I don't like to set up any closer than 50 yards to a roost, and if I plan on setting up that close I get in there at least an hour and a half before first light.
Also, the only times I set up that close is when I know the Toms are henned up and chances are won't come into calling until later in the morning, if at all.
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The prey must have the predator, just as the predator needs the prey. One without the other is something less. The wolf without the deer becomes a dog. The deer without the wolf becomes a cow. And what does man become?
all depends on terrain and cover. my best hunt i made it within 50 or 60yds of the birds. i had a 10yd walk from the edge of the field into the woods..i had little cover but was able to slip in somehow. tree called a bit. did a fly down..they landed on my lap and it was over. talk about text book lol. but it depends on terrain and cover..if theres no cover or a way to get close you might not beable to get close..i like to push the envelope and get as close as possble sometimes. funny thing is ive gotten busted on that same ridge many times lol. i havent been able to do it again since. another thing i like to do is find somewhere the bird cant see me..but i can set up the decoy so that the bird can see it. same area, diffrent roost site ill get within 100yds of the bird..crawl(literally) out onto a gasline he can see from the roost and setup the decoy and crawl back..then when hes getting ready to fly down ill hit the call. think that was last year..worked great...but every morning i was there a couple of idiots would come walking into my setup..
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>>----Give 'em the shaft!--->
Estimating the distance between the gobble and you is very difficult. It can be more complicated if the bird is facing away from you when he gobbles whether he is still on the limb or on the ground. Foliage will further muffle the sound as will a light wind. All of these things should be taken into careful consideration when you are trying to close in on a turkey.
It's better to err on the side of setting up too far away than too close. You need to get close enough to call him effectively, but not so close that you spook the bird.
So when you are out there this spring, remember that the biggest mistake you can make is to be discovered by the bird. They have excellent hearing and even better eyesight. It's all very simple. It's OK to be heard but it's not OK to be seen.
I believe that 150' to 165' (45yds/50yds) isa safe zone.
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Jesus said, "he who stands firm to the end will be saved" Mark 13:13.
Live Life in such a way that those who do not know Christ will come to know Him because they know you
One spring, I(unknowingly) set up under the cover of darkness right in the midst of a roost. I had a hen in a tree not more than 5 yds away, and a gobbler just 30 yds away.I could hear her poop hit the leaves. Therewere6+ hens in the roost and at least one other jakein the area. No way did I think I'd not get the gob that day. It was a great watching the birds and listening to the wake up.The gob would answer every soft hen yelp and cluck... and thejake would chime in. Eventually the hen flew down right in front of me, and the gob flew down right close. I didn't even try to shootwhen he alit, thinking he'd hang around for all the hens to join him - NOT! Hedisappeared in a heart beat,all calling was ignored. So <30yds is too close!
-fsh
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The gods do not subtract from the span of a bowhunter's life the hours spent in a treestand...
I am a little more conservitive than most of the others who have posted so far. I prefer to leave at least 100 yards, and 125 or even 150 if it is calm is just dandy for me. I like to set up between a known roost spot, or where I have a bird in a tree and where he has been strutting. I will also set up along a known feeding area or near a water source. The bird will not always fly down to me everytime, but he will always come back around and check me out later in the morning. Patience is the key. Gobblers have excellent directional hearing and a pretty good memory. Soft purrs and clucks "Happy Turkey Noises" if you will, seem to work like magic to bring them in later in the morning.
__________________ You get what you put in, and people get what they deserve. - Kid Rock
Some of you are saying 45 to 50 yards. To me that's aweful close. I prefer closer to 100 yards. I know you can get closer than that, but it's sometimes better to be safe than sorry. I agree with Rebel Dog when he says the distance can be misleading when he gobbles. Usually they are closer than they sound, so trying to get too close can be a big mistake. Your going to bump a few in your years of hunting. Some just may not gobble on roost and you will inadvertantly get too close.
How Close Is To Close ?
