putting turkeys to bed

deerslayer32 · 03-27-2007, 11:03 AM

Hi, this upcoming weekend is youth turkey hunt in missouri and I was wondering how you guys put them to bed because we really havent got the chance to go and scout so we were going to try to roost them the night before. we are beginners and any information would be great

zubba · 03-27-2007, 12:23 PM

ooohhh, that may be fairly tough if you don't have any clue where they roost. If you knew roughly where they roost, you would sit a couple hundred yards away from that spot and listen. Listen for them flying up, gobbles, yelps, etc. You could also take a owl call and see if you get be a bird to gobble.

Without knowing where they roost, I would recomment just going out the night before that allows you to see and hear along way. Make sure the spot is easy and quite to get in and out of...you don't want to spook them off the roost. Again, listen for them flying up and gobbles. If you hear one gobble or hear turkeys flying up to the tree, locate that spot and make you plan for how you are going to sneek in the next morning. If you have a good idea where they MIGHT roost, stay a couple hundred yards from there and listen.

If all else fails, get out there early the next morning, listen for gobbles, and quietly move and try to set up on him. Good Luck

r33h · 03-27-2007, 12:38 PM

I agree with zubba. Since you don't quite know where they are, the best thing you can do is go out and try to get a good idea of where they are going to roost. One thing you can also do, and I think zubba eluded to this too, is right after the sun is down and it is pretty dark out, you can take a box call and yelp or a crow call and see if you get a response. That will pin-point the location of where they are roosting. My huting buddy and I have done this in the past and located where they were roosting and the next morning we came out and got with 60 to 70 yards of the roost. We watched him wake up and fly down right in front of us. You will have to go out really early in the morning if you are going to try to get close...and make sure you don't spook them off the roost. Good luck!

TEmbry · 03-27-2007, 01:15 PM

if i have no clue where they roost, and there is alot of land i give up hope on roosting them, i just get to know the land and go out the next morning and listen for gobbles. then when you hear them you can guesstimate where they are suchas a steep ridge or edge ofa food plot, then move in closer that morning. then put them to roost the next night since you know the general area that they are currently roosting in.

works for me atleast

IMO getting to know the lay of the land, especially if youve never been there before, is far more important than roosting the birds your first afternoon. If you know the land like the back of your hand, then try and roost the birds by all means.

deerslayer32 · 03-29-2007, 10:45 AM

thanks guys they alll sound good we might do some soft tree yelps after the sun goes down like r33h suggested

Rebel Hog · 03-29-2007, 10:49 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: deerslayer32

thanks guys they alll sound good we might do some soft tree yelps after the sun goes down like r33h suggested

No........use an Owl Hooter as a Locator in the evening. Usually a Hawk Call late in the afternoonwill give you the direction they are going toroost at.

MO_Hoyt · 03-29-2007, 11:00 AM

deerslayer32,

what county you gonna hunt in?

its kinda shootin in the dark if you havent scouted or found the roost this close to opening day of youth. i say the best time is early in the morning when the sun is still down to shock agobbler.

deerslayer32 · 03-29-2007, 11:08 AM

we are in wayne county in S.E. MO

Rebel Hog · 03-29-2007, 11:20 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: deerslayer32

Hi, this upcoming weekend is youth turkey hunt in missouri and I was wondering how you guys put them to bed because we really havent got the chance to go and scout so we were going to try to roost them the night before. we are beginners and any information would be great

Listen to these Sounds untill they are Burnt in your brain!

http://www.nwtf.org/nwtf_newsroom/turkey_calls.html

turkey harvester · 03-29-2007, 12:01 PM

Hey deer slayer, I hunt in ripley /oregon county in se missouri. have a good population of birds down here this year. My son can't hardly wait, We are hunting over at howell county for the youth season. Have alot of bird gobbling over there right now. My brother heard about 40 wed. morning at one spot.