Roost at Night or Locate in Morning?

[Outdoorzman]

Ok, All-

Time to stir the pot and have some fun! I love talking turkey so I think it's time to post some stuff after a long absence!! Yee-haaa!

I've had good success roosting birds at night but can't always get a gobble, and I've experienced birds that have moved during the nght, so more times than not, I drive preseason at dawn and locate gobblers waking up, note it, and return when season opens. I've never not had a shot opportunity when driving to a spot at dawn, hearing a gobbler, then sneaking in for the 'off the roost' set up. And sometimes you can sneak inbetween TWO gobblers this way, increasing your chances.

Thoughts boys & girls? Cool stories to share?

[redkneck]

I've never had a bird to move during the night that I know of, although it's no guarantee he'll open his mouth the next morning.

[camoman1]

The property I hunt has a river (80yds wide) as a west border. So the birds generally dont go too far west unless pushed across. They roost in the middle of property along a ridge and there are farm fields on the east side. I watch from the barn in the evening for birds in the fields. If there is a Tom out there in the evening I will see what end of the woods he goes in. And watch where the hens go in.

There are only a few places they prefer to roost. I will set up in the woods near the edge of the field facing into the woods. Sometimes it works, sometimes they fly down to the river bottom.

I do actually go and 'roost' birds on public land that I hunt. Last year I roosted a bird for a buddy of mine. That thing was gobbling in the pitch black..on his own. We snuck in there in the morning and had 3 Toms within 100yds. I managed to call one in for him, and despite him not having the chamber on his auto closed all the way at first (doh!) he got a shot off.

A short chase and a tackle in the willow swamp ( doh! again)....and we had his bird.

If things dont pan out on a roosted bird. I dont think twice about moving to some other area and try to find a talker...then come back to the original bird later in the day.

[hunter109]

well here in ohio i mean atleast here in southwest ohio they have been hard to kill i mean our season starts well after they start gobbling i mean we still kill alot but just a little harder to kill a big one the ones we roast are in and around fields that they like to fly out to to strut around in but it is still hard to prodict them birds man

[PotashRLS]

Generally locate them in the morning. I don't like to chance boogering up the roosts in the evening unless I can do it from a good distance.

[Diamond Archer 01]

Last year the day before we went hunting we looked for where they were roosting. We found the trees where they roosted then the next morning we set up right near there. It worked and I got a jake.

[Outdoorzman]

Great responses, guys!!

And I should clarify that I still do roost birds at night maybe in the 75% range, but it seems I just developed a taste for locating them in the morning darkness better. LOL!

As to birds occasionally moving roost trees at night, I should also add that I hunt specific parcels of public land and we have ALOT of activity with night-time 4-wheeler activity here. Between these yahoos hootin' & hollerin' on the evening trails and the occasional wind gusts, the turkeys often aren't where we roosted them.

It's so cool now to drive to a spot, park my truck, get out in the pitch black and listen at 4am. I know all my areas well so when I hear the gobblers I can best decde if I can get between them or at least in that "comfort zone" prior to flydown. And like you said, if it don't work coming off roost, I run & gun.

Maine season runs May 1st to about June 5th and closes at 12 noon every day; no Sunday hunting so it can be tough....

[camoman1]

Up until a few years ago WI seasons were 5 days each, hunting allowed until noon. You still only get 5 days, but we can now hunt until dark..which is nice!

[rhine16]

I'll try to roost em in the evenings when I get the chance, but usually just find em when they sound off at first light.

[Ethan Givan]

I have about 5 different farms that I turkey hunt on so I normally just try to locate birds in the morning. I might hunt 3 farms in one day. If they arent gobbling at one place, then I go to another. I rarely roost birds just because I never really limit myself to one spot for one morning.

[dbHunterNY]

I haven't been at it too long, but I try both. If I can find a bird in the evening while glassing from a hill top I'll roost him. I will try to locate one in the morning and if it's quiet I setup with decoys in a spot where I can see relatively lots of country and a wondering tom can see my decoys. Last spring I turned a big old tom around and called him in from about 550 yards out. I was surprised he didn't hang up. I watched him close though and switched up my calling depending on what he was doing or how fast he was coming in.

[earnhardts12000]

i owl hoot at them at night see where there roostin then use it in morn sometimes but most time i let them tell me where they are by gobbles in roost

[Rhino]

Heck...I try to locate and pattern the birds well before the season starts. I'm not about to wait until I'm going to start hunting them! They usually start gobbling good on the roost about 3 weeks before the season opens here in MS. Most of the birds where I hunt usually roost in the same general area. Granted some don't but most do. Once they fly down their gobbling gives away their movement until they shut up. It doesn't take long to figure out what the odds are of what they'll do coming off the roost. Patterning beyond that is harder and takes burning shoe leather and being very sneaky. Trail cams have helped me out with that in recent years too.

Once I have several areas nailed down that birds tend to roost in, I'll be right in there on them long before they throw out their 1st early morning gobbles. That way if I've done my homework and they are where they have been, I'm already set up and don't have to risk spooking them on the roost while trying to move into position. I'll still listen for early morning gobbling activty for distant gobblers but more often than not I'm already in postion to work the bird I'm going to hunt. I will also listen for late afternoon gobbling but the birds are far more vocal in the morning here in MS.

Just MHO but every time you're in the woods (turkey hunting or not) you should at least be making mental notes about every bird you hear gobbling off the roost and/or gobbling while traveling. Every bird you hear beyond the one you're going to work is another bird you can try later or another day. The more birds you hear and the more you learn about those birds traveling tendencies, especially where his prefered strutting areas are, the better your odds at killing them.

[Outdoorzman]

Hey Rhino--

Man that's a great point and I do exactly what you said. I scout for deer AND turkeys every time I'm in the woods and I start early, too. I have several areas I hunt and I know them well, which makes a buig difference.

[BoneCollector31]

I have not ever had one to move at night either, but I can always get them to gobble with my mouth sounding like an owl....

[longbeardfever4ever]

Relatively new to turkey hunting, this will be my third year..

I hadnt heard any sound off in the evening before last spring. It got hot out (90 degrees) and they were gobbling hard in the evenings. Lasted about a week. Went out one day and heard one gobble back at a pack of yotes.. What are the chances of getting one to gobble in the evening?

Mike

[hunterbobb]

I try to roost them at night. Doesn't always work. I will move if I hear a hot bird some where else.

I love to run and gun.

:gun2:

[3seasons]

I like to roost one if i have the time, but "Roosted aint Roasted". I do like to know the general area of a bird before the morning hunt. I scout pre season like Rhino said to get the general area and travel routs of the birds figured out.

But I have killed a truck load of birds just by blind hunting.

[BBR12]

Its nice to have an idea where they are to have a start up game plan, but I very seldom roost them. I plan to hunt more in the evenings this year because of my work schedule. I may have a new outlook before the season is over.

Edited February 25, 2010 by BBR12

[Guest TennesseeTurkey]

just depends on how well I know the area, or depends on what mood Im in