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any thoughts?

dante322

dante322

*Supporting Member*
5,506
157
Crawford county
Last year I made a half hearted attempt at turkey hunting, the landowners dog decided to follow me around that day and put a quick end to my first attempt.
This year I have decided to give it a more serious approach. I have been looking at several different resources, scouting, practicing with calls and have gotten permission for a property I have seen turkeys on a regular basis.

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The yellow line indicates the area I currently have permission for, I am working on getting permission for the surrounding properties but this is the best I can do for now.

The red circles are where I have seen turkeys at various time over the past year. The circle in the lower left is where I spotted 24 last week, of those at least 7 had beards and 3 were in full strut. the circle just up and right of that is where I have seen turkey crossing the road (from north to south) around mid day last fall. the other red circles are spots where I saw a group of hens and poults last deer season. (the smaller of the 2 is where my treestand is and where I had a group of 4 hens and 6 poults step out 12 yards from me during opening weekend of deer season last year. one of the hens had a beard.)

the blue circle is where I had a flock show up on trail cam at dusk last fall. the group included a couple toms.

and the green circle is where A tom flew up int roost right behind me while I was in a climber last november. really spooked him when I moved to climb down a half hour later at the end of hunting time.

It would seem to me that the area around the pond at the green and blue circles would be the most likely place to look for a roosting area. But I have explored this area a couple times in the last few weeks and havent seen any indication of this (feathers, poop, ...)

So with season approaching, where would a more experienced turkey hunter be inclined to set up? even if it would be on an ajoining property?
 
Dante,

In my humble opinion...

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X's - According to your previous scouting, #1 would be a great spot to sit and put decoys out at the black D's. If you can get permission for the other side of the road, x #2 wouldn't be too bad either.

Filled blue dots - This is where I'd stand to listen before the season if I had time to scout the property. One this cold spell snaps, they will be gobbling their heads off. If you are standing in a good listening spot while it's still dark and watch the sun break, chance are you can hear a gobble. If you can't pinpoint them, it might be worth listening from 'behind' them. I see that there's a pretty good ditch running to that pond because birds just don't do water. In the off-season of MidWest Whitetail, they are stressing using ditches as access points to deer stands, and I think that rule could apply to turkeys as well.

Are there any massive roosting trees by that pond, like where you've seen a bird fly up before? I probably wouldn't mess around with anything north of that pond or out by the road (though where I will be opening morning is within 200 yards of a road either way!). Just like that piece that Adam deer hunts, those fields where you can't see the road because of the hedgerows are money. That spot to the direct north east of the farm that looks like an overgrown orchard or whatever could be interesting, I have a piece of woods that has a spot like that and I've set up in it before and heard responses to my calls, but it's harder than hell to see anything.

Pick a spot near that #1 X, find a tree that's broader than your shoulders, put those decoys out in the field, and call soft. I'd imagine that you'd have some luck if you already know that there are turkeys in the area.

Oh, and a disclaimer, turkeys can be unpredictable! Just like during rut, they pretty much do whatever you want; but like deer hunting you can pattern them and know their (bedding) roosting areas and then get close quietly, and see what happens. It's a freaking blast man!

Good luck!
 
spot #1 is actully the very place I was thinking about trying. I put a camera and some thistle seed on the field edge right there yesterday.

yes there are some HUGE oak trees around the pond and up into the woods to the west-northwest. (actually a good spot for deer when the acorns are dropping). I have found a few feathers there but not much for droppings.

So I should be listening for gobbling in the morning? I was told to try at dusk with a crow or owl call to get them to gobble in there roost.

thanks for the heads up, you gonna try this season? adam and I are going to the other spot this evening, I'm gonna take the crow call with me, I'll let you know if I hear anything.
 
You're gonna kill a turkey dude. With big trees, that spot is money!

You can do both. Listening at night, or 'putting a turkey to bed' can be useful as they will generally let a gobble out before they fly into the trees. If I'm doing there, I try to get there and sit very tight...and if you're successful you've got to sit even tighter so that you don't bump them out of the roost going out. I have done this correctly about once and it's cool as hell to hear them fly up, like a jet taking off! However, I typically scout in the mornings because it's just like the real thing, only I don't call, just to them get off the roost and that way I can pinpoint which trees they are using. I give them plenty of distance as well. One morning a few years ago I did that prolly two weeks before the season and they circled me! I laid on my stomach and watched a flock of a dozen hens and 4 toms spur and cock fight 30 yards in front of me...friggin awesome.

As for locator calls, before season you can use a gobbler call, but leave it at home during the season unless you feel like getting shot. I carry a cow call to hit on after I get skunked mid-morning, but I've honestly never gotten a gobble off of it. When I scout, I normally just listen. This far in advance, it's not gonna hurt and you might have a chance of hearing something.

Yes, I'll be home for season! I get home the Friday right before, so I'll be scouting Saturday and Sunday mornings (one field each) so if you wanted to get out in the evening or something, we could do that. I am PUMPED for a full week of turkey season! In my mind I've got a perfect plan, perfect weather, perfect hunt, and I'm gonna lay one low on the first morning. That said I will prolly hunt all week and not hear a damn gobble! I will probably be hunting with my buddy some, you and hoyt will be out, Gern will be in the area...gonna be some dead birds!
 
