How do I know when I'm too close to the roost?

[bucky6]

The season just opened here today. My son and I went out last night and roosted two long beards, a couple of jakes and a couple of hens last night. We were there almost an hour before shooting time (shooting time is 1/2 hour before sunrise). I wasn't 100% sure which trees they were in, but I thought I hada pretty good idea. We set up our decoys and sat down to wait. About 20 minutes after wesat downthey started gobbling and they were CLOSE. One jake was in a tree that must have been no more than 30 yards away.They gobbled for nearly a half hour and then flew down.I tree called twice in that time.When they finally flew down, they ignored my calls and went the other way gobbling as they went. Is it possible that they knew we were there and that's why they went the other way, or do they always bust out of the tree when you get too close?

I would never have set up that close if I'd have known exactly where they were, but once we got settled in and they started gobbling I thought we were OK.

Thanks in advance for the information.

[OntElk]

I tree called twice in that time.

That is what went wrong right there I imagine. Being that close you should of not made a single move or call until they were on the ground. As soon as you called they may have picked you off if your were that close.

2 hunts this season I have walked right under the tree the gobbler was roosted in because I knew the area but not his exact location. Both times I slipped away quietly as possible. Both times no more than 50 yds from the bird. Both times not a call, movement, or sound made until the birds were on the ground. Both birds are now dead.

In one of those hunts another board member, AJH, was with me. We walked 30 yds away from the gobbler and right under a hen. Not wanting to bust them we sat down right there and sat quietly. When that gobbler gobbled and strutted no more than 5 mins later we knew we had him. Because he had no idea we were there he pitched out right into my lap at 15 yds. The hens also flew down all around us and had no idea.

On the fliip side we did bust 8 birds out of the tree the day before. Thing was there was actually 10 birds in the area. 2 more gobblers were still there. Same scenario as before. We waited until we thought the birds were on the ground, AJH then went to calling. Long story short it was another tight roost set up and another bird dead.

[Howler]

IMO, if they didn't PUTT at you, then you didn't disturb them enough to "change" thier plans. Case in point, this last Sunday morning, we set up close to the roost of several turkeys in a creek, including 4 long beards. I actually moved my blind to the spot Sat. night when they all quited down for the night. BUT come Sunday morning, we had turkeys roosted inthe creek both directions from my blind. Long beards to the left and hens and jakes to the right. All the hens, and 4 jakes landed between 40 and 60 yards directly infront of the blind, but all 4 long beards flew out to the other side of the creek and gobbled until all the hens walked over to them. Hens flew down first even. AND that's the way turkey hunting goes sometimes. You can't out guess them.

If they didn't PUTT at you when you were setting up, I highly doubt that they flew the other direction because of you!

[RIStrutStopper]

I inadvertently walked too close to the roost tree one day last year and was greeted by the dreaded "putt putt". I backed out and set up, but the bird pitched down and took off in another direction. I salvaged that day by taking a nice longbeard on the other side of the property tho

[bucky6]

I thought that since they acted more or less normal that maybe they didn't know we were there. They definitely didn't putt. The moon was down when we arrived, so it was pretty dark, and the understory has a lot of 10 foot tall spruce and fir in it, so it is pretty hard for the turkeys to see very much under the tree.

Maybe they would have walked the other way no matter what. The hens were on the side where they left.

Thanks to everyone for the input. This was the first time I ever set up that close, so this was a real learning experience for me.

My son thought it wasreal exciting even though we didn't end up getting a shot.

[moose1915]

there will be turkey poop on your head.

[Chris.S]

Just this past weekend I sat down within 40 yds ofa roosted bird. I was so close I could see the shape of the bird while it was still dark. When he finally woke up I counted 50 gobbles on the roost. Because I felt if I called AT ALL he'd see no hen where there should obviously beone making those sexy sounds I kept my mouth shut.A hen walked in after about 15 min of his proclaming his presence to the world and I figuredI was done. He pitched out to herbut landed on the other sideof a fallen tree 40 yds away in the hens lap. As soon as his feethit the ground I gave him four of the quietest yelps I could, 30sec later he hopped up on the log to take a look and slapped him updside the head with a load of #6 shot. He tasted very good last night.

[mohunter82]

dont get to far away either like i did this morning though. i didnt know which way he was gonna come out of the tree. i setup a little farther away so i knew he would see my dekes. didnt matter i was to far away for him to come out of his strut zone.

[bucky6]

Well my son and I went out again yesterday and this time we didn't get too close to the roost. It took about 20 minutes to call in this tom. 20 lb 3 oz., 9 inch beard, 7/8 inch spurs. I'm done now until Saturday. Thanks to everyone for the advice.

[Frank in the Laurels]

When you see some J-Shaped droppings or little curlly topped ice cream shaped ones bouncing off your legs!! Then you getting to the edge..