can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

i always see the guys shoot turkeys on the ground, but why not ever from a tree stand. Is on the ground better?

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

I tried this last year from a buddy stand , it would of been better if i seen some toms , i seen alot of diffrent hens, put out my decoys on a old logging road and they came to them so i guess that was a plus,i guess you manly see ground hunting so you can cover more areas , but iam no expert on the turkeys,[8D]

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

you would think up higher would be better cause you can see more, but the guys on tv never ever do...

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

It would be extremely hard especially when there are a lot of leaves on the trees. I would still stick with hunting on the ground.

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

i tried to tag a turkey with my bow during deer season from a stand 20+ feet up in the air.....


....i pulled back an inch before the whole group saw me and headed for the hills. maybe with a gun it would be better.

it sure was fun though:)

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

not allowed in al. but during deer season i've seen alot, but always they've seen me and went the other way

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

Think about it. A tree stand is generally in a fixed positon, right? Well, what if you need to make a move on the bird? Not gonna happen in a tree stand, unless you can somehow "Tarzan rig" the thing and swing from the vines. If you have a KNOWN strut zone with good trees in range, sure, you could do it and probably pull it off. Much more versatility on the ground. Get yerself a Matrix and kill em all!

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

i dunno but my cuz hunts from a tree stand and you got to let the turkey get closer than normal to shoot

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

:Dnot many turkeys in trees after sun up...i think it's fitting to hunt them eye lever...toe to toe so to speak :D

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

Unlike deer turkeys do have natural predators from above. By being up there concealment of your movement can actually be tougher with the eyes of turkeys. Start calling and drawing attention to yourself with turkley noises and now you have real problems.Sitting on the ground you can blend into your surroundings down at the level of the turkey.

Sure you might be able to sit there and ambush them if you're still and in the right spot but I thinkthat highlightsanother perspective. being in a stand and seeing a big deer working his way towards you're stand is exciting. With turkeys there is a much more interactive aspect to it. The back and forth calling and drawing him in with vocal skills is what gets you're heart racing. I just don't see sitting there watching a turkey stroll by your tree stand and then whacking him when the moment is right to encompass the true aspect of this style of hunting. Yes you call to deer as well, and in various ways, but there sure isn't that back and forth "conversation" you have with a gobbling turkey or a cuttin' hen.

Sittin down to a tree and "pulling" them in with the turkey talk at eye levelis what makes it so addictingI think.

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

I wound not turkey hunt from a tree stand for a number of reasons.

1. Turkeys look for the source of calling, and you will be much more easily seen sitting in a tree stand rather than on the ground. Sit in front of a large tree and take the time to cut some fresh branchesto break up your outline. Wear good camo including facemask and gloves, get a good comfortable pad, be still, and you don't have to worry about being seen.

2. Hens and gobblers leave the tree at daybreak and spend the rest of the day on the ground. It would be unnatural for you to be calling up in a tree at any other time after flydown. Gobblers would likely smell a rat and could hang up on you rather than coming on into gun range.

3. The fun of turkey hunting for me is the cat and mouse game played after the turkey gobbles. After hearing the first gobble I am always reminded of what my buddy and turkey hunting mentor frequently said, "now the game's on". Many more times than not I've had to reposition myselfmultiple times before getting the turkey to gun range. This is the fun and challenge of hunting this grand bird.

4. Gobblers often roost near the hens after following them the previous afternoon. At flydown they will gather together and he will strut around (and occasionally gobble if you're lucky) and follow them for awhile until the hens leave to go prepare nests. At that time he is alone and susceptable to calling. You have to stay in touch with the gobbler in this situation by following himwithoutbeing seen or detected. You can't do that from a stationary position in a tree. I've taken many birds near noon after changing positionsseveral times and waitingthem out. Often this has taken me quite a distance from my original position at flydown. Once at Land Between the Lakes in Tennessee I ended up taking a great turkey almost a mile from where I first sat down to call to him on the roost. The turkey gobbled from sunup until I killed him at 11:45, and I was emotionally and physically exausted from the excitement. I was one happy and proud dude walking back to camp with that ol' boy over my shoulder, and I will never forget that morning for the rest of my life. This type of hunting is what makes me passionate about the sport and keeps me awake at night in the summer thinkingplaying the gameagain.

Good luck

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

I would have to agree with it being unnatural for a hen to be calling from a tree after flydown. The tom would likely think either it is a hunter, or some predator spooked a hen and he needs to leave the area fast. The only way I could see it being consistently successful would be hunting over a strut zone and without calling. Otherwise, I think you'd be asking to get busted. Find a big tree, then stay out of it.

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

The DNR allows this in Michigan but I personely like to hunt them on the ground.

RE: can you turkey hunt from a tree stand?
 

You can hunt them from a tree...we do it up here continually in the Fall during deer season.

You can call to them from a tree. The key is to project your voice down and behind you, and call sparingly. Calling softely and sparingly, though, is often the combination that works the best in the Spring anyway, so the calling pattern doesn't really matter. You can also set a decoy 20 yards behind you. I've had gobbler flocks going nuts within 5 yards of my tree, and have oftentimes called in hen flocks of over 40 birds.

However...in the Spring there is just too much foliage for this to work, at least here in the Northeast. And as others have stated, it would drastically limit your options. Other than experience and woodsmanship, the next best skill in the turkey woods is knowing (or getting lucky more times than not!) when to move on a bird and when to sit tight. From a fixed position, you immediately remove yourself from probably 50% of most Spring turkey hunts...although, after you wait on a gobbler for 3 hours, move, and he then gobbles from your previous position not 20 minutes after you've left...[:@]...then maybe a fixed position might not be bad...[8D]