Since we have them roosted.... How close you gonna get to him?

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Yes i know it depends on the terrain, but what i am asking: Do you prefer to get tight or is 100yds close enough for you? maybe further?
Personally i want to be on top of him.
I do not have trouble spooking birds going in in the dark and i love the close gobbling/potential flydown action.
How about you?
 

wturkey01

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You're right about depending on the terrain!

I've gotten in tight and had them fly down and land 50 yards behind me.

I've set up on the same contour on the side of a ridge and had them fly down into the bottoms.

And in the same fashion, I've been above them and learned the hard way that they seldom fly uphill!!

I'm learning to hate the damn things!!
:(
 

QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Funny story. I roosted some in Georgia last year. On top of a mtn, watched em fly up. Got up there in the black dark, and I had 15 turkeys in shotgun range when light came.

Every single turkey landed over a thousand yards from me, according to the gps. Set them wings and sailed off the side.

I’d still rather be closer than farther...
 

Ol Copper

Twelve Pointer
I subscribe more to Ray Eyes' theory on this one. Turkey numbers are at an all time high for all the years we guys have hunted them. That also means that competition from live hens is at an all time high.
I want to be the first hen he hears, yank 'em down from the limb and kill him before the real hens show up.
Terrain does dictate, but I prefer tight, over 100+ things seem to get skwirly.
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
^Skiwirly wont come close to describing the clusters I used to have sitting down too far from a roost in fear of spooking one on the roost.
the light bulb came to me one am when i walked in heard nothing and then tried a new different call. the trees around and above me busted out with turkey talk. They werent spooked by an unstealthy approach and with no attempt to conceal my calling motions.
After that episode i started getting close and ended some of those skwirly moments. :) It is obscene how close you can get after the trees leaf out.
Love that word Ol Copper.
 

Aaron H

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I don't actually "roost" turkeys. I have a guess as to where they might spend the night and I slip in to about 100 yards or so from where I think they might be. Soon as the gobbling starts (if it starts) I move if necessary to refine my position but I don't like being too close to where their feet first touch the ground. I love to hear and see them coming.
 

sky hawk

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
100 yards is good for me. Seems like every time I try to get close, I find out he's got sentries - jakes and hens roosted all around 50-70 yards out from his tree.

I also don't typically roost them in the evening, so I'm getting there at gray light and trying to elicit a gobble before I set up.
 

georgeeebuck

Ten Pointer
At least within a 100 yards. But 60 or 70 yards is better. If its dark enough and the leaves are out good I sometime get so close that I have to make sure I have my hat on so as to make sure that i don't get dropping in my hair.
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
You're right about depending on the terrain!

And in the same fashion, I've been above them and learned the hard way that they seldom fly uphill!!

I'm learning to hate the damn things!!
:(
If you hunt the mtns this is so true especially if they are near head of hollar they love to fly down then work their way back up hill
 

turkeyfoot

Old Mossy Horns
I subscribe more to Ray Eyes' theory on this one. Turkey numbers are at an all time high for all the years we guys have hunted them. That also means that competition from live hens is at an all time high.
I want to be the first hen he hears, yank 'em down from the limb and kill him before the real hens show up.
Terrain does dictate, but I prefer tight, over 100+ things seem to get skwirly.
This is sound advice a lot can happen in 30 yards or so, like a hen cruising by like nature intended
 

CutNRun

Ten Pointer
Contributor
Turkeys don't often roost on two of the properties I hunt the most. I have to call them across property lines to get them into range. It can be pretty tough, but that's reality for hunting there. There's not much chance of me getting within 100 yards or less to start with. I kill turkeys there every year though.

