Roost Set Up

[culpeper]

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Okay, you know where the roost is and you can get in unnoticed, what is your ideal distance to set up from the roost, presuming you don't, and who does really, know which direction they will take when they hit the ground?  And...how close is too close?

[ChesterCopperpot]

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If you know the roost what else do you know? Are there hens with him? Is there a pattern to his fly down? I guess what I’m getting at is it largely depends on what else I know. If it’s one I roosted on unfamiliar ground or don’t have any other intel, as close as 50 and no farther than 75yds. That’s assuming the woods aren’t wide open (distance dictated by cover and topo). A few cycles of gobbling from the limb and I’ll tree yelp once and shut up till fly down.


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[stinkpickle]

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Too many variables to give a blanket answer.

[CntrlPA]

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I try to get in that 40-75yd range and usually i'm making a best guess in the dark as to where he might fly down.

[culpeper]

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Okay, for the scenario let's add: the woods are wide open hardwoods early season, not a lot of ground movement, small rolling...he is with another gobbler and he has just a few hens, roosted nearby.  Let's also say you roosted them the night before and let's presume they really don't have a pattern and let's be honest, hens break their "pattern" a lot.  Also say, he and his buddy gobbled great roosting the night before.  One last thing, the woodlot is small, +- 30 acres and surrounded by cut corn and green fields and typically the don't pitch too far at flydown.

Does this generate any additional or different thoughts?

[TauntoHawk]

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For that I'm going to slide into about 60yds, if it's before leaf out and there's a bit of moon light I usually try and find them in the dark in the trees by glassing up for shapes. From where they are roosted I'll try and predict a clear area where they might land sit 60 or so off their tree and 20ish from my projected landing zone but also try and put a tree between me and him direct line of sight so he can't catch me on the ground as easy. I usually get a bird a season like this where I'm fortunate enough to take a bird within 30seconds of him being on ground but it takes getting in early, and being very slow and stealthy that last 100yds or so.

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[tlh2865]

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For those of you setting up in heavy, dry leaf litter, how much noise are you worried about making setting up 50 yards from a roosted gobbler in the dark? I can't stand to get that close in heavy leaf litter because I feel like I am making too much noise. That may be a lack of experience hunting close to roosts.

For the above reasons I am going to put myself in the position that I think is most most likely for them to travel and would be hardest to get to during daylight. For example: I might set up 65 yards east of the roost IF I feel that they will most likely move that way OR I feel like if I set up west and they went east that I would have no way to get around them without being seen. Topography and or cover will dictate whether or not I think I can swing around them if they move away in the opposite direction. If I don't know anything about which direction they will head after fly down, then that is how I will make my decision.

[culpeper]

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I have had success getting real tight and once so tight and of course I didn't realize it at zero-dark-thirty, he was roosted in the tree next to me, 10 yards away.  Before he gobbled he dropped a load right next to me....I didn't dare look up and didn't have to when 3 minutes later when he 'woke' up!

I also had a bird just like what I described last season,  Day 1, I sat 60 yards south of the roost, he and the hens went east.  Day 2, I set up about 50 yards east and they went west, day 3 I sat about 50 yards east again and they pitched north.  Like I said, there's no telling where they will go.  I never made a sound, the hens were pretty vocal and it was a wide open hardwood, no cover.

[TauntoHawk]

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I typically take the aggressive roost hunt tactic because I have to. I often am in a situation where birds are roosted on public but often very close to private that have fields. The bird are born with an instinct to hit the ground and get to those fields. I also have to make it to work so I sometimes have less than 45min for post fly down to hunting and can't really wait out the lonely 10am gobbler. So I've practiced out of necessity the craft of slipping in stupid early often going under and past birds to set up between them and the private line so I can turn around and face back towards the birds. sometimes especially in rain or fog where the toms will let the hens and jakes fly down and walk past me and they pitch all the way to field whether thats 100 or 500yds it's all down hill so they just glide right over my head.

As for the noise question I try and make sure I keep it to less than a deer level of noise and I'm generally going in before the birds wake up if they are awake I'm late and will sit back off them.

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[culpeper]

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For those of you setting up in heavy, dry leaf litter, how much noise are you worried about making setting up 50 yards from a roosted gobbler in the dark? I can't stand to get that close in heavy leaf litter because I feel like I am making too much noise. That may be a lack of experience hunting close to roosts.

For the above reasons I am going to put myself in the position that I think is most most likely for them to travel and would be hardest to get to during daylight. For example: I might set up 65 yards east of the roost IF I feel that they will most likely move that way OR I feel like if I set up west and they went east that I would have no way to get around them without being seen. Topography and or cover will dictate whether or not I think I can swing around them if they move away in the opposite direction. If I don't know anything about which direction they will head after fly down, then that is how I will make my decision.

If you are in a situation such as this, it's impportant NOT to walk at a constant pace, but walk a little, stop, wait a few moments, walk more, stop and so forth.  The more you sound like a deer for example or other critters, the better off you will be and be able to slip under, or past them and get in tight if this is what you are trying to do.

[Twowithone]

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50-75 yds away. If you know the roost. Ive had particular gobbler picked out knew his roost trees from pre scouting only to have him 400yds away on opening morning now you dont know which way hes gonna pitch down. Good luck this season.