I have 3 days I took off work to kill a turkey. I found a place where there's a lot of gobbling. This morning I was stalking a big tom. He gobbled constantly, and also answered some of my calls. After 20 minutes, he went the other way. While I was calling, there were a lot of turkeys flying down from trees all near the same direction of the big tom. I'm guessing this is a roost? All happened at sunrise. So I have a few questions. Any tips on what to do in my described situation? Will the tom return to this roost later tonight or do they have various roosting spots?
I'm also stuck out here until night. What are turkeys normally doing during the day? Thanks in advance!
Typically they will roost in the same general area. When we roost the birds we are hunting, they go in the same spot almost every evening. I would suggest trying to get in between the roosting area and the direction they were heading after fly down.
Personally, I am hunting very henned up toms right now. I have yet to get a shot, but the closest my dad and I have gotten was because we got to where we know they want to go when they hit the ground.
Most of the time the birds will roost in the same area, the key is getting in front of where the birds go when they hit the ground. The birds generally go the same way every morning unless the birds are pressured or busted of there roost. In my area right now the birds are henned up pretty bad,so I would try to get 50 to 60yards to the tree he is roosted in. Then just do a little light calling and just wait, don't move around alot or over call. Patience is the key right now, good luck.
Pretty good advice. I am in the same boat as you njdevilsb. This season here in NY is one of the hardest I have ever hunted at my turkey spots....
If you know, or can find where they strut, that's a great help. Try to get, as the above posters said, near where they fly down or in the path they take going to wherever they're going. I wouldn't push too close to the roost tree. I personally wouldn't want to be closer than 75 to 100 yds., according to foliage. If you bust them before fly down, you've given up the best chance you have...
The likely reason he stopped gobbling is because he found hens and had no reason to come to your calling. Later in the day he may be more receptive because, "A" he may have lost hens. Or "B" he may get discouraged with his non receptive hens and be looking for something a little "easier..."
The hens will be looking for feed (grass seeds, etc.) They'll be pulling those gobblers along with them. It'll help if you know some fallow fields...
My target would be to find strut zones. Go to where you've seen them strut before or where there's evidence of them strutting (wing drag marks on the ground along with tracks).
if you can hunt all day go to the spot were you seen the bird and wait for him. they like to roost with hens. as the saying goes any turkeys that gobbles after 4 is a dead turkey. though i never hunted them after 12 30 since we have to be out by 1 good luck
I really appreciate the replies. I was going to try the fields, but my state's typical public land is covered in road hunters. They've been driving by, calling, and trying to rainbow shots over at them. So all of the turkeys have been staying in the thick brush. It's real thick and grown so it'll be tough to figure out how to cut him off tonight. It was so easy locating them this morning. They were loud! Then around 9:00 everything went completely silent. They all gobble again around 7:00 in the evening. This area was already hit by a limited entry hunt about a month ago, and we're in week 2 of the open season. You guys are awesome for advice. I'll keep you all posted.
If you're hung out there till dark then you might as well slip back into the roost area a few hours before dusk and find you a nice shady well hid spot to sit. A few clucks and purrs from time to time and just wait. If you don't know the land and bird's habits well, that's probably your best chance. If nothing else you will probably know exactly where to go in the morning. Good luck.
Been waiting patiently for hours listening to the gobbler all day. Just now a guy drove up and down the roads, stopped, honks his horn, and the turkey shock gobbled eventually. Now I have a guy just below me calling non stop trying to get this turkey. I gotta get some permission to hunt private land!
You guys were right. He was really sneaky tonight. He got between me and the road hunter and returned to the roost with about 5 hens. I'll be there bright and early.
Hoping to get a little more help here. I found the tom I've been tracking. Beautiful bird! I went in the general area he has been going after coming down from the roost. I waited a few hours and he ran back up the mountain after some hikers, I believe, were yelling. A little too far for me to make an ethical shot. If I don't get him tonight near the roost, should he return to the same small group of trees he ran from? He's been in that general area the passed 3 days.
Also, do toms chirp and cluck while they're walking around?
Quote from: JuniorPre 360 on May 12, 2015, 10:31:03 AM
I have 3 days I took off work to kill a turkey. I found a place where there's a lot of gobbling. This morning I was stalking a big tom. He gobbled constantly, and also answered some of my calls. After 20 minutes, he went the other way. While I was calling, there were a lot of turkeys flying down from trees all near the same direction of the big tom. I'm guessing this is a roost? All happened at sunrise. So I have a few questions. Any tips on what to do in my described situation? Will the tom return to this roost later tonight or do they have various roosting spots?
I'm also stuck out here until night. What are turkeys normally doing during the day? Thanks in advance!
By stalking, do you mean actually trying to sneak within range of a gobbler? My first piece of advice would be to sit down and be still.
Sorry, what I do is listen to him gobble, guess which way he's heading, and sit in front of where I think he'll be going. I learned last year it's impossible to sneak up on these guys. I've been sitting at each spot for hours and waiting for him to come to me, or catch him in between the roost and feeding.
I'm also trying to not pressure him and make him leave. He still hasn't seen me that I know of.
are you just stalking and not calling?
If you are going to hunt this bird in the late evening, you better be dang stealthy. That tom already has pressure on him from every side. Do not spook him close to where he's roosting as he is coming thru to go fly up. Sit like a rock and just purr and whine...
It is paramount that he feel some sense of security.
Sent by this stupid phone
I'm just doing a little bit of purrs and clucks every 15 minutes as I sit. I can hear the same all around me from other hens walking around, so I try and imitate them. Everyone is calling like crazy around me. This tom seems to be going down the mountain in the morning, and back to the roost at night. He won't reply to calls after the morning though.
I actually had a hen walk right up to me last night while purring and clucking. She was so close that when we met eyes, she threw dirt on me as she flew up and away.
Maybe I'm using the term stalking wrong. I thought it meant to follow it around and watch it's every move, staying completely out of sight, until you close the deal. I'm not chasing it around trying to get a quick clear shot. I'm trying to read it and out smart it if possible to make one close single headshot.
Sounds to me like you're on the right track...If you can call hens in, you can call gobblers. I say stick with him. You'll get where he wants to go eventually.
You mentioned something that really surprises me...Guys actually shoot from their vehicles there? And call from them?
I've seen some pretty surprising stuff over the years but have never seen somebody shoot at a turkey from a vehicle!
Sounds like there's tremendous pressure where you're hunting. Probably if you persevere you'll eventually be successful but you might consider finding somewhere with less pressure.
Anyway, good luck!