Last year I watched two LB's fly up into a tree on the one edge of the corner of a field. That night at midnight I went out and set up my decoys in the corner. the next morning my buddy and I sat up cattycorner across the corner from where they roosted. Morning came and they gobbled in the tree right behind us. they had to have moved trees about 200 yards away during the night. Long story short, they flew straight down to our decoys that were waiting all night and we doubled.
Last night, same corner of the field, I watched a long beard and 5 hens fly up into the trees. This morning they gobbled across in the same corner they oved to last year.
How often do you think this happens and why do you think they do it?
Ive always assumed they only did that when something spooked them during the night, but i dont really know. Good question.
From my experience they will but not normally unless spooked or bad weather may cause them to move...
Yes they will change.
I've seen 'em hop trees a lot. I don't know how often they do it after it gets pitch black, but from the time they initially fly up to roost until the time I sneak out in the dark, some will have hopped trees three or four times.
Pretty interesting.
No idea what causes them to do it; but they definitely will change trees sometimes.
I know in the fall when I am deer hunting they roosted real close to my stand the next morning they were 50 yards farther down ...so they must of jumped trees during the middle of the night.... I have watched turkeys hop around on the roost at sunset and they were still moving when I couldn't see any more.
seen them limb hop but neer fly unless spooked
Quote from: Clif Owen on April 24, 2012, 08:47:06 PM
No idea what causes them to do it; but they definitely will change trees sometimes.
I suspect Owls may cause some to relocate. If Something lands in my bed with eye's the size of silver dollars, two inch toe nails and can rotate it's head 360 degrees, I'm changing beds. An Owl is a scarry critter.
Quote from: guesswho on April 25, 2012, 03:22:57 PM
Quote from: Clif Owen on April 24, 2012, 08:47:06 PM
No idea what causes them to do it; but they definitely will change trees sometimes.
I suspect Owls may cause some to relocate. If Something lands in my bed with eye's the size of silver dollars, two inch toe nails and can rotate it's head 360 degrees, I'm changing beds. An Owl is a scarry critter.
Maybe that's what happened to that gobbler you shot with the funky tail......... ;D
I watched a group of Birds last year, Fly up into the same tree, and the Toms were the Last to fly up, But then watched them Hop over to another tree, It was pretty neat, I was bow Hunting Deer at the Time.
Hoot
Guesswho, I never looked an owl from that perspective before but come to think of it your right. Pretty spooky.
Quote from: guesswho on April 25, 2012, 03:22:57 PM
Quote from: Clif Owen on April 24, 2012, 08:47:06 PM
No idea what causes them to do it; but they definitely will change trees sometimes.
I suspect Owls may cause some to relocate. If Something lands in my bed with eye's the size of silver dollars, two inch toe nails and can rotate it's head 360 degrees, I'm changing beds. An Owl is a scarry critter.
Ain't that the truth! Between the freaky look and the screech owls liking to light off a few screeches right at dusk, when the woods is quiet they can certainly send a tingle down my spine.
I've spooked turkeys from trees while it's 0 dark thirty so I'm sure other critters spook them as well with noise and such. Scares the you know what out of you when it's dark as heck and you're walking to your spot and those big wings start flapping. On the flip side, I've spent more than one morning in my bow stand, waiting for the sun to come up, knowing that they are roosted in my tree. The biggest worry then is one taking a poop on me!
If im sitting under a tree and anything poops on me from above i am shooting straight up until something falls out! End of story
Would you believe they would come back to the same tree if spooked? I was hunting in Texas a few weeks ago. When walking out at dark i bumped 5 turkeys from a roost tree on a creek that paralleled the road I was on. The tree was probably 200-300 yards from the road I was on. I figured I had really messed this spot up. Well, the next morning we overslept a little and I was a little late getting back in there. Before I got to the spot I bumped them the day before I heard a gobble. I slipped up to where I saw the 5 fly off the evening before and they were back in the same tree. They didn't fly down on my side of the creek though. It was well after sundown and almost completely dark when i spooked them. I would have never thought they would come back to the same tree after being spooked.
Billy
yes they will
On the average no....
They move and there is no real rhyme to reason to it. Weather, preditors, whatever, they get it in there mind and they do.