How do you go about roosting birds? What time do you usually find that they fly up to roost (as in how much ahead of sundown)? Will they gobble for very long after they've flown up? I'm thinking that as I begin my pre-kindergarten educational experience in turkey hunting, I may try to roost a few in the future so at least I'll have a better idea of where to go set up. Of course, my problem is I'm REALLY limited in the size of the private ground I've got access to, so I'm thinking about this moreso for the public lands around here that are larger in scope and in which I may be able to move a bit more to locate a bird.
Greg, not sure the terrain and what not you're hunting them, but if there's anyway you can glass them in fields about an hour before dark, you're set. Especially if they're just hanging around in the field. Couldn't tell you about gobbling after they've flown up, because after I see them that close to dark, I don't stay any longer.
Greg, when roosting birds, there is no set rules. I have witnessed gobblers fly up to roost this year with 40 minutes of light left and then I have had them fly up 15 minutes after I thought that they should have. Around here, they seem to be flying up around 8:30 p.m. and they aren't very vocal in the evenings this year. I probablly havn't heard more than a dozen gobbles in the evening this year while scouting. I suggest getting a good owl call as it is one of the more effective locator calls for turkeys. About 15-25 minutes before dark let out a few hoots and the gobblers should respond.
We use an owl call, and give a few hoots. Usually within one sequence, we have a couple birds gobbling at us. We usually roost them within an hour of sundown.
I've always had better luck roosting birds closer to dark. My buddy is home from roosting before I usually leave the house LOL.
Don't know if the birds are pressured in your area Greg, but I'd probably not call to them with a turkey call or locator if these birds have been called to or hunted at all. The least attention you call to yourself (especially if you aren't in a position to kill them that second) the better you are. I simply sit and listen. Get yourself busted after owl hooting when trying to roost, and they are going to associate that with you when you really need to locate them during shooting hours for a setup. I try to use locators as little as possible, and only during shooting hours. As Jason said, I've heard them fly up anywhere from 45 minutes before dark, to well past when they probably should have. A lot of times it has to do with weather, overcast, windy, or rainy days I've seen them tend to fly up sooner. I typically get as high of a vantage point as possible and simply sit and listen. Even if they don't gobble, you would be surprised how far away you can hear a turkey fly up, on a calm evening you should be able to hear them from 300+ yards if you listen for it. They fly with the same nimbleness as you would expect from Rosie O'Donnel stumbling around in the night while looking for cake frosting........lol.....they aren't hard to hear when they take off, they don't have to gobble to know where they are.
Great advice. Rarely do I roost a bird in the evening. If I do, I listen for fly ups. Owl hoots or crow calls are the only locaters that I use. I never turkey call to them in the evenings trying to locate a bird. Our birds are pressured enough. Rarely as well do our birds gobble when roosted in the evening. Scouting is key. Know your birds. If you hear them in the morning, chances are they will be near there each morning, chances are but not set in stone. The more you learn your land, the more you'll learn your flock.
Well, I bought an owl hoot call today from Primos, the "Shock Owl" or something like that... lost my crow call the last time I was out with my son. Hopefully, I'll run across it again in the woods. Thanks guys.
Greg its really a hit and miss on the roosting. I have had them sound off 1 time only or just keep Gobbling until dark or sometimes just not at all, If I know there there. The best bet is to find known roost areas that the birds will use year after year. It can be hard to find those places but there out there. TIP-- Birds like to roost over or near water alot. BUT not always. In my area they love roosting over water but we have alot of it from the ole strip mine ground and it has alot of giant pine trees around it that also attracts them. Also look for alot of feathers and scat on the ground where you have heard or seen them them roost. If you find alot, chances there using these spots regularly And as Rory eluded to, glass those fields before dark and see where they enter the woods in the late evening, chances are there roost not far from there.
I treat them the same as deer. I get out on foot and scout them out. I look for likely roost trees, strut zones, dusting sights, and food. I also look at the terrain and even go as far as noting downed trees, hedge rows, pinch points, ect. Turkey use the topography of an area much the same as deer do. However they are more unpredictable in their movements so you never know exactly what your gonna get. Once I have a good grasp on their movements and the area they use I'll try to glass fields for them and note the direction they are headed. Since I already know where the birds are likely headed I can deduce where they are roosting. After that I hit the field edges right at dark and hit a gobble call or an owl hoot. As long as they sound off, I know exactly where they will be in the morning. If they don't gobble, well at least I have a real good idea on where to set up due to my previous scouting. One last thing, a GPS in invaluable when talking turkeys. It's much easier to get back to that "exact" spot when you have your own personal guide to direct you in there.
