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Roosting/ flyup times, tips for newbies

Started by jakebird, April 13, 2012, 09:02:17 PM

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jakebird

As I've sen alot of questions lately about locating birds in the evening and what times they roost, I thought I'd take a moment and provide some hard data from this evening to help if I can. Tonight, birds were flying up between 7:50 and 8 pm. They were responding to locators (owl hoots) until about 8:15, and then they got settled down and tight lipped for the night. This is eastern time zone in central PA near the geographic center of the  state, so if you are east or west of that line, you would add or subtract minutes (can't remember exactly how many per) per each meridian east or west of that line through central PA. That brief period from 7:50 till 8:15 was the magic window, and it closed quickly. I didn't try earlier, but sometimes you can get a few shock gobbles on the ground as well as they get close to flying up to the limb. Hope this helps, and remember that the days are still getting longer and the sunrises will only get earlier by a few minutes each day, and the sunsets will get later, but hopefully this will give someone a starting point who needs the help. Best luck to all!    Jakebird
That ol' tom's already dead. He just don't know it yet .... The hard part is convincing him.

Are you REALLY working that gobbler, or is HE working YOU?

MossbergMike

Thanks Jakebird I left the woods about 20 minutes to early didn't even think of using locators for fly up. I will definatly try it I haven't even heard the first gobble yet in the areas I hunt. I am sure this is do to the lack of scouting this year but I did not have the time. I have 3 new places I have gained access to so that will increase my odds. This is my second turkey season and i am still looking for my first gobbler. Thanks again for the tip.


jakebird

This morning i got back on the same birds. They gobbled later than i anticipated, possibly due to the cold, frosty morning. First roost gobbles were not until about 6:05! and not until i got em going on my owl hooting (natural voice). After i got the first bird fired up, he got the rest going and i had four or five going pretty good until flydown, which occurred at precisely 6:30 am today. They clammed up soon after, with only a random gobble here and there all morning until about ten am, when one bird got very vocal when his girlfriends left him to go lay and tend the nests. Hoping my son will tag that lonely bird next weekend. I know his late morning strut zone, now! Hope this data is helpful, again. Good luck to all!
That ol' tom's already dead. He just don't know it yet .... The hard part is convincing him.

Are you REALLY working that gobbler, or is HE working YOU?