Great advice so far....

I would say just go out a few evenings a week, just before the season starts, and do some listening. The hard part is already done... you know there are turkeys there and you know you can hunt it. Now it's just a matter of figuring out where they're roosting. But don't get too caught up in it. If you don't set up on the "X" it's not really that big of a deal IMO. On a property like that, they'll be covering quite a bit of ground... and of course, you have the ability to cover ground also.

Just having permission to hunt property that holds turkeys has already put the odds in your favor. I think you're going to have a pretty good season this year, Dante!
 
thanks for the input guys.

so if you wanted to get out in the evening or something, we could do that. I am PUMPED for a full week of turkey season! In my mind I've got a perfect plan, perfect weather, perfect hunt, and I'm gonna lay one low on the first morning. That said I will prolly hunt all week and not hear a damn gobble!
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sounds good, just let me know.
aint that just how it happens?

so how bout you jbrown? you gettin out any for turkey season?
 
dante322 said:
thanks for the input guys.



sounds good, just let me know.
aint that just how it happens?

so how bout you jbrown? you gettin out any for turkey season?
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Oh yea... I'll be getting out after some turks that's for sure. I just wish I had more time to dedicate to it. I love turkey hunting and everything that goes with it... the problem is just finding the time to go. I plan on taking a vacation day for the opener, then probably just hunting here and there on the weekends after that. My stepdad's property in Carroll County usually has a good number of birds around, but last year seemed like the numbers weren't there... so I'm anxious to see what happens there this season.
 
Dante, I am in no way trying to be a smart ass or nothing but I think you are putting to much thought in where to pin point them. If you have seen them on this farm, you have 50% of it won. A Turkey is nothing like a deer in using the same path in and out of a woods. He goes where he can eat on the way to and from the roost. I would say the fence row to the north of the farm house or to the south of your blue mark in the map would be a good starting point. The work comes in the ability to call him to you.

Good Luck and have fun in what your doing. I have learned in my 30+ years of hunting Turkeys NOT to over think it. With a Turkey you will just end up beating your head on a tree.
 
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If you have seen them on this farm, you have 50% of it won. A Turkey is nothing like a deer in using the same path in and out of a woods. He goes where he can eat on the way to and from the roost. I would say the fence row to the north of the farm house or to the south of your blue mark in the map would be a good starting point. The work comes in the ability to call him to you.

Good Luck and have fun in what your doing. I have learned in my 30+ years of hunting Turkeys NOT to over think it. With a Turkey you will just end up beating your head on a tree.
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They are a critter of paradox, that's for sure. When a bird with the brain of a pea outsmarts you, well, it's pretty freaking frustrating! But when you whack a gobbler, it's pretty damn thrilling too! IMO, the same thing goes for look: they are beautiful when they are strutting and fun to watch. Shoot it and it's the ugliest thing in the world lol
 
well, I have gotten permission for pretty much everything on the north side of the road. I have been in the woods multiple time listening for gobbles both morning and evening, and heard nothing. Yesterday I walked the field edges all the way around the woodlot and found no tracks. I am startinmg to think they have moved across the road. gonna have to try and get permission over there.

redcloud and I checked out the property to the west last weekend and spotted a couple hens as we were walking in. this is also where the landowner on that side of the woods says he has seen them.

the lot i have permission for is very wet and swampy this time of year and then dries out during the summer. I'm wondering if they dont go somwhere else during the wet season and come into this spot during the fall.
 
As wet as it's been lately, you should have seen some tracks around that property if the turkeys have been there. They must be somewhere else man.
 
dante322 said:
well, I have gotten permission for pretty much everything on the north side of the road. I have been in the woods multiple time listening for gobbles both morning and evening, and heard nothing. Yesterday I walked the field edges all the way around the woodlot and found no tracks. I am startinmg to think they have moved across the road. gonna have to try and get permission over there.

redcloud and I checked out the property to the west last weekend and spotted a couple hens as we were walking in. this is also where the landowner on that side of the woods says he has seen them.

the lot i have permission for is very wet and swampy this time of year and then dries out during the summer. I'm wondering if they dont go somwhere else during the wet season and come into this spot during the fall.
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I had a busy week this week but I will get on this Monday morning and we should be able to have slips signed no problem. I'll text you as soon as I get off the phone with them and let you know when we can meet up with the landowners :D.
 
Nothing like sitting in the rain on the side of a wooded hill waiting to see it the birds roost gobble on the other side. Knowing its too damn windy for them to roost in that fencerow.
 
Just got that property for us Dante :D.
get slips signed tomorrow and we are the only ones to have permission slips for the property :D. We can go get you a bird this weekend hahahaha.
 
dante322 said:
looks like we also have the property on the south side of the road.


you smell that?....


....smells like roast thunderchicken.
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Way to go man. Sorry about that last post it was supposed to be in the "live update" thread. Not sure how i goobered that up. The key i am trying to learn this year is patience. I have a property where i don't believe the birds are messed with. If they blow out of there it's my fault. Patience is what i need. They will work eventually, or waddle by eventually. Being aggressive isn't going to get me anywhere. Unless it's the last weekend.
 
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