Turkeys might gobble like crazy on the roost. But for an hour or two after daybreak the woods may fall as quiet as a mausoleum. That’s because the hens and toms are courting and breeding. Toms strut and drum but gobble little if at all as they have their fun.
Do turkeys take the same path everyday?
Turkeys tend to travel the same routes or circuits to the same areas every day, as long as those areas provide what turkeys need and want. Hunters can use this information to place themselves right in the path of the birds, or at least pretty close to where those birds typically travel on any given day.
What is the best time to roost turkeys?
Start by slipping into an area in mid-afternoon where you’ve heard birds before — or maybe just by targeting decent habitat. Scout open areas positioned not far from stands of big-branched trees. Sit calmly and quietly, listening as turkeys move into a likely roosting spot.
How far can you hear a turkey gobble in the woods?
As a general rule a gobble made in a tree can be heard twice as far as one made on the ground. That same “twice-as-far” rule applies to all other turkey sounds.
How do you find a gobbler in the morning?
In the mornings, about half hour before shooting light is a perfect time to fire off a locating call. Setting up on a good listening vantage point is the first key. Being able to audibly survey lots of ground from a place where you likely wont spook birds from their roost is where you need to start.
Do turkeys roost in the same tree every night?
Overall, the answer to the big question is that turkeys do not always roost in the same place. Turkeys are much like deer in that they shift to different parts of their home range throughout the year. That said, they do seem to favor certain ones, and spend more time roosting in favored locations than anywhere else.
Do turkeys roost in the same tree every day?
No they don’t always roost in the same tree/trees. Especially easterns they tend to move around.
What do you do if you don’t hear turkeys?
8 Tactics to Kill Silent Turkeys
- Toms Can’t Tell Time.
- Every Property Has Strut Zones.
- Listen, Don’t Over Call.
- Believe in the Process.
- Get a Mid-Morning Gobbler Hot.
- Scoring a Turkey on Public Ground.
- Find a Good Food Source.
- Sit Next to a Deer Trail.
What to do when turkeys stop gobbling?
When the gobbler quits gobbling, look at your watch, and force yourself to stay on your stand. Don’t move around for an hour after the bird has quit gobbling. If you’ll use this strategy, you’ll see more turkeys, and you’ll take more turkeys.
How often should you turkey call?
Call every few minutes, and act like a disinterested hen going about her daily routine. Moving also helps in such situations, because turkeys rarely sit and yelp in one place for long.
How do you pick a good turkey hunting spot?
Tip: Find secluded water holes away from roads and hunting pressure. But also look for spots in the open. Unlike deer, turkeys don’t want lots of shrubs and brush around the pond or creek. They want areas where they can look for danger at the same time they’re quenching their thirst.
What time do turkeys fly down off roost?
As stated above, both male and female turkeys will leave the roost sometime between 5:00 to 9:00 a.m. The largest factor that determines the exact time during this window is the weather. If the weather is clear, the birds will leave the roost earlier. The gobbler will usually fly down right around first light.
How far do turkeys travel from the roost?
“We have had some other birds that have taken longer trips. Two gobblers went about 20-miles. In general, jakes seem to move the farthest. Hens do as well and we’ve had several 12- to 15-mile treks.”
What kind of trees do turkeys like to roost in?
Turkeys also prefer pine trees to any other types of trees. They offer cover year round and often a clean forest floor to take off and land on. A single pine tree will do the trick if it is big enough, but clusters of them are best.
Why do turkeys sometimes not gobble?
Over several years, selectively removing these birds has left an older male population of turkeys that have been trained not to gobble. Our data now shows that birds gobble pre- and post season more than in years past, but gobbling activity slows way down during the hunting season,” Chamberlain says.
Should you call to a gobbler on the roost?
If you get to your spot, step out of the vehicle and hear a bird sound off in the roost, do not rush headlong into the woods while calling to him. He’s already let you know where he is so there’s no need to start hammering away. Let nature take it’s course, so don’t go adding in turkey calls that are unnecessary.
What time should you start calling turkeys in the morning?
When To Call A Gobbler. OK, so let’s narrow it down to the time of day. In my view, the best times of the day are right off the roost, then again from about 8:30 to 9:30 when more hens start to leave the gobbler to go lay an egg, and again from about 11 until noon.
Do turkeys roost early in the rain?
On rainy days, especially cold rainy days, gobblers go quiet. Turkeys will opt to stay in the roost longer. Once they do fly down, they will alter their daily routine. Rainy evenings and mornings can also produce fog.
Why would a turkey stay in a tree all day?
They might remain on the roost during extenuating circumstances, such as bad weather or when a gobbler refuses to fly down until he sees hens below him. However, birds typically pitch down from their roost trees when they instinctively sense it’s light enough to see potential threats.
Where do turkeys go after the roost?
Either way, you should expect birds to feed toward your decoys, as they’ll be heading to water or their favorite feeding area once they’re off the roost.
Why do gobblers go silent?
In short, the theory goes, we have killed the noisier, more eager toms, leaving the craftier, quieter ones to pass on their genes. That theory sounds good around the campfire, but there is no real evidence or studies to support it, says Ken Duren, wild turkey biologist for the Ohio Division of Wildlife.