Time of Day: Since Turkeys make their nest in trees and on the ground in wooded areas, one of the best times of day to hunt is first thing in the morning. Get out to your blind early and listen for the yelps, cackles, and gobbles of turkeys as they start in search for breakfast.
How early should you be in the woods for turkey hunting?
Most states allow hunting a half-hour before sunrise so be in the woods early. How early? Get to your setup site at least 30 to 45 minutes before shooting light.
Do turkeys prefer woods or fields?
Turkeys need open areas as well as woods. Turkeys love these high-protein and high-fat foods and will feed on the tender leaves and leftover grains in areas that aren’t pressured too hard. Tip: Avoid tall, unharvested wheat fields. These may grow too high for turkeys to see well and could hide a coyote or fox.
When should you start scouting for turkeys?
To nail down where birds will be, serious scouting doesn’t need to occur any earlier than two to three weeks before opening day. Birds will still typically be flocked up, but their location will remain fairly constant.
How long before sunset do turkeys roost?
1/2 hour before dark to dark is pretty typical. From my experience, I would say they usually fly up about a half hour before sunset, but that is subject to change based on terrain, weather, etc.
Is it better to hunt turkey in the morning or evening?
Again, mornings generally provide faster and hotter action with vocal birds making it the preferred time to turkey hunt. The problem with mornings is they fade away and turn into afternoon and afternoons don’t always provide the same scenarios.
Can you sneak up on a turkey?
Don’t try to stalk turkeys or turkey sounds. It may be another hunter in the area and you can’t sneak up on turkeys anyway. Their eyesight is too good and they are wary of any movement that might be a predator.
Do turkeys prefer ridges or bottoms?
Look for scratchings along hardwood ridges and creek bottoms. Even in areas with extensive pine plantations, you will often find oaks along rows. Turkeys use creek bottoms as corridors to get to and from preferred feeding and roosting areas.
Do turkeys prefer ridges?
In areas of thicker timber and pronounced terrain, turkeys typically roost two-thirds to three-quarters up — or down, depending on your vantage point — the sides of draws, ravines, ridges or bluffs. They love to roost off points or knobs that drop off quickly into steep terrain.
Do turkeys like thick woods?
Big woods turkey movement seems more random than that of ag-land birds—but it isn’t. Turkeys will always have preferred roost trees and favorite spots to scratch up calories. This applies to all big woods flocks, from Mississippi to Minnesota.
Do turkeys roost in the same tree every night?
No they don’t always roost in the same tree/trees. Especially easterns they tend to move around.
Can you shoot a roosting turkey?
In many states, it’s illegal. If the state(s) you turkey hunt don’t indicate the practice of roost shooting is illegal, chances are it’s legal by default. …
What time of day are turkeys most active?
General Weather Conditions: As a general rule of thumb, turkeys are most active during calm, clear days in morning and early afternoon hours. Turkey activity generally decreases with bad weather conditions including wind and rain.
Will turkeys come back if you spook them?
If left alone, they might return. Make darn sure to avoid bumping a previously spooked turkey again. … Likewise, don’t expect a turkey you spooked the day before to run to yelping the next morning. He might approach, but he’ll likely do so quietly or stop gobbling just before sneaking into your setup.
What kind of trees do turkeys like to roost in?
Turkeys also prefer pine trees to any other types of trees. They offer cover year round and often a clean forest floor to take off and land on. A single pine tree will do the trick if it is big enough, but clusters of them are best.
What time do turkeys fly down off roost?
As stated above, turkeys will leave the roost sometime between 5:00 to 9:00 a.m. The largest factor that determines the exact time during this window is the weather. If the weather is clear, the birds will leave the roost earlier. The gobbler will usually fly down right around first light.