Question for you field hunters.

[earnabuck]

I live on a farm with small woodlots in SW Wisconsin. My turkey hunting basically consists of hunting out of blinds because the lack of trees and cover make running and gunning impossible. My set up goes something like this. The far eastern edge of our property consists of a large alfalfa field that has a wooded ridgeline bordering it to the north. A thin strip of pasture land separates the alfalfa from another disked field that was corn but will be alfalfa again this summer. The pasture, and smaller alfalfa butt up to a 5 or 6 acre woods to the east that borders our property. Turkeys often roost in this woodlot, as it shaped like a big bowl and they can get out of the wind. I typically set up blinds in both alfalfa fields...one on a hillside in the smaller field and one down in the valley in the big field. I leave the pasture alone, it is only about 100 yards wide and splits the two fields. I place the blinds approximately 150 yards from the woods because I don't want to spook the birds off the roost. Early in the mornings, the birds gobble often but I rarely have them come to my set up. Does anybody have any good tips for hunting these birds. There is a lot of places they can travel in the opposite direction as they are already off of our farm when roosting, and a fenceline separates them from our property. I had good luck last year hunting in the late evening as they come back to roost. If anybody has some good morning tactics for open fields I would appreciate it. I have 2 tags for the first week and 2nd week of may. Hens should be nesting just about this time especially with the warm weather we have been having here in Wisconsin. My uncle and brother are hunting our farm this year and I would really like to put them on some birds, and myself as well. Thanks.

[Howler]

Best I can say is to pattern them. Get in your blinds, either one of them, watch the birds one morning, if they don't come past your set up, but you can see and can hunt where they go, then move your blind to that point, and hunt it the next morning.
If they fly off the roost and go the other direction onto your neighbors property, not much you can do, until they change that pattern.

[Sheridan]

Get in earl and lay prone, fully camo'ed of course.


I've done this a number of times while scouting and had them all around me (as close as 5 ft).

[jalvja]

Originally Posted by Sheridan

Get in earl and lay prone, fully camo'ed of course.


I've done this a number of times while scouting and had them all around me (as close as 5 ft).

Yep, I've been caught in open fields more than once so I just laid down and have had birds come right to me.Adrian and I killed a bird about 10 years ago in self defense.layin in an open field with stubble about 2"high 3 hens 2 jakes and 2 long beards.called in the hens and the gobblers followed.Dang hens almost walked right on top of us.

[deerhunter152]

scout these birds for a couple of days and see what their daily routine is then find a spot that they regularly pass and set up somewhere close. good luck on your hunt!

[Talkin Turkey]

In a blind patience is a virtue. Birds have all day, do you?

[JW]

Look for the side of the field close to the roost that the sun will warm up 1st. This is where I have found strutt zones consistently.

On birds like what you have described I am setting up at 2:30 to 3 AM in the morning in a blind.

Then I nap till sun up time.

JW