wtnhunt Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 Got a good idea of where there are some good gobblers roosting. Where the river channel is filled in with sand there are some trees with limbs hanging over, I actually bumped a few birds off the roost there last year. Last couple weekends while sitting out in the mornings trying to call yotes, have heard birds in that same area. Will be heading out in afew minutes to sit the same field. Maybe I can get lucky opening morning next Saturday and setup where they will not fly off the property, but am concerned abotu getting too close and bumping them. While the birds are asleep, well before light, how close can I get without waking them, how quiet do I need to be, and will a flashlight mess things up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaw Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 Re: how close can you get? Try not t o use the flashlight, and be very quiet, one step at a time very slowly. I snuck right up next to a bunch last year by accident, but i didn't use a flashlight and I was very quiet. They flew down right in front of me, game over at 6:02 am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 Re: how close can you get? You can get very close.......if you do a little prep work and get there early enough. First off.....don't even try to get much inside 60-70 yards. Go in during the day when the birds are gone from the roost site. Pick the tree you wanna be against and mark it with a leaning limb or something. Plan your entry route then remove anything you might step on in the dark that will make noise. May take you a little effort. But it just may end up being worth it. I'd try to show up about an hour before first light. Get comfortable against your tree and take a nap. You'll have the coolest alarm clock!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WIwhitetailhunter Posted March 24, 2007 Report Share Posted March 24, 2007 Re: how close can you get? [ QUOTE ] Try not t o use the flashlight, and be very quiet, one step at a time very slowly. I snuck right up next to a bunch last year by accident, but i didn't use a flashlight and I was very quiet. They flew down right in front of me, game over at 6:02 am. [/ QUOTE ] I agree. The birds will not fly down in the dark. If you can go in "dark" they should stay put. If you can figure out what direction they go after flying down, I would set up in that path a short distace from where they are roosting. Good luck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Re: how close can you get? [ QUOTE ] The birds will not fly down in the dark. [/ QUOTE ] Gotta disagree there. I have seen turkeys break roost in the pitch dark many times. I scratch my head trying to figure out just where & how they are gonna land. But they will definitely come off the limb when it's too dark for you to see them go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 25, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Re: how close can you get? Thanks guys, got the tree picked out. Got a ground blind built yesterday out of some bamboo type grass, that should work nicely if I can just find it through the thick brush quietly in the dark. Actually I bumped some off the roost last year in the same area in the dark, but I was almost right under them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
punkinslinger Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Re: how close can you get? [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] The birds will not fly down in the dark. [/ QUOTE ] Gotta disagree there. I have seen turkeys break roost in the pitch dark many times. I scratch my head trying to figure out just where & how they are gonna land. But they will definitely come off the limb when it's too dark for you to see them go. [/ QUOTE ] I agree..I've had the be-jesus scared out of me when some busted off the roost in the pitch black!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillbilly Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Re: how close can you get? [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] The birds will not fly down in the dark. [/ QUOTE ] Gotta disagree there. I have seen turkeys break roost in the pitch dark many times. I scratch my head trying to figure out just where & how they are gonna land. But they will definitely come off the limb when it's too dark for you to see them go. [/ QUOTE ] I agree..I've had the be-jesus scared out of me when some busted off the roost in the pitch black!!! [/ QUOTE ] Yep I have pooped my pants many times when they flew off the roost in pitch black darkness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strut10 Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Re: how close can you get? [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] [ QUOTE ] The birds will not fly down in the dark. [/ QUOTE ] Gotta disagree there. I have seen turkeys break roost in the pitch dark many times. I scratch my head trying to figure out just where & how they are gonna land. But they will definitely come off the limb when it's too dark for you to see them go. [/ QUOTE ] I agree..I've had the be-jesus scared out of me when some busted off the roost in the pitch black!!! [/ QUOTE ] Yep I have pooped my pants many times when they flew off the roost in pitch black darkness. [/ QUOTE ] Probably more info than we all needed............ But TP is one thing you'll NEVER find me without when turkey hunting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhino Posted March 25, 2007 Report Share Posted March 25, 2007 Re: how close can you get? [ QUOTE ] Thanks guys, got the tree picked out. Got a ground blind built yesterday out of some bamboo type grass, that should work nicely if I can just find it through the thick brush quietly in the dark. [/ QUOTE ] That should work for ya William but you might want to clear youself a path during the middle of the day so you can get there in the dark quietly. There are times when I've had to walk by roosted birds to get on the side that they prefer to go toward. We have old logging roads or ATV roads on most of our ridges so in those cases I can get by without making hardly any noise at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Re: how close can you get? Thanks for the suggestion there Al. Have not decided for sure yet, but think I might try to slip in the back way Saturday morning using the trail I had going to a deer stand not far from this spot. Really thinking it will be a better afternoon setup catching birds coming back to roost because I am not sure they will fly down this way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slaw Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Re: how close can you get? I too have spooked birds i the dark and watched them fly offt he roost but I think they just went to another tree off in the distance, but only spooked birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hoyt19 Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Re: how close can you get? I agree there, last year I had a couple turkeys roosted within feet of where I parked my Envoy. Why they were there I have no idea, but they wasted no time leaving and it was a good hour and a half before first light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhunt Posted March 31, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2007 Re: how close can you get? Well, unfortunately the bird I had hoped to hunt was NOT roosted where I thought he was. I took the long way around, and I bumped the bird in a tree at the bottom of the hill. I thought the bird was closer to the river, was sure they were roosting further down, unfortunately I was wrong. I was almost directly under the tree when the bird took flight. Think I will try a different spot tomorrow morning, and plan to hunt that area in the afternoons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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