need gobblers to come across road!
 

Our season doesnt start until may 1 here in ny, but many mornings now i see a bunch of gobblers across the road from where i hunt. Its a fairly busy road and im not sure they will come across. Now heres the kicker, yesterday i saw an absolute monster gobbler 40 yards off the road. The day before i found tracks on my side of the road, biggest turkey tracks ive ever seen. Im hoping and wondering if its his tracks. Problem is i dont know when they were on my side of the road. Cant put trail cams up. If may 1 comes and they are across the road in the morning, how would you try an coax them across to my side?:confused0024:

Is there no way you can get permission to hunt the other side of the road where you're seeing birds? Short of that calling is about it and hoping you are good enough to draw them over.

Tried for years to get permission with zero luck. Guess ill just hope i can get em to cross!

If you can catch a lone gobbler accross the road that will answer your calls he will most likely cross the road. Only call and make him gobble a couple times until your sure hes answering you then go silent. Only make very soft calls every 4-5 times he gobbles. If he still wont come change locations and get him to answer you again if you can, then dont call at all. If you can see him while doing this it will help as you can tell what he is doing and will aid in keeping you patient. When he does start your way let him come, dont call unless you can see that he has obviosly lost intrest. There is a chance that some of these birds could be roosting on your side of the road,if this is this case try and position yourself between them and the road real early, wait till flydown make a few soft calls and wait. Hope this helps good luck

Im almost positive they are roosting on the the side i see them on. Could be wrong and tomorow morning im going out early to listen. Worst part is its a busy road and not sure if they will venture across. Funny part about this spot is ive never taken a bird before 930am here lol. Wondering if eventually they come across and thats why im seeing the tracks and why ive harvested birds later in the morning.

Why can't you put a trail camera up?

Its private land,but power lines run thru it and people seem to think posted means free place to walk around and camp on ha! Had a ground blind stolen from there two years ago

We all like the easy ones but troubling situations like this is why I keep going back. Enjoy the challenge, adapt to the situation and be patient. Maybe it will work out

Even if they are roosting on the other side of the road, if you are the first hen that they hear in the morning, they may pitch down to your side of the road. Good luck. If they do pitch down to the other side of the road, it's gonna be tough.

While this is surely no help to you.. I was on my way home from work last year and a friend was hunting a private area ( that is open to the public ) and right across the road was a big tom walking threw a large opening.. I laughed and told him about it later on when I saw him.. You just never know what they are going to do.. But if he wants to cross the road bad enough he will fly over to you..

My dad suggested setting up on the edge of the woods and using a lone hen decoy and see if we cant get him to commit. I thought about trying a strutter and a lone hen to see if that would get him mad enough to come across. Then again we still have two weeks so maybe they will start roosting on my side!

I am thinking your dad's suggestion maybe a pretty good one.. Then if the Toms do not want to cross the hens may and the toms will soon be following the hens..

the day before season opens, get on the property you can hunt and call, call a lot, make a lot of hen noise, they should be on your side the next morning.
RR

Never thought about that! Interesting idea would like to know how it works out if you choose to try it

isn't my first rodeo, won't work every time but works often enough to say it works.
RR

Ill give that a shot! What time should i go in there an do it? Im thinking if i can use both tactics i may have a shot. Today on my way home i finally saw a hen on my side of the road not tol far from my hunting spot. Problem is...was around 4pm!

Fooled several myself, its always nice to hear diffrent ideas from fellow hunters. Thanks

Maybe she was scouting for a different roost that night?

That would be awesome! Ill find out here in a few hours as im going out to listen and hopefully hear a gobble or two!

I would go in while they are gobbleing in the morn, make sure they hear you call, then once they settle down get in there and do a lot of calling. stay on them they'll cross the road sometime.
RR

Went out this morning and heard one across the road. And did find a bunch of fresh tracks on my side. So im thinking at somepoint they are coming across just dont know when.

Looks like you're figuring it out. Use RR's suggestion (a good one) and let us know how it turns out.

Not sure if i posted it here, but i found a dust area they have hit pretty good. I smoothed all the tracks out so i can see when they are hitting it. Unfortunately i had to do brakes on my truck so my plan to go back around noon fell thru!

mostly I have saw them dust from 1:00 till 3:00
RR

Im thinking thats probably the same here. If indeed thats whats going on...i can setup along their path to the dusting area. Ill be headed out again in the morning to listen once again. 10 days left!

Heard one this morning....across the road again. I think wednesday evening im going to go in and make a bunch of hen talk. Hopefully thursday morning they will get curious and head on over!

do it in the morn ,my suggestion is around 10 AM, that gives them time to move, if done right and the area is suitable they will roost on your side that night.
RR

I have to ask, any luck?

None yet. Havent seen or heard those turkeys in a week. Lot of hunters here saying they are henned up right now so. Im hunting a new property tomorow on my day off. Kind of a crapshoot because ive only done light scouting there so we shall see in the morning.