Evening Roost Time

[trefalga]

I've had zero luck finding birds on the roost using locator calls. So I'm going to try passively listening for the fly up and roost gobble.  I want to get in the woods as late as possible to avoid bumping them on the way to their roosting site. So...what time do turkeys fly up to roost in the evening? sunset? 1/2 hour before? 1/2 hour after?

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[Bill Cooksey]

Depends, but usually it's a lot later than you would think. More often than not, in my experience, it's all but dark when they fly up. 

[TauntoHawk]

it can really vary I feel, I've seen where it seemed dark out and then I spot a turkey still in a field walking around and I've seen where its well before dark as soon as the sun starts to set birds fly up and are sitting on the limb with plenty of light left.



To share a story about roosting early, I went out once in the evening and parked the end of a lane on the west side of some hay fields where tractors regularly sit and walked a few hundred yards to listen and glass some fields in the back to the west where they "ALWAYS" roost. Got there a good 30-45min before what I thought was fly up time. I was there 5min when a gobbler steps into the field behind me walks across the field and roost 200 or less from my truck in plain view of it and gobble 25+ times on the limb still full light out. I had to wait over an hour til it was dark enough to make it back to my truck and back out the lane without headlights. Came back the next morning turned my headlights off and pulled into the same spot where the turkey saw my truck the night before snuck to within 30yds of his tree and sat down. When it got light I clucked twice and purred he gobbled right at me and flew down out into the field looking over his shoulder for me, so hard he botched the landing and actually rolled tail over his head into the grass! he sprung to his feet and looked around with his head held high hoping Ms. Lady Hen hadn't noticed and I shot him right there. Real nice bird too, he had broken spurs but was a fat joker, won me $200 in a local heavy bird contest.

No idea why he roosted all alone, well before dark in a spot I've never seen a turkey roost but it worked out great for me.

[Farmboy27]

It varies, but around here (central PA) it's usually getting pretty dusk till they go up. As for the locator call, I've had much more success with a turkey call over the years. Wait till it's almost dark and give a few yelps. If nothing then give some cutts and a cackle. If there anywhere close they should gobble

[trkehunr93]

I've had gobblers walking thru the woods at times I would have thought they were deer it was that dark, then I hear the wingbeats.  So, yes about the time when you can begin to barely see the forest floor is always a good time to make'em gobble.

[Bowguy]

Roosting w locators is a better option imo. It's almost totally dark, the birds cant see you n are in trees. Go in to early, say to listen you can bump/bust them

[tomstopper]

Roosting w locators is a better option imo. It's almost totally dark, the birds cant see you n are in trees. Go in to early, say to listen you can bump/bust them

[Txag12]

Seems to be pretty late in my experiences, after what would be legal shooting hours here