Backwoods7

Ive been turkey hunting for about 7 years now but havent goten one yet while. iwas turkey huntin. They always seem to hang up out of gun range about 75 to 80 yards out is there any trick to get em to come in closer? Also i went scouting friday and found sighn in a couple of places. In the woods i saw a bunch of scratching and a few feathers. But in the edge of this field i saw a ton of droppings. Ive seen turkey in both places in the past but i dont kno where they roost at. Whic location should i try opning morning ill only have untill about noon to hunt so i was hopeing yall could give me some advice so i could maby pop one lol. Thanks

HomerJ

As for where they roost. The only way to be 100% sure is be there at fly up in the evening. Or locator calling in the mournin', owl, coyote. Just guessing, the field edge sign could be a strut zone, not a bad place to be. Increase your scouting and hunting time and things will fall into place. Good luck.

Adrian J Hare

Just to follow up with homer here,

The field edge seems to be a great start point. The spot you setup is better if your off the feild edge by 5-10 yards cutting down your sight of all the feild by rely on your hearing for the areas you can not see.

Do not over call and a lot of turkey hunters tend to over call or call to much. Only give the bird enough to become interested. If he commits to your calling he normaly will let you know with a number of different gobbles, like double and triple gobbling. This is the time to have LOTS of patients and allow the bird to work towards you. If your using a decoy keep it close to you and make the setup look like the decoys is doing the calling. If the bird creates a zone and works back and forth walking away at times, sneek out and take the decoy off the feild , get back to your setup and wait him only calling loud enough to sound suttle and soft. He will come looking ....

newton29

I know it's frustrating when birds hang up. You might try shutting up and scratching in the leaves. Maybe purr and lightly cluck a little. Once the bird shuts up, it's hard to stay seated, but sometimes he will eventually come in. If he doesn't and it's morning, try setting up in the same spot later in the day and calling. Any date he got might have left him and he may remember you. I know there's a lot of mights and mays in the above, but I still have not figured the darn things out. Hang in there and you will kill one.

EFH

Likes been said, if you hunt a field stay back in the woodline a little. A field or high spot is the best place to be in the morning to locate a bird on the roost. If I hunt in the woods I try to position myself with lots of cover behind me, if they see past you and theres no hen, that can cause them to hang. I also like a setup with cover between me and the bird, so that when I get a good look at him he's in range. If a bird has covered some ground and he's definatly on his way I don't call, just scratch and maybe purr a little. I would say over calling or if he's in a strut zone are the main reasons for them hanging, unless he's out in a big field or opening, then he's just out were he can see and hen's can see him. Remember were they hang in the woods and youll know were to setup next time if it's not something you did that caused it. Heck, sometimes they get their mind maid up they've come as far as their going to and ain't nothin you can do to change his mind! Haha!

Good Luck!!

Buckhound

Setup, Setup, the most important although overlooked aspect of tukey hunting.

My opinin, lose the decoys, setup where a turkey must come into gunrange to see you (the calling hen).

Think about it, especially for the novice hunter, if you can see the bird 75-80 yards away, he can see much better than you and can see your position and anything that looks out of place. Sure a deke can at times do the trick, but many times if they can see the deke they are more than content to stay back and strut and puff for the ladies. A tom for the most part is just trying to make sure the hen can see him, as he is used to them coming if intrested? Many times with dekes a tom will do his part, although out of range, then walk away because the hen isn't intrested.This is why I HATE decoys for gunning, not needed. If you find you must use decoys, set them way to your right if the bird is at your left, at least this way if he makes comtact with them and hangs up, he might be in range? Although with a proper setup, and without the use of dekes, the tom will want to make sure the hen (you calling) sees him, he's got to come closer to make contact, then BANG, because your setup put you in range at first contact. It's better to hunt small field of view than larger ones just to see the birds. Good Luck

Mr. Longbeard

Sounds like you got a decent turkey population...

7 years and no turkey... dude You prob need to spend a little more time in the woods!!!

OntElk

another well versed, extremely helpful post from the great Mr. Longbeard

Backwoods, pay attention to the real turkey hunters on here. They'll give you solid, good advice. The low class wannabe's will always portary themselves as better than you and try to put you down to make themselves feel better. They usually lack self-esteem and/or fall short in other parts of life usually things like finances or looks. (You'll notice there has never been a pic of Mr Longbeard on here lol )

go get 'em man.

RockyMtnGobblers

OK I get a gobbler every year except I missed my shot last year, this is what I would do........
You say you found droppings ok good start where where these droppings? If they where under trees look up are the branches mostly strait? do you see any wing feathers? if both are true you may have found a roost tree most likely there will be more than one roost tree in the same area look around.
Are the droppings you found at the field edge under a tree? tree = roost Not under a tree? do you see drag marks? tracks in a figure 8? If so = strut zone.
The other place you found droppings where there scratch marks digging up the ground? if so that may be one of their feeding areas, also some roost areas will also be torn up as they feed.
When I know an area has gobblers I go to a high point at dark use a locater call and mark the roost area they called from in my mind then in the morning I hike in when I think I am close I use the locater call so I don't get to close.
When I have a gobbler that hangs up I make him gobble so I know where he is then I run closer to him maybe 30-50 ft then I start calling excitedly, for me they always come in I realize this wont always work but so far so good. ( you have to have good cover to do this)
If you are going to set up at the edge of the field where you saw lots of sign (pos. strut zone) I would set up close to it maybe at the center point of the sign and 6 ft. into the woods with a clear sight shooting area of at least 10 ft., if this is a long stretch try to find where they come into the strut zone and set up there. Set your jake decoy just past you and facing you in the strut zone with a hen in the mating position maby two ft. from the jake.
You must be concealed very well and you are going to shoot before they get this close. If a jake about to mate in their strut zone don't get em fired up and coming in I don't know what will.
You can hunt past noon in NV cant you? If so I have more tips for you.
Good luck!