hunting birds after spooking them in strut zones

[birdman561]

Congrats Birdman! Love the wing coloration! Is that an Osceola?

Sure is, I'm in south Florida not to far from the glades, no hybrids down here!!

[Cut N Run]

If it is an important enough strut zone, every gobbler in the area will know where it is and want to use it.  We had a traditional strut zone at my old lease that 5 gobblers came off of in one season between 3 hunters.  It was the only opening (bench below a ridge top on a powerline cut) for over 1,000 acres.  I bumped a gobbler there one morning about 7:25 when he saw me move, though I'm sure he didn't know what I was.  I killed him about 3 & 1/2 hours later in the same spot.  I'd switched positions and he came back in looking at where I had been.  There has never been an easier place to call a gobbler to.

Jim

[TRG3]

On at least two occasions over the past few years I was mushroom hunting before the turkey season opened. As I slowly made my way through the woods looking for morels, around 11 a.m. a gobbler sounded off some 200 yards away, no doubt on his strutting zone. I quietly sneaked out of there and returned during the season, taking those birds later in the morning after they had gone off with their hens at fly-down. I also know of a guy who doesn't head to the turkey woods until after he takes his kids to school in the morning...and he always fills his tags. I've probably taken more birds after 8 a.m. than before, enticing gobblers to come in after their hens have gone off to nest. I also set up very near grass fields/thickets since that's often where the turkeys are headed anyway.