Questions??????????

[iowabuck]

Well I guess I'll start out by saying i not the most successful turkey hunter. With that said I've a few questions. First off if I've been scouting a little bitand spooking a few birds or more, will they abandon the area or will they go about their business as usual. Also what time do turkeys usually fly up to the roost at night? Anything else you think a novice turkey hunter would find useful please add.

 

[muddy]

I wouldn't worry about spooked birds abandoning an area. Probably 100% of turkeys in Iowa have seen a human at one time or another. All you've done is educate them a little bit. Hopefully you havn't been calling to them at all. When scouting don't call, just listen and try to follow or observe the birds from afar. Some birds'll fly up earlier than others. Usually within the last half hour of light is when they hit the trees. If you can locate where they're roosting try and sit where they fly up from off the ground. A lot of times a bird will land and take off in the same general area. Now don't go trompsing right up to the roost tree cuz you'll spook them and they'll fly a half mile before they land. Turkey hunting requires patience, lots of it. If you can get a more experienced person to help ya out a bit that'd be good, otherwise keep asking questions in here, we'll try and steer you in the right direction.

good luck!!

 

[iowabuck]

Thanks a lot Muddy

Here's another question i'll throw at everybody. What would you say is the best way to bag a turkey in the evening. My hunting partner works until three in the morning and really would not be able to hunt in the morning. Thanks. P.S. Sorry for all the questions.

 

[muddy]

Go out and try and roost one the night before with owl hoots or crow calls. Then come in the next morning and try to set up fairly close to him. Depending on terrain and what you're walking on that could be anywhere from 50-150 yards from the bird. If I get set up really close to a roosted tom I won't call to him until he hits the ground. When he does I'll do a fly down cackle and make sounds like a turkey flying down. Of course easier said than done.

Another way is to set up at a late morning strut area. Just waiting for those hens to go off to nest and the boys will get lonely and head to their strutting areas hoping for some action.