You hear it all the time, "just look for droppings and feathers on the ground to identify roost sites"...but how often do you have success doing so. I don't mean just randomly but if I listen to one gobbling in the morning from a little distance I will often go in later to try and pinpoint his exact tree so I can figure the safest approach and setup. Sometimes l can find It but It just seems my success rate is low and often I can't find crap... literally !! I realize several factors play a roll like weather, under brush and duration of use but how many of y'all really look for this sign and regularly find it ?
I've never tried. I'm pretty sure where I hunt they rarely roost in same tree.
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On public land just look for flagging that lead to the tree, or here in ole MS. Beer cans stuck in trees is a sure sign you are close!
I have one spot where they roost Spring and Fall in the same area. Over the years I've had a few use the same tree but most of the time Easterns don't roost in the same spot every night.
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I'm trying to pattern a bird right now. The last three times out, he's been in 3 different trees, granted, all within 100 yards of each other. Very rarely will they roost in the same tree where I hunt.
Quote from: dejake on March 19, 2018, 04:10:35 AM
I'm trying to pattern a bird right now. The last three times out, he's been in 3 different trees, granted, all within 100 yards of each other. Very rarely will they roost in the same tree where I hunt.
This. Once you find the area, then you have to figure out where they are going to fly down. Most of the time, it will be into an open area they can see from the trees they are in. Then set up close to that area. Remember Roosted ain't Roasted. If he has hens with him, it's a crap shoot of what he will do once he's on the ground.
Quote from: 3bailey3 on March 18, 2018, 09:53:02 PM
On public land just look for flagging that lead to the tree, or here in ole MS. Beer cans stuck in trees is a sure sign you are close!
Funny about the beer cans, Hunt Missouri the Mark Twain has them hanging everywhere.
Quote from: 3bailey3 on March 18, 2018, 09:53:02 PM
On public land just look for flagging that lead to the tree, or here in ole MS. Beer cans stuck in trees is a sure sign you are close!
:toothy12: :toothy12: that's the truth!
I don't think there's a benefit to finding his exact roost tree. As long as you're in the general vicinity he'll be able to fly to you. I'd look for a small opening near the roost site.
I hunted a bird on some public land in west Oklahoma last year. On the 3rd morning i finally killed him and went to look at where he and the other turkeys were roosted and there was piles and piles of poop. I'm talking about piles 4-6" deep and about as big around as a trash can lid. Not only had they roosted in the same tree all 3 nights i had contact with them, it looked like they roosted on the same limb too. But, that's west oklahoma where there are very few trees. I've never found anything like that where i live with eastern birds.
I agree with the idea that in areas that turkeys roost regularly, you will very often find evidence of that. Finding scattered feathers on the ground, especially primary wing feathers, is usually a good indicator that birds have roosted in that area fairly regularly. Find a traditional roost tree,...one where turkeys have roosted a lot over time,...and there will be obvious piles of droppings under the tree,...sometimes inches deep.
Now, this is typical of the dry climate I live in. Weather/climate conditions in the region a person hunts plays a role in this, as well. There is no doubt that an area with a consistent wet climate will have less evidence of long-term roosting due to the quicker deterioration of droppings and such.
Even in ideal conditions though, it is often difficult to pinpoint specific roosts if the birds have a tendency to change roost trees,...even when they are roosting in the same general area a great deal.
If you can pick point them down to the tree you best protect that spot with your life, those are go to gold mines. If you have a tree that has so much noticable sign under it it's probably one they use year after year.
I will often save those spots for or the right day. A wet day I don't expect much gobbling being close to the roost is a big advantage and damp ground let's me slip in close. I don't over hunt them
There aren't a lot of them I have preferred roost sights where they might be or maybe often be but the garenteed they will be in those tree every morning unless something pressured them not to be are rare and fantastic.
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I did Friday morning after they gave me the slip off the roost. More of just a curiosity thing for me that day, just wanted to know if I had pinpointed the correct tree. I had. Biggest pine in the bottom.
I think the bigger benefit to finding crap under the trees is knowing that its an area turkeys like to be and are comfortable in.
I have found up here in northern New England, the birds roost in the same area ,if not the same tree, quite often. This helps if you can find them. Concentration of birds is my biggest thing up here.
Knowing turkeys are in a general area (much like a scrape or rub for deer). When I find a roost tree, I don't bet money on him being in that specific tree on any given morning, unless I see him fly up in it. :newmascot:
Finding where he wants to go after leaving his tree is more important.
