From how far will the turkey travel to come to your calls?

[Siwash]

Hey folks,

I know the turkey are roosting and feeding in a bush I will be hunting. This bush is not huge.. only about 80-100 acres maybe.. maybe a bit more.. it's surrounded by corn fields and some more bush to the south.

If I set up in there, how far will they come in from? Will they hear my calls if they are are on the other end of the bush? I am thinking of setting up on the western edge of the woods because i think they are feeding in the corn field toward that end and I believe I have come across roosting sites there. But, if they've moved from those roosts, I just wonder if they'll still come in if they are say, a few hundred yards away now.. Can they hear the calls from hundreds of yards? How much will they actually move around in those smaller woodlots? I am worried that they may leave it entirely and in that case, I will have to change locations (which isn't a bad thing)!

How long would you stay put in this type of woodlot setup? I am thinking from flydown until 10ish a.m. then switch it up...

[renegade19]

If you can hear a bid gobble, he can  hear you call.  Getting him to come to the calls is a whole different story.  The pic of the double I posted in the general forum was of 2 mature gobblers that traveled at least 400 or 500 yards from a roost on a ridge, across a creek and across a pasture to get to us.  BUT, they were there the day before so we kind of knew they strutted in that area.  We called aggressively and then very quietly and then not at all.  Depends on the birds and their mood.  They stayed in the field and gobbled for quite a while trying to convince us to come to them first then came to take a closer look.  Bang/bang and it was over.
-Hope this helps, the scenarios could go on forever. 

[FireFly908]

Turkey hunting is one big experiment!  What works one time may not work the next time!  But, that is what makes turkey hunting fun.  Just try it, see what happens and learn from it.  Turkeys can come to a call from a long ways off and not respond to a call from less than 100 yards away.  So, just go out and have fun and see what works for the situation.

[tomtaker123]

this was probably the most aggrivating part of turkey hunting for me to understand. but to answer your question, as far as he wants too. if that bird wants to come he will, if he dosnt he wont.

[alan73]

 no real good answer to this but they will come several hundred yards to a call if they want to, its not uncommon to setup close to one gobbler that may have hens and may not be coming in to your call, only to have another to come in that was a long ways off.
If your not having any luck its usually worth changing locations and trying them at different times eventually it does pay off.

[drenalinld]

I am not convinced he ca hear you call as far as you can hear him gobble. I would want to be inside 200 yards personally although I usually get much closer if terrain allows. Sometimes they will come a long way. I have witnessed over a half mile. It is more important to be where they want to go.

[dirt road ninja]

In a big field they will hear you from 400 yards. It sounds like you know where they are and where they are going. I'd get as close as I could to where they want to be and work from there. If you hear them gobbling on the limb and they are not where you expect them to be, I'd move right away. If they're close, then work that spot for a long time.

[Eric Gregg]

I have heard many folks say that they heard gobbler sound like they were a mile away (exaggerated, but you get the point), started calling, and before too long that gobbler was closing the distance down on them.
I know that they can hear a lot better than I originally gave them credit for.
I believe that if you can hear them gobble, they can definitley hear you, and if they are lonely enough or not henned up they will eventually come investigate.
If you can get one gobbling on his own at the end of season, close that distance if you can to 200-100 yds, sit down and enjoy the show.

[guesswho]

I'm not sure how far one would come, but I do know he'll come 140 before he'll come 150, or 90 before 100, so I get as close as I possibly can.

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

Depends on how bad he wants to die and how easy it is for him to get to you.

The crazy ones will do some unexplainable stuff sometimes....

Your job is to get as close as possible and make it as easy as possible for him to respond to your calling.

[WFI79]

That's a pretty loaded question.  Some days ya can't get em to take those last few steps into range.  Other days they will come across fences, creeks, roads, stone walls and just about everything else that we try to avoid getting between us and them.  Sometimes they are the most unpredictable creature in the woods.  I try to get as close as I can comfortably and be patient.