turkey patterns
03-29-2006, 05:19 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,670
RE: turkey patterns
The turkeys in my area change their roost almost nightly. In the fall I can pretty well guess where they have roosted but during the spring it is different most of the time. Except for a few certain areas.
03-29-2006, 05:25 PM
#3
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cuyler new york USA
Posts: 290
RE: turkey patterns
I've never seen the turkeys take to the same roost each night in the spring...i figured it was cause the hens are feeding thru certain areas...once fly-up time comes, they'll pick the nearest stand of trees.
Fall is probably a better opportunity of finding them in the same bunch of trees.
Fall is probably a better opportunity of finding them in the same bunch of trees.
03-29-2006, 07:29 PM
#5
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: drummond mt.
Posts: 786
RE: turkey patterns
if they haqve everything they need on that 90 acres they will probably hang around they will need feed and water places for hens to nest and nobody to pressure them out of there what kind of birds you huntin?nevermind seen you were from Virginny
03-29-2006, 07:56 PM
#6
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location:
Posts: 2,052
RE: turkey patterns
Interesting question 270. I have studied turkeys on a 12K acre cattle ranch I hunt on in southern MO for 20 years now and that terrain is varied. Part of it is in extremely hilly (verticle in places) unbroken tracts of timber that border a river (11 Pt River), while another section is rolling, open pastures with trees only being sparse and "in line" along the bottoms of draws and windrows. While yet another section is typical southern/central MO with large tracts of hardwoods bordered with open sage pastures.
The birds in the timbered areas (along the large timber tracts/river and in the woods/pasture sections) are more random and will be seen roosting in different areas during the fall (we bow and gun hunt deer up there as well) than they typically do during the spring. I think it has more to do with themast crop in the fall. The birds seem to go deep into the timber in the fall (there are no bugs and few seeds in the pastures then) and we don't see nearly as many in the fields then as opposed too the spring. During the spring they rarely are located over 200-400yds from the field edges and in many cases much closer.
The only consistently repeatableplace we've seen them roost is in the very open/rolling areas. But I think that is more because of the lack of suitable sized roosting trees. Hunting that section is more like hunting RIOs in the desert southwest or hunting Merriams in the plains states (KS, IO, NE). With the small strips and rows of woods you just moreor less want to"get in their path of travel" and wait. They use those same areas throughout the year.
Otherlarge places I hunt in TN and MS is more bottom land and typical southern farm country. The birds are wherever you find them. They typically are scattered from season too season and usually are closer too the fields when seeds and insects are more available in those areas. During deerseason we find them deeper in the woods and seemingly keying on mast.
One thing about it, they seldom are where you think they SHOULD be!!!
RA
The birds in the timbered areas (along the large timber tracts/river and in the woods/pasture sections) are more random and will be seen roosting in different areas during the fall (we bow and gun hunt deer up there as well) than they typically do during the spring. I think it has more to do with themast crop in the fall. The birds seem to go deep into the timber in the fall (there are no bugs and few seeds in the pastures then) and we don't see nearly as many in the fields then as opposed too the spring. During the spring they rarely are located over 200-400yds from the field edges and in many cases much closer.
The only consistently repeatableplace we've seen them roost is in the very open/rolling areas. But I think that is more because of the lack of suitable sized roosting trees. Hunting that section is more like hunting RIOs in the desert southwest or hunting Merriams in the plains states (KS, IO, NE). With the small strips and rows of woods you just moreor less want to"get in their path of travel" and wait. They use those same areas throughout the year.
Otherlarge places I hunt in TN and MS is more bottom land and typical southern farm country. The birds are wherever you find them. They typically are scattered from season too season and usually are closer too the fields when seeds and insects are more available in those areas. During deerseason we find them deeper in the woods and seemingly keying on mast.
One thing about it, they seldom are where you think they SHOULD be!!!
RA
