Is there any truth to what I just read?>>>" Turkeys are never more comfortable at night than when roosted where they can hear their droppings splash." This person has been killing Turkeys for 30 years. I guess the thought would've never crossed my mind without witnessing or reading about it.
Never heard of that. :newmascot:
Never heard that before, but I see a lot of birds roosting in creek bottoms very close to the water
I have heard that exact same saying before...I think an elderly gentleman from the south maybe Arkansas, Mississippi etc. told me that. I think it is more an observation than a rule but there is a ring of truth to it. I live and hunt in Kansas and it is not as "wet" here where I live as many of the members of this site .
Most of the birds I hunt in the east and south central part of the state do roost within 50-100 yards from a creek if not much closer. One place I hunt there is not a creek nearby and the birds usually roost anywhere from 15 yards to 150 yards from a small pond.
This generally applies when hunting river bottoms. In a swamp/bottom, turkeys like to roost over water when possible. This makes it harder for predators to sneak up on them.
In upland habitats turkeys tend to roost in areas that are open with large trees where they can see things coming up underneath them, like an open ridge, or a stand of mature oaks in an otherwise thick forest.
I read that article last night.. I think it was ment more to say that turkeys prefer closer to water the better rather over other acceptable roost locations more than it ment the prefer over hanging limbs necessarily. I cant say ive seen them roost directly over water but they do really prefer to be near it. A ridge just above a river or a group of big pines next to a pond are my first starting point when looking for turkeys on a property.
My birds prefer the sides of ridges compared to creek bottoms. Just what I've observed.
I'm a duck hunter, and I hunt swamps and flooded timber. I can't tell you the times I've waded out waist-deep to wait on day-light, and found myself right under a flock of turkeys. They don't mind if you're in the water. Talk about noise-do they ever chatter as they wake up. Also, they roost in cypress trees way out over the water, and after good light, they then fly to a tree at the edge of the water. From there, they survey their surroundings before finally pitching down. I've watched this many times. My problem is the birds aren't there when turkey season opens. I could kill turkeys during the winter this way, but the season isn't open then. I'm in NW Louisiana
I am primarily a duck hunter too. The ducks and my group frequent some timber that has a dammed up creek that floods the timber when it rains enough. The reason I originally posted was because I was thinking about scouting that duck honey hole for spring turkeys.
Quote from: tomno3 on March 21, 2012, 07:58:13 PM
I am primarily a duck hunter too. The ducks and my group frequent some timber that has a dammed up creek that floods the timber when it rains enough. The reason I originally posted was because I was thinking about scouting that duck honey hole for spring turkeys.
As you know, turkeys move around, they may or may not be there. If they are, you may very well be in business. Hunt slightly above them if a hill drops off down to the swamp bottom. That's where I get mine.