how do you think turkeys respond to close development

[Brknarrow1970]

I am looking at an aerial map of the land I am planning on attacking first thing in the morning. There are houses and trailers dotted in and out of the land.

I know deer adapt to close proximity with humans no issues, How bout turkeys -

[GMMAT]

I think they're similar to deer in this respect.

[Vabowman]

I guess it depends how molested they are. I know that when the industry cam to my area the birds quit gobbling. they didn't leave, they just shut up.

[GR8atta2d]

Well If I go out after Turkey, I will be able to see 300K-million dollar homes through the leaf-less trees.

[SwampCollie]

It all depends on when the houses were built. One of the pieces of property I used to hunt was between a swamp, a neighborhood and a horse farm. It was good for at least one bird, sometimes two every spring. You couldn't hunt it too hard, because they would smarten up quick....

Conversely, last spring on our club there was some logging going on over on the neighbors piece of property. Logging commenced at 8am sharp and thats when gobbling stopped. Never even saw a turkey on our place last spring... had to resort to calling in a few favors to get on a bird... finally did stick one in the last week of the season. Logging/clearcuts are great for deer hunting, if you can stand sitting over what looks like ground zero for a MOAB air burst...deer will actually wander up while logging is going on because they are curious... when itcomes to stuff like that... turkeys just head the other way.

So I suppose the short answer is that it depends on what sort of activity has been going on around there lately.

[wingchaser_labs]

They don't seem to mind it much as long as people aren't out there scaring them and walkin all over the place. Just like deer as long as the activity they are seeing is the sam old everyday thing they don't mind it and will carry on with buisiness as usual but once they get pushed a few times or encounter things out of the norm they can move out very quickly (Just like deer on a farm, they dont mind tractors and can driv right past em but once they see someone get off the tractor in the middle of a field... see ya) but as long asthis havebeen the way they are now for awhile then you should be good and those birds should be huntable just the same as an other birds. WCL

[IL-Cornfed]

Turkey don't seem to mind development that much. We have several instances around this region, every season, where the birds will walk into towns. In fact, one of the best places I've ever hunted was on a small farm where the homeowner on the edge of town had been chasing them out of his yard. When he brought pix to work of them standing under and on his picnic table I decided that the area might be a good one to hunt.

Heres a pic I googled that I thought fit the post well.

[Brknarrow1970]

Thanks for the responses fellows - helps with the confidence factor

One other thing, I am planning on hunting a field edge in the am, how far do you typically set back in the woodline - I am thinking 10-15 yards and put the dekes right on the edge

[GMMAT]

I'd put my deke(s) in the spot where they'll be seen the easiest. I'd set up right on the field edge and put my deke in the open.

[Brknarrow1970]

Thanks Jeff, appreciate the info - will put it to the test inabout 15 hours