First Turkey: Now What
 

Hello from Kansas. New member who just started turkey hunting at the end of our deer season. Scouted like crazy for the past 3 weeks and finally tracked down a roost. My son and I got in an hour before first light and set up. There were over 30 birds in the area. A mix of both hens and gobblers. Duck hunters let loose nearby and we heard both hens and gobbles. We were able to call 5 hens in to within 20 yards. Being our first turkey I took the hen. Birds scattered in every direction. We sat tight and started calling them back and were getting a lot of response but was never able to get them in. So successful hunt and fantastic dinner that night. Here is where I could use some advice. Those birds had been roosting in the exact same spot for 3 days. I had scouted them for 3 days prior. The area for a quarter mile square was tore up with scratching and droppings. After the kill we returned that evening to get my son his first turkey and they were gone. We never heard them fly up to roost anywhere nearby. I returned last night and still no sound and no response to my roosting calls that got a response the night before. It's like they vanished. My question is do flocks normally return to a known roost after a scare at some point or am I back to square 1? If not how far would you expect them to relocate? I was surprised how fast they were gone. Thanks for any info!

Fall turkeys tend to go where the food is. I believe...on average, a turkey flock has about 3 different roosts --- not counting the bachelor toms --- Look for another roost in at least a 1 square mile area in a forest.

They'll be back. Maybe not right away, but they'll be back

-Jake

Thanks guys. I'll keep checking back on them.

Yep. If the sign and amount of birds are how you described, they will return. Sounds like you found a honey hole.

What is the area terrain like ? I have hunted in Kansas for several years and where I hunt there is mostly open fields with shelter breaks and trees along creeks but not too many large tracks of woods. I have noticed that turkeys can be in a roost for several weeks but if you disturb them there they can travel quite far to an alternate roost site. They will eventually come back if it is a preferred roost site though.

I've heard that turkeys like to roost in a big tree that's overhanging water...so they can hear there poop plop in the water.:lmao:

if you keep harassing them on that roost, they will abandon it.
RR