Roosting Turkeys

[Troph-E-Hunter]

Any good suggestions on tactics for roosting turkeys the night before a hunt?

All suggestions are appreciated.

[M.Magis]

I think the most important thing is to have an idea where they are going to be to try to avoid spooking them on the way in. If I don't know where to expect them, I just keep my distance and listen for birds flying up or gobbles. I usually don't call to them, which is the traditional way, I just listen. If I'm lucky enough to pinpoint a gobbler, I'll go in very early the next morning and set up very close to where the bird is roosted. I like to be close so it requires very little effort on the gobblers part to come my way. I also like being closer than any other potential hens that may pull him away. More often than not, things don't work out as planned, but occasionally things come together.

[Turkeyfoot]

Find a high vantage point if possible for listening. Many times on clear, calm evenings they might fly up in the last 10 min before dark. Also, they dont always gobble at flyup. If in doubt between hen and gobbler, hit an owl hooter just before leaving to try and get a response and you can plan the best way in for the am setup!;) ....TF

[ShoreBoundOne]

Well i like fillin mine with oyster cornbread stuffing, then slow cookin it....make sure you baste with butter every half hour or 20 minutes or so.........oh crud I thought this post was for ROASTING turkeys......Thats very different.....nevermind:D:D:D

[Neapolis]

LMAO :)

Good one ShoreBoundOne

[shrivl]

I always go out an hour or two before dark and take a pair of bios to watch fields. I'll take a fold up chair and just watch. I have seen turkeys strutting in the evening before flying up to the roost. Plus I get to see the deer. I then walk the edges of the fields owl hooting.

[10 point]

Turkeys do not fly up right at dark!! I went last week to roost birds and sunset was 8:30 something and I believe they flew up at a little before 8pm. It was still light out. Get in the woods by 7:30pm and no later. If you get there too late you will miss them. A lot of guys think they fly up when it's almost pitch dark. Not the turkeys I hunt. It took me a while to learn this, but you have the best chance of getting a shock gobble from a locator call when it's almost pitch dark!! I have been trying to do this early in the evening when they first fly up and nothing would gobble. Last week I owl hooted at around 9pm, almost dark and they gobbled the hills down.

[10Gauge]

I try to get into an area that has the right kinda trees for roosting and find most of the birds I hunt tend to roost about 1/2 to 2/3rds of they way up on a ridge. Seldom but sometimes they may roost right on top of the ridge and almost never in the lower valeys. I also noticed 90% of the birds I've roosted over the last 7 years seem to prefer ridges facing east or just below prevailing winds. I concentrate of these areas get into the area about 6:30 pm and sit queitly waiting for the sound of those wing beats. Personally I think roosting birds can be a rush! On the Friday before the youth hunt my son and I went into an area and had 7 possibly 8 birds roost within 100 yards of where we were sitting.

I usually don't call to them anymore, I used to when I first started turkey hunting but learned that the boss tom will almost always gobble on his own just before settling in (I said almost always...I roosted the same bird for a week straight once and he didn't gobble 1 day in 5!). Since I hunt both public and private land often I carry a deer grunt call or squirrel call and will use this rather than owl call. I think too many people put too much stock in locater calls like owl calls and if you don't believe me go out in the woods a few weeks before or after turkey season and just listen. You won't hear owls ( or people blowing calls) and the turkeys still gobble on the roost. Last August I built a new deck at my cabin and every morning heard several toms gobble on the roost at first light....in August! Never heard a single owl and I think these turkeys are getting wise to all the owl calling in the spring, maybe not the young jakes but the big toms for certain.

One more thought on locater calls.........I'm not against them just think they get over used in many cases........this is my 3rd season of using a goose call for locating toms both early morning and late evening. I especially use this technique in a new hunting area when I'm not certain where the birds are located. Or in areas where I know large numbers of geese are present. You guys know we have a ton of "resident" geese and they are loud especially early moring at just before dark. When I started using this call I was shocked by the results! That's my only secret weapon......okay I have one other but it'll cost ya!

[M.Magis]

I think a goose call is about the best locator call out there. Used by almost no one, and works better than most others.

[lureboy98]

Haha M.Magis, where I turkey hunt there are geese everywhere, i don't need a call!