Beginner questions

[TeeGee]

First time turkey hunter here.  I've got a very lucky situation - I have 5 acres, surrounded by 100, and turkeys all over, with zero pressure.  This morning we watched 3 gobblers walk past our front door fifteen yards away.   But I'm teaching myself and just starting to learn.  Some basic questions:

Given my situation, can you suggest a good basic strategy?  From what I've read it sounds like I should try to identify areas they frequent... but I'm worried that in doing so I'll bump the birds.  I've also read about identifying where they roost and set up nearby in the early morning.  But, basically, same question.  How do I find where they roost without bumping them? 

Also, as best I can tell, they don't have a set pattern of where they move every day.  Although maybe I haven't scouted them enough.  Again, because I don't want to bump them. 

I have a lot more questions but some help on those would be a good start. 

[Greg Massey]

So if they walked 15 yards from your porch this morning , can you not stand on your porch before daylight and tell from them gobbling before fly down were they are roosted. If not can you listen from a road or from the edge of the field ?

[Plush]

Turkeys are not quiet going up and not much better coming down even if they aren't gobbling/yelping/etc. Sit outside in the morning and listen for them. They sound like a tarp getting blown around in a hurricane.  You should definitely be able to hear them if they are anywhere close to your property lines just by sitting on your porch. Their daily routine very well could be random when (if at all) they hit up your property. Trail cameras aren't a bad idea. You could go find a few spots you think they may frequent and see how often they may actually be hitting those areas. This would allow you a way to scout them a bit without physically having to go disturb them often.

First I would see if they are roosting nearby or not. You say morning, but are we talking right at dawn or more like 9am? That will dramatically change hunting tactics if you aren't really hunting them off the roost and instead hunting them during mid morning routines.

[TeeGee]

When I've heard them gobbling it's usually around 7 - 9 am, so after dawn, and I generally spot them moving around in that time.  I suppose that would be their mid-morning routine then.  I suspect they're not roosting too close to the house, but that's just a guess.

I can set up a trail cam to get a better idea of their patterns.  Good idea. 

As for locating where they roost... assuming they're not within earshot, what's the best way to try to figure out their roost location?  Does that tend to be consistent from night to night?

And, if it turns out I can't locate where they're roosting, and instead am trying to intercept them during the mid-morning routine, what are those tactics like? 

Again, sorry for the complete beginner questions, and thanks for your help! 

[Greg Massey]

If those turkeys are in that field or your hearing them around 7 - 9 clock , they are less than 300 - 400 yards roosted around that area.

[TeeGee]

And now all the gobbling has stopped!   Haven't heard them in a bunch of days here, through various kinds of weather.  Don't know if I moved them off by walking around too much.  Or if they know to get quiet once hunting season starts (May 1st here).  Or if they've moved elsewhere for the moment for some other reason.  I did put up cameras but surprisingly haven't seen any sign of them.  Hope I didn't mess this up before the season even begun...

[EZ]

Don't know where your from, but in my area of Pa. they have completely shut up and are not coming to the fields for the last couple of weeks. Gonna be a tough season.

[paboxcall]

Don't know where your from, but in my area of Pa. they have completely shut up and are not coming to the fields for the last couple of weeks. Gonna be a tough season.

Agree Tony, plus add in the additional pressure this year because everyone is off from work. Every day has become a Saturday.

[silvestris]

Shoot him from the door and make up a good story.

[TeeGee]

 

I'm in Delaware County, NY.  So, close to PA.  They were very much around until a week ago.  I can't decide if I spooked them patterning my gun, or the rut has just cooled down, or the bad weather has shut them up, or they've moved on for some other reason, or what.  But they are g o n e.   No gobbles but also no sightings.  So much for picking them off from my front porch!