When to put a turkey to bed?
 

I decied this year I'm going to do a better job of putting the turkeys to bed. So, my questions:

- When exactly do turkeys go to roost? Are they in the trees before the sun goes down or do they go as it goes down? Or later?

- How soon after roosting do you go out and try to get them to shock gobble?

- What are your favorite calls? Coyote? Barred owl? I've tried the barred owlonce before to no avail, thinking I'll try the coyote this year.

RE: When to put a turkey to bed?
 

Where we hunted, the turkeys went to roost just as the sun was going below the horizon. It may fluctuate with weather or not it's cloudy or sunny to a degree.
Getting them to shock gobble with-in an hour after they roosted was pretty easy. We didn't try it any other time.
We've always used a coyote howler to shock them! The calls we use are horn howlers and they are loud!

RE: When to put a turkey to bed?
 

It can vary from area to area but right at sundown for a ball park figure. I like to be in the areas I know they roost before they get there and just sit and listen for them to fly up. A barred owl call always works for me. I have even yelped softly and got gobblers to gobble on the roost after fly up. When I know exactly where a gobbler is roosting one thing I love to do is yelp at him a few times from the area I have planned for my setup the next morning just to give him something to remember and to think about all night. Then the next morning give him a fly down with a wingand a couple of soft yelps and If he is alone he will come looking for you the firstthing before he goes somewhere else.

RE: When to put a turkey to bed?
 

Ditto!!!! Most times Idon't make any calls at all. Gobblers will usually gobble 2-3 times before they shut up for the night. Pin-point the area where they are roosting, listen for the"goodnight" gobble, and be there early the next morning, thenlet the games begin.;)