Do you mean near dark? Right at dusk the turkeys may sound off after going to roost. Here in VA where I hunt you will only hear one once in a while. I have gone years without hearing one in the evening, but come morning they really sound off.
I roosted with them once, lol. Strangest experience I ever had. I was bowhunting deer when a doe coming in spooked. I was wondering what I did to spook her, then I heard a turkey steadily clucking right from where she bolted. It almost sounded like an alarm putt, but with purrs mixed in. A few mins later, I counted 21 turkeys coming into the woods I was in from the field. They went right to the calling bird who was now about 15 yards behind me. It was just before dark, just as I thought to myself, these birds should be flying up to roost, they took to the trees all around me. I thought I might get to share my tree with one. It was amazing. I waited til well after dark to get down, and I can't believe they didn't spook when I left. Other than that, the few times I tried to roost birds before a hunt I have had no luck...
The one time I roosted turkeys and it worked out(this was while it was dark) He gobbled I was heck 900 yards away but knew exactly what tree he was in. Calld my neighbore said I got one Roosted lets bag him
Went out in Morning got within 100 yards and got him...took a while to get him from hens but worked out.
Also In Wyoming we were able to pin point them at nite get within 200 yards but nevercame our way!
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Nothing like hearing that gobbler break the crisp morning air.
Roosting turkeys is best right after fly up... Once it gets dark I usually leave the woods... Now this is Big Woods Mountain Birds. Not sure about those green field gobblers they just might gobble all hours of the night
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"public land will make a turkey hunter out of ya"
I know birds that I hunt are going to roost at night in one or two places. There are two very large pine thickets on the property I hunt. This is the best advice I can give you find a pine thicket. Now the birds will still be hard ti find visually on the roost, but if you have modest numbers in your turkey population, or you have seen birds where you hunt I will bet you that they are roosting in a large mature pine thicket. Trees about 55-65 feet tall with good sturdy roosting branches. I have seen some birds roost in the middle of the afternoon in oaks, poplars etc, but when dusk comes it's off to the pines. Easy way to tell if your pine thicket is holding birds, look for feathers and scat, the ground will also be torn apart from them flying down and scratching.
Roosting turkeys is best right after fly up... Once it gets dark I usually leave the woods... Now this is Big Woods Mountain Birds. Not sure about those green field gobblers they just might gobble all hours of the night
The one thing that just tickles the fire out of me is the crush of hunters heading out the night b4 the season opener, on HARD hunted public ground, to make a turkey gobble from the roost. Not passing judgement, cause i used to do it in my early years when there were less hunters. But why would u want to make a turkey advertise themselves for ALL HUNTERS to hear.I can see doin it on less pressured areas, tho frankly, i never had great luck getting one to bust loose enuf to warrant driving that far
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What u get out is what u put in!
Good post Turk I agree!!!I dont havea problem with roosting at all(not after dark mind you)if it is done right!Imho I've had better luck letting the birds do there own thing than trying to force the issue by using a turkey call,locator,or tramplin all over my woods trying to hear a gobbler!I dont know how but it never ceases to amaze me how some "dude"can walk or drive right into a roost area but it seems to happen quite often!!Than if there lucky enough to raise a gobble sit there and yack it em till he doesn't talk anymore!![:'(]
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Monarch isn' t a butterfly it' s the King of the Spring!
I have never had too much trouble roosting birds in the evenings yhey usually gobble on the way to the roost or i can spot them in open areas and watch them until they fly up if i have to i will use a locater call to make them gobble i do not like to hear them gobble allot however if i know other hunters may be in the area
Roosting Turkeys
. Not passing judgement, cause i used to do it in my early years when there were less hunters. But why would u want to make a turkey advertise themselves for ALL HUNTERS to hear.
I can see doin it on less pressured areas, tho frankly, i never had great luck getting one to bust loose enuf to warrant driving that far
