take a nap. Sometimes you'll wake up and there will be a turkey in front of you, but usually not. To me it beats sleeping on the couch at home when I still have a tag to punch.
My grandson and I have killed big gobblers off a dusting area two out of the last three years. Mine followed a hen and his came looking for one. His at 6:30 AM mine at 9:00. We keep the spot raked and add sand every so often. They have used the spot for several years and we wish for dry weather every season.
Sat around yesterday for couple hours and nothing. I'm going to put a trail camera up and see if I can get some times on when they may be using or passing by
I only see turkeys dusting after the temperature is past 70 degrees. That means, during our season, it only happens after 11 AM, and usually well into the afternoon.
Found ffive or six dust bowls together and another about 15 yards away. These were on the edge of a dove field there where some older bowls but these all appeared to be used that day. Hens dusting together Tom off to the side ?