Turkeys from fall to spring

[Lee Lobbestael]

Hey guys, I'm pretty new to turkey hunting but i'm quickly falling in love with it. I just bought a house here in Michigan and there have been a big group of turkeys roosting right in the middle of my land. My question is, can I expect them to be around come April when turkey season opens?

[Kylongspur88]

Maybe. It all really depends. I'm no expert but I know that food sources will change here in the next few months moving birds to those locations, but if there is spring food there they may stick around. Another thing, don't expect them to be flocked up like this in the spring. These big winter groups will start to break up as spring gets closer and as that happens birds will spread out but likely stay in the area. Might not be a bad idea to put a food plot in to insure they have a reason to stick around.

[Dixie Whistler]

I had a similar question and I have been told that they have a relatively small home range (compared to, say, a deer).  But they will spread out quite a bit.  I don't think you can necessarily count on them being in the same tree, but some may stay really close by.

[KYFrid]

I wish my birds did. Seems where I hunt in the fall I'll see a group of 4 or 5 gobblers. Come spring there may be 2 that stay on the property i hunt. Usually I have to call them off the other properties to mine.

[gunnerj]

It really depends on your habitat. If you have multple food sources for different seasons of the year, good strutting zones and nesting habitat, good brood rearing habitat, along with a good hardwood based woods, the birds should have no place they need to go. Water is another necessity, but necessity is only part of the picture.

[870BkWht]

I think it depends on the property.  I deer hunt/fall turkey hunt on a property here in WV that always has birds (hens, juveniles, gobblers) in the fall, but come spring they always have a way of turning up on property I can not hunt.  I still have yet to kill a spring bird on this property too.

[gobbler777]

All the elements of habitat are important. The hens look for good nesting habitat in the Spring. The gobblers are anywhere the hens are in the spring.

[SonicBanshee]

spring