Down Hill-Up Hill

[Farmboy27]

Had a fellow tell me once that a gobbler won't come down a hill.  I asked him if that meant that once on top of a ridge that they would spend their life there!!  That being said, I like to be above if I can. If not, well its still game on!

[Dr Juice]

Possible?  Yes...BUT he's less likely to come downhill if can already survey the bottom from the ridge top.

Concur.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[WildTigerTrout]

I have called them uphill, downhill, threw thick brush, across dirt roads, streams and barbed wire fences. When he is ready he will come! I once called a bird downhill and he walked past me but out of range. He flew across a creek to my right. When I realized what he did I purred and clucked a few times and I watched him fly back across the creek to my side. He went for a ride in my Jeep!

[Happy]

I have had them fly from one ridge to another, I have also had them hang up at a mud puddle. The is no guarantee what they will or won't do. I try and always set up level with or slightly above a bird if I can though.

[Marc]

When watching birds evade danger (whether from myself, other people, or critters), I have noticed that when birds run away, it usually uphill.  If they go downhill, they generally take flight.

It could be that I have limited experience, and I am often hunting somewhat "hilly" areas, but I cannot remember ever seeing a turkey running downhill to avoid danger...

[beakbuster10]

I had a gobbler fly down hill over a fence, a  creek, and a thicket, all at the same time, to land in my decoys like a duck. Turkeys will do whatever turkeys want do. I hunt in the foothills of the blue ridge, and the up hill down hill dilemma has never really been an issue for me. The best thing to do is just be where he wants to go by scouting and knowing your terrain.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[wvmntnhick]

My preference is to be either above or on the same level as the bird. At my friends camp I've had them fly across from one ridge and land right in front of me. It was too tricky to try and get to the next ridge over based on the birds vantage point so we set up in line with the bird. He literally flew to within 10 yards of where we were sitting. Just depends on how hot the bird is.

[silvestris]

I have come to the conclusion after all these years, whether right or wrong, that the downhill turkey is harder for one primary reason, vision.  When coming downhill, he can see much better and make you out as well as not see what he expects to see.  Survey the scene before you climb a hill and then survey the scene after you have climbed the hill.  You can survey much better looking downhill as opposed to looking uphill.

[Texforce]

Some very good stuff in this thread !!!

[backforty]

I have noticed here in the ozarks they seem to be easier to call up hill than down but they also seem to hangup just below the crest.  I read in another post a simple solution to help with this. Stand behind a tree so you can see over the lip. So simple its stupid but never dawned on me to do this.

[MK M GOBL]

Like most have killed birds doing about anything they want to do, but generally will set myself above or level to a bird, they seem to have a mode traveling downhill, whether it be body position/stature when moving downhill where they lean back somewhat to travel compared to uphill and lean forward, just think of your own body going up and down hills. I have some video of a bird coming down a slightly snow covered steepish hill and literally sliding down the hill coming to us, took him a bit to traverse, we killed that bird during a Learn to Hunt last year.

MK M GOBL

[Double B]

Agree with uphill preferred in many setups but have killed a few gobblers coming downhill to creek bottoms in thick timber.  They fly down and hang out in the creek bottoms early in many areas I hunt.   

[Tennessee Lead]

I hunt ruff terrain lots of steep hills and deep hollows.
I have much better luck at calling and killing if I can get on the same level or above him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[owlhoot]

Agree with uphill preferred in many setups but have killed a few gobblers coming downhill to creek bottoms in thick timber.  They fly down and hang out in the creek bottoms early in many areas I hunt.

Yep

[High plains drifter]

Hunting the foothills, the biggest advantage I can get is to get above them...  If I hear a bird gobble above me, I shut up and start working around and above his position. 

I enjoyed hearing some of the explanations for such behavior on this thread...

I have seen birds cross creeks and roads...  Called at a bird a few years ago, that got hit by a car trying to cross a major road (whether from me or a live hen I do not know)...  Then I have seen birds that will not cross some invisible barrier, or a small depression, or whatever...

I suppose if I ever really figure it out, it will not be nearly as much fun... I got a jake one time, that flew over me like a duck. I've never called one downhill.They like to stay up on top, in the cliffs.