on the roost?For most of us the way we set-up,and our (hunting,calling)strategy to a roosted gobbler is set-up by the way we read (in this case)a bird on the limb.What are some things you look for in determining how you settle in on a roosted bird???

Monarch isn't a butterfly it's the King of the Spring!

Bob, the main thing I'm concerned about is where the turkey is roosted in relation to creeks, thickets, fences, etc. I for sure,
don't want to set up where the gobbler will hang up on me
because of a barrier of some type. that's why it's so important
to know the terrain your huntin. then I want to get as close as possible to him, 100yds or closer. and call to him according to how he gobbles when he hits the ground. I don't call to him when he's on the roost, except a few soft yelps to let him know where I'm at.\it's after he's on the ground that i really start to read the turkey.
I call to him according to his mood after he hits the ground.<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Ward Burton-- Daytona 500 winner--
go Cat-22

First, I hunt only private property. This is an extreme advantage because not only do I have the bird patterned, but I have a pretty good idea of how many of his bearded brethren are around. And to me this is an oftentimes overlooked attribute when setting up on a bird.

If I hear the first bird gobble, then hear 4-5 other gobblers within the same vicinity, I can pretty much be guaranteed that he's got a flock of jakes surrounding him. If he's got a flock of jakes, he's also got a harem of hens. If I'm going to hunt this longbeard, I need to know where the hens are going off the roost, or get between him and his hens (usually 25 to 50 yards from his roost).

Besides location and number of &quot;neighbors&quot;, I use their roost behavior for nothing. I've had silent roost birds go bonkers when they hit the ground, and we've all had those thundering idiots who get tight-lipped as soon as their feet touch earth.

S&R

Good insight fellas that obviously comes from some time spent waking up in the woods with ole gobbler!Heres a few things that I also have taken note of after spending a few mornings waking up with ole tom turkey!Gobbling activity can flucuate throughout an entire day but in my experiences first light is when the major majority of gobbling activity occurs thereby, in most cases I believe if we look back on alot of our hunting experiences its at the roost tree where alot of our hunts start.And alot of days its as close that we know of that we may get to a gobbler all day and in many cases its also where the hunt ends especially with those idiots that S&R talks about.In the areas I hunt I find more birds quieting down as they hit the ground than do become vocal,so with all this in mind,things like knowing your area as Bo talks about,and patterning your birds as S&R talks about play right into the turkey hunters hands giving him a real opportunity to harvest a bird soon after leaving the roost!Things like knowing what to listen for as your set-up on a roosted gobbler such as other turkeys,strutting,how vocal he is,which way he's facing,his reaction after you call if you do,how high or low he may be in the tree,wingbeats,etc,all tell you something about that gobbler and should help in determining what your going to do with that bird and should be taken advantage of!Even though we may not be able to see him the sounds he's making tell us something!I know we have many here that wont call to a roosted bird and in heavily hunted areas alot of times I wont either but if I'm able to determine that that bird is genuinely interested in me than I'll let him know I'm there and on many occasion have been able to take there &quot;temperature&quot;on the roost!Taking advantage of the cover of darkness is a given and once we're there, knowing what to look and listen for greatly attributes to how we read a gobbler on the roost and should help in getting the drop on ole gobbler.Obviously experience plays alot into this but the opportunity for everyone is there because ole tom turkey does go to bed everynight and when he wakes up I hope to be right there listening to him!Gilloobbbleobbbleobbble<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Monarch isn't a butterfly it's the King of the Spring!

Bob,

Good points. I am probably in the minority here, but I always call to a bird on the roost. Trick is to wait for him to gobble and then answer him back. If he's got hens and it's early in the season, I make sure I'm set-up within 50-75 yards and the first hen he hears answer him back.

I, with the others, do not like to be the first bird to wake up the birds. But I've found that for success, my chances drastically improve if I'm the first hen that ole' longbeard hears.

S&R




Edited by - Strut&Rut on 01/31/2003 11:00:39

S&R.......I too like to call to a tom while he's still in the tree. I learned that if I'm not one of the first, or the very first hen he hears, he'll often leave me all alone and wander off with his girlfriends. I believe that if I can be within 100 yards of that tom when he first sounds off the first gobble of the morning, I have a better chance of being the first lady he gets to listen to........maybe the closest. I've also killed a couple by literally mocking the hens whenever they tree call or make any other calls while still on the roost. Last season, I did this and 4 hens that roosted with the gobbler flew down at daylight and landed in a field 400 yds. away across a hardtop state road......then the tom flew down and landed 30 yards from my 870 pump. Game over. I guess I made the hens so irritated they wanted to get as far from me as they could, because in all my scouting of that spot, they never ever flew down to that particular field.

I pull out the thermomitor ! and see if he's Hot or Not <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

I make my decision after he gobbles a few times, I'll lay a wet yelp on him and see what kind of responds I get <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>...BT

I like them with Long Sharp Spurs....

BT your killin me man!!rofl<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>
S&R I also will call to the majority of birds I hunt on the roost in a timely manner!How many times being the first hen to talk have you fired up not only the gobbler but his hens too?And eventually had them come in dragging ole big daddy along with them!On many occasions I've had hens as stirred up as the gobbler on the roost and usually good things happen as a result of it! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Monarch isn't a butterfly it's the King of the Spring!

Bob, one thing I try to do, is get one to gobble before daylight. it's a lot easier to slip in and get set up on a turkey before it's light enough for him to see you.
my woods are mostly open pines, and a lot of clear cuts.

Ward Burton-- Daytona 500 winner--
go Cat-22