Turkey question....

[ultrastealth]

The turkeys on our ranch don't seem to follow any kind of pattern. They will be at one feeder one day, and then not show up there for several days, but I'll get pictures at other feeders. They also don't seem to roost in the same place twice. Everywhere else that I've hunted turkeys, they seemed to be more birds of habit. This is in the Hill Country. Do your turkeys also not follow any set pattern?

[Mr. Stickers]

We have certain areas that Turkeys frequent, but ours do not follow a certain pattern. They may roost in one area one night then be in another the next, but I do know what you are talking about as a friend of mine has a place in north Texas that you can go to the same spot most days & they will be in the same spot

[jerp]

In my experience, what patterns they do have often change completely this time of year when the hen-chasing starts. It can be very unpredictable. We have a hardwood creek bottom with big trees that are perfect for roosting - some years there will be several dozen in those trees every night, some years there are zero. I have never been able to figure out what causes the change.

[canny]

The places I have hunted in South Texas have birds that do the same thing as you mentioned. We roosted several toms the night before opening day and got on them the following morning only for them to pitch down and go the other direction. We checked that area that night and nothing was roosted there. They seemed to be very mobile and showed no definite "pattern" to their behavior.

[N.DaWoods]

We see this each year as well. Just listen for them in the mornings and go find them. Usually they are within an earshot.

[ultrastealth]

The places I have hunted in South Texas have birds that do the same thing as you mentioned. We roosted several toms the night before opening day and got on them the following morning only for them to pitch down and go the other direction. We checked that area that night and nothing was roosted there. They seemed to be very mobile and showed no definite "pattern" to their behavior.

Years ago, the company my father worked for had a lease on the King Ranch near Raymondville. Those turkeys were the easiest that I've ever hunted, because they would roost on the power lines. You could just go early in the morning with binoculars, set up near a group, and get one virtually every sit.

[Big Lee]

We see this each year as well. Just listen for them in the mornings and go find them. Usually they are within an earshot.

Best advice given

[ultrastealth]

Best advice given

That works good if you run and gun, but I hunt them out of a blind with a bow.

[Richard M.]

That works good if you run and gun, but I hunt them out of a blind with a bow.

If that's how you want to hunt them I suggest finding them the evening before and roosting them. Go back out after dark to a position nearby and put up your blind and deeks then be sitting there before the sun rises and be ready.

[Smart]

The turkeys on our ranch don't seem to follow any kind of pattern. They will be at one feeder one day, and then not show up there for several days, but I'll get pictures at other feeders. They also don't seem to roost in the same place twice. Everywhere else that I've hunted turkeys, they seemed to be more birds of habit. This is in the Hill Country. Do your turkeys also not follow any set pattern?

This describes our place out west to a "T". They roost where they end up that night. There are several groups of trees throughout our 2400 acres that do hold birds more than others but they can be empty three nights and chocked full the next. There is nor rhyme or reason. Heck we have had them roost in the big live oak trees over camp. That'll wake you up in the morning!


The good thing (until last year's die off) is we've always had good numbers so you'll stumble on em eventually or they'll show up in my favorite flat to strut for their girlfriends where I bowhunt them over decoys..

[ultrastealth]

If that's how you want to hunt them I suggest finding them the evening before and roosting them. Go back out after dark to a position nearby and put up your blind and deeks then be sitting there before the sun rises and be ready.

That's how I got Monday's gobbler that way. The problem is that they don't necessarily gobble on the roost every afternoon, and they don't always roost near a blind.

[buck_wild]

Yeah I have very bad luck getting them to gobble on the roost in the evenings also. I always try but can never find them that way. Luckily on our place, the tend to roost in 4- places consistently but there is a "lost flock" I'm always trying to pin down that seems to move around a lot. I quit trying to hunt them as I only have two mornings on a weekend hunt and have burned weekends trying to locate them to no avail.

[cj_sandman]

We see this each year as well. Just listen for them in the mornings and go find them. Usually they are within an earshot.

Agree with this!

[N.DaWoods]

That works good if you run and gun, but I hunt them out of a blind with a bow.

Pop up blind is your friend. I too only bow hunt them. They do not care about a popup blind being there, so sneak in pretty close and set it up between you and your decoys. Then lightly call, then shoot the turkey. As soon as an arrow is in the turkey., chase it down, as to make sure you recover it. They do not bleed out well.

I have also killed them using ghillie/leafy suit on the ground. It is an extremely rewarding feeling. Find a big tree to draw behind, or a cedar between you and the decoys, next to a bluebonnet patch if your lucky. Make sure you know how to use a diaphragm call if you choose this option.

I would suggest, you don't just limit yourself to you pre-set blinds. But if you are set on that, then I would suggest trying to do more fall hunting. If you throw out maize around your deer feeders, in the fall, and there are turkeys anywhere near, they will come and eat it. In spring, they are much more fickle, as they are more interested in fun than eating.

Good luck. Hope to see you posting up a big gobbler soon.

[PondPopper]

Water in the middle of the day...