Jim
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I've never shot a turkey past 35 yards,,,

I get in their space,,,or call them into mine,,,,

turkeys are the dumbest,,,spookiest critter out there,,,,easy to kill,,,but that fear factor is what makes them fun,,,
 

stilker

Old Mossy Horns
Don't usually roost them but in that situation I'll get as close as I can in the direction he came in from..even doing that I've had them sail over my head,if it's open like field or pasture I'll go in pitch black and stick up a single hen decoy,about the only time I'll use one.
 

buckshooter

Old Mossy Horns
Where I’m at I try an get there early. ( before gray light ) it’s only 65 acres or so , I’ve got a couple of clover plots right off of decent hardwood stands of timber. So I try and set up somewhere in the tree line of the first 25 to 40 yds of one of those plots. Usually on a corner.

it’s pretty difficult to try and roost them on small averages. So I don’t risk it.

it’s worked out for me so far the last 2 or 3 seasons.
 

dlbaile

Ten Pointer
Never had much luck setting up right on top of a roosted bird, always seem to fly down out past there roost area, or they have scouts set up all around them as look outs, I'm in the 80 to 100 yrds group, plus like Aron H said love to have a chance to interact with them.
 

TravisLH

Old Mossy Horns
I’ve had 0 luck in getting a roosted bird to cooperate, now those 10am birds


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

rodman

Ten Pointer
you may not want, or need to, but you can get rid of the 0 fer on the roosted birds.
they are likely the easiest to kill of any that you can play with.
Got under one years ago so tight I slid down the tree I was leaning against when he flew out. I didn't know I was that close to him. All I did to get him to turn around and walk too me was scratch in the leaves and click the safety off. Quick morning
 

bowhuntingrook

Old Mossy Horns
With leaves on trees and damp ground 50 yards. Without leaves or ground crunchy 75-100 yards.

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woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Got under one years ago so tight I slid down the tree I was leaning against when he flew out. I didn't know I was that close to him.


did that on a gamelands hunt a few years ago,,,,,knew about where he roosted from where he called the day before,,,,slipped into that area at "way to early before sunrise" with no lights etc,,,,,sat there thinking of the day,,,,,when he sounded off I about rolled over,,,he was 30 feet from me,,,,,,,not in the same tree,,,but only 4 over,,,,smallish pines,,,,

scratched some in the leaves and when he came down it was right there in front of me,,,,but blocked by brush,,,took 15-20 minutes of him strutting back and forth making all kinds of turkey racket before he came into view ,,,,,took a load of #5s to the head,,,

that one was maybe TOO close,,,,
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
Got under one years ago so tight I slid down the tree I was leaning against when he flew out. I didn't know I was that close to him. All I did to get him to turn around and walk too me was scratch in the leaves and click the safety off. Quick morning
I love quick mornings, I need quick mornings because of hunting before work.
i sat directly under one by accident two years ago. shot another one that came in while he was still gobbling and looking from the roost.

i think we give them way too much consideration in getting close to them in the dark. i had just walked in normally no idea he was there until he started gobbling. that woke me up. :)


Having said that i will probably bust several this season. They often "reward" overconfidence in your methods.
 

Familyman

Twelve Pointer
Whether he's still on the roost or already on the ground, I tend to try to set up as close to the gobbler as I feel I can get away with without disturbing him...which varies every time.

I agree with most that closer is better...but I've learned too many times (the hard way) that one little step too close is BAD!!
 

wturkey01

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Whether he's still on the roost or already on the ground, I tend to try to set up as close to the gobbler as I feel I can get away with without disturbing him...which varies every time.

I agree with most that closer is better...but I've learned too many times (the hard way) that one little step too close is BAD!!


Right!

Better to stop 50 steps short than go 1 step too far!!
 

Familyman

Twelve Pointer
my problem was that i dang sure never busted one but i was stopping too far to be as effective as i could have been.
live and learn.
I feel that with experience we all get a little better at sensing just how close we dare try to get to a gobbler. But o.s., I'm convinced you have more nerve than I do......and I'm pretty sure you may be about 90% ninja! That's gotta help!
 

oldest school

Old Mossy Horns
I feel that with experience we all get a little better at sensing just how close we dare try to get to a gobbler. But o.s., I'm convinced you have more nerve than I do......and I'm pretty sure you may be about 90% ninja! That's gotta help!
that was the only part of my education that EC and EC didnt get to help me with. Older EC told me exactly what you stated as your posture but we never did go to one in the dark enough to get a feel for it. So I would sit down way too far (on my own) to be in the game. But as I said I never did spook one. :)
 
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