I agree on the "easier uphill". I have heard such characteristics defined several ways, such as "they know if they walk down hill they will have to eventually climb back up" etc... Now I think that with a marble sized brain a turkey doesn't have much reasoning ability. I think it has more to do with vision abilities (which they have in DROVES).

So here goes "Reds theory of down vs up hill and turkeys": When you are at a big event in a stadium what is it easier to see from, on top looking down or on the bottom looking up? Likewise in the woods, when standing on a hilltop/side you have a much more commanding view than you do while on the bottom and trying to look up. THAT is why I think turkeys are harder to coax downhill. Unless you have some movement decoys (and they are responding to decoys) they are more likely to see "a flaw in the slaw" quicker thus there reluctance to "come on down". When you are calling them uphill those benefits are lessoned or even gone.

At least that's my explanation,
RA