How long before turkeys will come back after being bumped?

[YoungJake]

Today I went out this afternoon (I am unable to hunt most mornings) to a field edge I know toms use to strut in all the time and where there are several roost trees just into the timber. The hills are very rolling on my way there. I came up slowly over the ridge and scanned the field edge. I didn't see anything, so I started walking over there to set up. Out of no where, 4 turkeys come sprinting along the edge (about 200 yds away) and eventually flew into the timber. Now my question is, how fast will they consider coming back? Is it a matter of just a few hours and I could call them back today, or will it take a few days? And if I come back another day and they're in that corner again, which way would be best to sneak in on them or call them over? The tom is obviously henned up so that kinda complicates things. Thanks!

[tomstopper]

I have seen them come back both hours later or days later.  The biggest factor in this is hunting pressure. If they have not seen alot of pressure you should be fine. Just bumping them is not a big deal as long as you didn't sit and call to them to much (I believe they can be educated on calling if its done real often IMO). I would say give them a day and then get back on them. Good luck & keep us posted....

[redleg06]

Not long before they'll resume normal activity and forget about it. There's no definite answer when they'll actually come back to that particular area, but if they stopped going to areas that they got spooked from they'd have to go find a hole to live in.

I've had times where I spooked them and watched where they flew or ran to then gave them a little time to settle down (as in 20-30 min) then worked my way toward the area i figured they went to and resumed hunting them, with good success.

 

[DirtNap647]

usually not long at all

[whaler]

Last season I walked right out into a field, stupid i know, and bumped a nice gobbler that was about 100 yards away. He ran into some brush. I quickly threw a decoy out and sat right where i popped out and began yelping. 2 minutes later he was 15 yards in full strut.

You never know. Generally if they fly off I feel like they are real busted.

[uarobert]

A few weeks ago I had a bird talking from the roost in a bottom below me. Some time after he down, I got impatient and peeked in to the bottom. At that point, the hens I didn't know about bumped hard. Flying, cackling, the whole 9 yards. The two toms with them trotted off behind them. I started walking back to the road and after I a bit I threw out a call to see if anything was over the top of the hill. Well, the original bird fired off from the same place I had seen him. Just depends on how the bird is feeling. Lack of pressure on that property surely played into it.