“Some of them do and some don’t,” says turkey hunting pro Ernie Calandrelli. “They for sure do not gobble on roost in evening like they did 40 years ago. I think timing of season has lots to do with it. If they are really hot for a hen they will gobble good.
What is the best time to roost a turkey?
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.
What time of day do turkeys gobble the most?
You can’t expect a turkey to gobble 50 or more times in the afternoon like he might first thing in the morning. Most birds won’t even gobble as much as they might around 9 or 10 a.m. You need to crow call or hen cutt and listen closely for a faint gobble or two.
How do you call a turkey in the evening?
Go Light on the Calling: Turkeys don’t make much noise in the evening, so tailor your blind calling to match. Yackety-yack loud and crazy hen cutting is usually out of place. Soft yelps, clucks, and purrs are more the ticket.
How early do turkeys gobble on the roost?
Daybreak at a turkey roost
Turkeys are very vocal birds at first sign of light. Their morning will begin with a series of loud gobbles as they begin to wake up. This can last for some time until eventually they fly down and begin their day’s work on the ground.
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 early should I be in the woods for turkey hunting?
Time of Day: Since Turkeys make their nest in trees and on the ground in wooded areas, one of the best times of day to hunt is first thing in the morning. Get out to your blind early and listen for the yelps, cackles, and gobbles of turkeys as they start in search for breakfast.
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.
Can gobbling turkeys be heard a mile away?
(But we don’t want him to gobble too much because that will call other hunters into the area.) Turkey gobbles can be heard for a long way on a still day, up to a mile.
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.
How often should you hit a turkey call?
But don’t call too often – less is more. Calling every 15 minutes or so and starting off quieter and then getting more aggressive/louder as the day goes on are good rules of thumb. If you hear a hen, try to mimic her exact vocalizations.
Should you call to a turkey on the roost?
3. Don’t Call If You Don’t Have To. 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.
What time do gobblers come off the roost?
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. It’s somewhat obvious why gobblers respond off the roost; it’s a new day and they’re not necessarily with hens yet.
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.
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.
Why do turkeys gobble one day and not the next?
Some days, turkeys gobble from dawn to dark. Other days, they don’t gobble at all. Why? The easy explanation is that they’re unpredictable.
Will turkeys gobble in the middle of the day?
The key here is to realize that for 90 to 95 percent of the day, turkeys are not gobbling. Thus, it is critical to scout the area, and know both where the birds are roosting and where their strut and feed areas are.
What colors should you avoid when turkey hunting?
Never wear red, white, blue or black clothing while turkey hunting. Red is the color most hunters look for when distinguishing a gobbler’s head from a hen’s blue-colored head, but at times it may appear white or blue. Male turkey feathers covering most of the body are black in appearance.
What colors should a hunter avoid when turkey hunting?
Never wear red, white, blue, or black, the colors of a male wild turkey. Dress defensively, and wear hunter orange when moving in the turkey woods. Never stalk turkey sounds or attempt to sneak up on wild turkeys. Always call the turkey to you.
What should you not do when turkey hunting?
Ten dumb things you do while turkey hunting follow.
- Stand When You Should Sit. Patience kills turkeys, the old saying goes.
- Sit When You Should Walk.
- Walk When You Should Leave.
- Leave When You Should Stay.
- Call When You Should Shut Up.
- Shut Up When You Should Call.
- Shoot When You Should Wait.
- Wait When the Turkey Is Leaving.
Can you scare a turkey off the roost?
The good news is that wild turkeys are cautious birds that are pretty easy to scare away. To break up turkey roosts on decks or roofs, making loud noises or spraying them with a water hose is usually all that’s needed, although sometimes a follow-up treatment might be necessary.