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Quote from: Ericbrooks on March 19, 2018, 02:40:10 PM
Finding where he wants to go after leaving his tree is more important.
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This. I'll take the right side of the wrong tree over the wrong side of the right tree any day.
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We had a grove of trees on the ridge top at the old lease where gobblers regularly roosted early in the season and the hens were often roosted nearby. I got in there extra early on Opening Day morning of 1999 or 2000 and set up across from the clearing they usually flew down into. I'd watched them fly down into that same spot for 3 mornings in a row through a spotting scope. I was being so quiet that morning, I could barely hear myself move. Well, that morning, they were roosted right straight above and behind me about 60 yards from their regular spot. The gobbler flew down into the fire break behind me and the ladies towed him off the property, no matter how much sweet talking I tried. I never saw the first bird. Right area, wrong set up. I had a suicidal 2 year old run to the gun about 9:00 that morning.
Jim
Thanks for the replies.
It seems that most have mixed results as well.. mainly due to birds moving around.
I know that where he was one morning does not mean he'll be there the next, but it's a good location to check in the evening. Its just another part of scouting that I enjoy and I definitely feel it can give an advantage. The closer I can pinpoint the roost the better odds I have of knowing where or being where he may fly down, especially in thick woods where glassing from a distance is not an option. It also gives me a chance to plan the quietest entry as possible for the next morning.
Where I hunt in Kentucky they typically roost in the same locations throughout the year but not necessarily the same tree. Best bet is to roost one night before.
Why not locate the areas he uses early season and locate his exact tree the night before roosting? It's much easier
Quote from: Bowguy on March 20, 2018, 09:12:05 AM
Why not locate the areas he uses early season and locate his exact tree the night before roosting? It's much easier
Our birds don't gobble a whole lot in the evening. At least where I hunt in MS. Generally the only time I am able to roost a bird in the evenings is if I am hunting in there close to where they decide to fly up for the evening.
Our birds generally roost in the same bottom but it could be on one end or the other. Most of my success in the evenings has come from being in the general area of where he is going to fly up and soft calling every so often. Usually he will sneak in silent right before fly up or if he doesnt show I know he is more than likely on the other side for in the morning.
I think the biggest thing is just knowing the land you hunt. I personally don't prefer hunting the roost just because I like working a bird and generally in the afternoon at least at our place they don't say a whole lot. I will usually wait until the end of season to hunt a roost as they get a little more vocal later in the season.
Expanding on this topic a bit, the discussion has been mainly about zeroing in on a roost tree for a morning hunt. For those who can hunt all day long, knowing the roost location can make for a productive late afternoon/early evening hunt situation, as well.
To preface my comments, however, you should understand that disturbing a roost site in the evening is a good way to get birds to abandon that roost, at least temporarily. If you are going to shoot birds in the evening as they are headed to the roost site, you better have some alternative options for future hunts because it is a sure way to get them to change their behavior.
Okay, so having said that,...there are times when, if you really want to kill a turkey and perhaps time is short, figuring out where the birds are roosting and making an evening set-up there is a great way to fill a tag. Gobblers that hear a hen yelping near the roost will often show no hesitation about heading your way.
One thing I have found in setting up near evening roost sites, though, is that turkeys are very wary of any perceived changes around the roost. I learned a long time ago that just sitting down against a tree and being still near the roost site isn't good enough. For whatever reason, they seem to be able to pick out that unusual blob that hasn't been there before very quickly.
If you are going to hunt an evening roost, take the time to make a natural, and inconspicuous, blind and choose your set-up very carefully. If you don't, they will very likely notice something is amiss long before they get close enough.
Quote from: Bowguy on March 20, 2018, 09:12:05 AM
Why not locate the areas he uses early season and locate his exact tree the night before roosting? It's much easier
You are correct, that is the best bet if you are hunting local land, have the time and the terrain and tree cover allows it. But some times I cant be there the evening before and sometimes you just cant get close enough to find him with out risking blowing him out. Looking for a roost site after he has flew down and moved off is simply a low impact tactic that can give a better understanding of an area you may not wish to approach with birds in the trees and cant be watched from a distance. As we all know, even knowing where he is roosted is not a guarantee but the more details I can learn about the birds I'm hunting and the woods they're in makes my odds of being in the right spot at daylight just that much better.