I have never really roosted a bird the night before a hunt. How do you guys roost a bird before a hunt? Do you just go listen, use a hoot call, turkey calls, or just try to visually look for them fly up? Our season opens up this Saturday here in Georgia and thought about doing some listening the night before.
In Ky you cant make a turkey call before the season at all. If that isnt the case with your state, I would recommend doing some cackles at about fly up. Id say I have about a 25% success rate tryin to roost turkeys. Dont let it get you down if you dont hear one. Roosting turkeys has made me walk waaaay to far off the beaten path to get in tight before daylight......only to have three roosted by my truck and the one I came after leaves with hens.....
A few owl hoots before dark will get him to gobble. Head back to the same area that you heard one in the morning and he might head back to that area to roost that night.
Quote from: Joshsmallwood1 on March 23, 2011, 01:15:05 AM
I have never really roosted a bird the night before a hunt. How do you guys roost a bird before a hunt? Do you just go listen, use a hoot call, turkey calls, or just try to visually look for them fly up? Our season opens up this Saturday here in Georgia and thought about doing some listening the night before.
When i roost i use a hooter and a high volume crow call stating at the last minutes of light into the next 20 min of darkness.If your huntin woods it helps to know the land there pattern and roosting areas listen for any turkey sounds flyup can be heard froma ways off if its quiet. If your huntin farms and can watch birds feed to last light watch where they walk into the woods when its dark hit'um with a call to pin point them.The problem when puttin them to bed is they dont always say good night.
As others have said, roosting is not always effective. Down here where I hunt I rarely hear a gobble when trying to roost a bird. Just because he doesn't gobble the evening before doesn't mean hes not there. Often an area that was silent the evening before will be exploding with gobbles come daylight. If you know the area holds birds, don't worry about not hearing anything the evening before. Be there at first light, they'll be there. Good luck.
Turkeys also move throughout the night. I've seen them move from tree to tree. I guess they were looking for a comfortable spot.
Remember, roosting is good, but roosted aint roasted.
Quote from: jbrown on March 24, 2011, 10:32:17 PM
Remember, roosting is good, but roosted aint roasted.
:agreed:
Quote from: jbrown on March 24, 2011, 10:32:17 PM
Remember, roosting is good, but roosted aint roasted.
amen to that !
Its rare in my area of Alabama to get one to sound off. I dont even try anymore. Any of the locator calls might work. Try a coyote howl as well as any of the many locator calls. One might work on any given evening.
I think the trick to roosting a bird is knowing your area and birds. You can't wait till the last night to start looking. It's more productive to go out in the mornings the last few days before the season opens and see where they're roosted by listening for the gobbles. They're way more likely to gobble in the mornings. Then on Friday evening get close enough to where they've been roosting to hear them fly up. In some terrains you can hear turkeys fly up from hundreds of yards away. Find a high spot to listen from that not so close that you'll spook the birds. Then if you want to owl hoot to make sure the bird is there, give it a go. A roosted bird may not be a roasted bird, but he's a lot closer to the pan.
Quote from: Nimrodmar10 on March 27, 2011, 07:38:51 PM
I think the trick to roosting a bird is knowing your area and birds. You can't wait till the last night to start looking. It's more productive to go out in the mornings the last few days before the season opens and see where they're roosted by listening for the gobbles. They're way more likely to gobble in the mornings. Then on Friday evening get close enough to where they've been roosting to hear them fly up. In some terrains you can hear turkeys fly up from hundreds of yards away. Find a high spot to listen from that not so close that you'll spook the birds. Then if you want to owl hoot to make sure the bird is there, give it a go. A roosted bird may not be a roasted bird, but he's a lot closer to the pan.
I roosted some yesterday in Oklahoma. Found them about a hour before dark and just waited out of site with binoculars watching them (in camo). Just before dark it was like an alarm went off in their head. one by one they made a running start and flew up to roost in a tall tree next to a creek and on a tree line. They usually like that kind of area. Most of the time they will use the same tree every night but dont bank on it. Last week before dark they were about 300 years away.
Every tactic that can put the odds in your favor should be done, roosted does not always mean roasted but when it does it is oh so sweet! I usually hoot right at dark or just a little before, sometimes they play along and sometimes they don't.
Quote from: Nimrodmar10 on March 27, 2011, 07:38:51 PM
I think the trick to roosting a bird is knowing your area and birds. You can't wait till the last night to start looking. It's more productive to go out in the mornings the last few days before the season opens and see where they're roosted by listening for the gobbles. They're way more likely to gobble in the mornings. Then on Friday evening get close enough to where they've been roosting to hear them fly up. In some terrains you can hear turkeys fly up from hundreds of yards away. Find a high spot to listen from that not so close that you'll spook the birds. Then if you want to owl hoot to make sure the bird is there, give it a go. A roosted bird may not be a roasted bird, but he's a lot closer to the pan.
Are you saying that repeated owl hoots will get multiple gobbles?
I was also wondering if you know you have birds on your property that you hunt what about "Practicing" a week or two before the season starts?
Would it have any affect on the birds your going to huntin the next week or two!
I have only tried it once or twice but couldnt get any response...would it hurt your chances if you tried praticing?
Quote from: Spring_Woods on April 06, 2011, 07:53:21 PM
Are you saying that repeated owl hoots will get multiple gobbles?
No I wouldn't owl hoot repeatedly. The key here is shock gobbling. Usualy after the first gobble it's harder to get repeated gobbles. You only need one to make sure the bird has flown up.
Quote from: jbrown on March 24, 2011, 10:32:17 PM
Remember, roosting is good, but roosted aint roasted.
Right on!
Quote from: Spring_Woods on April 06, 2011, 07:53:21 PM
Are you saying that repeated owl hoots will get multiple gobbles?
I hoot at them until I have them pegged. I've had toms gobble way after dark every time I hooted at them. Depends on the bird as well, most wont gobble at all, some will gobble once.
Hooting doesn't bother them a bit.
Here in PA it seems like everyone and their brother blows on crow calls and owl hoots at first light. Over the years where I hunt, these calls have become very unproductive as compared to the early years. I rarely carry a crow or owl call, as you might as well not even waste the room in your vest with them anymore.
Even roosting birds her, they just do not seem to anwser locater calls probably due to hearing them just way tooooo much? As with PA we never had afternoon hunting, although this will be the first year as the last 2 weeks one can hunt all day. Not sure how effective my roosting tactic will be once a lot of hunters are hunting all day? But in previuos years where we had to quit at noon, I actually had much more luck roosting birds by calling them. Some loud cutts just before fly up, worked well at times, then I'd back out knowing he was there where he sounded off. This seemed to be way more effective here than locators, as the birds never had anyone calling to them just before flyup? But now with the start of all day hunting the last 2 weeks, I'm sure it will also become unproductive like the locators, once every Tom, Dick, and Harry is out calling in the evening?
I never have had any luck roosting birds in the evenings. I usually just go out every morning starting about a week before season to try to figure out where they roost. I realize this is hard to do if you live a long ways from where you are going to hunt though.