How early to set up?

[lowoctane]

you can walk right underneath them as long as they're still asleep and you aren't crashing around. Be in the woods before there is any light at all..... once you're set up take a nap til the gobbles wake you 

Absolutely correct! Been under sleeping birds many times. Explains how and why bobcats get 'em...

[Bill Cooksey]

I strongly believe in using NO light.  I have never had a bird come in off the roost when I use any light (red or white).  While I do not believe there are nearly smart enough to reason that the light is bad, I do believe they see the light and have the instinct to avoid the area they saw it though...

And a bit O.T., but I have never understood why the red light would make much of a difference over the white.  I can see that red light for some distance off, and turkeys certainly have the retinal photoreceptors to see the red light as well.  Why would the red lights be any less deleterious?

I agree with Marc in regards to a light. I never carry one turkey hunting. On a really dark morning I might wait five minutes by the truck for my eyes to adjust, but they do adjust and you can see surprisingly well...certainly well enough to walk in and set up.

I don't know what the deal is with a red light, but it's definitely different. For instance, for our home alarm we have  second control panel in our bedroom. It has a green light when unarmed and red when armed. Neither bothers me, but the green light will wake my wife every time. Don't know what the deal is, but there's a lot of evidence a red light isn't as provocative to many animals.

That said, I don't take any color light in the woods. One more thing to carry, and it serves no purpose if you let your eyes adjust. Now, while it wouldn't be ethical (or even legal many places), I'd love to wear night vision walking in sometime. Several game wardens have told me it's incredible how well you can see turkeys on the roost with the right setup. Would really be interesting to just watch them on a limb in the dark.

[lowoctane]

 
In my younger days, maybe no light. Now it's a necessity. I'd rather spook a bird than fall or twist an ankle or a knee! Don't bounce like I used too...

[Bill Cooksey]

In my younger days, maybe no light. Now it's a necessity. I'd rather spook a bird than fall or twist an ankle or a knee! Don't bounce like I used too...

I can certainly see a potential need in rugged terrain. One of the weaknesses of these discussions are the different conditions many face.

[Timmer]

I like to be in and settled 1 hour before things even begin to lighten up.  I believe that ensures the turkeys and the rest of the critters in the woods forget about me.

Don't underestimate moonlight.  I once kicked a turkey off the roost around 4 a.m. when I walked right under its tree.  Given its size I was quite confident it was a turkey but it was also dark enough where I couldn't fully identify it.  At the time I believed that turkeys would never fly in any form of the dark.  However, I was able to see where it went in the moonlight. It flew directly across the narrow field and roosted again.  Sure enough when things lightened up I was able to see it through my binoculars and it was a hen.

[OldSchool]

 

Considering this is a spot you seem to have easy access to,  go ahead of season mid day and clear the spot you want to sit. Kick the leafs out of the way, clip any limbs and get it how you want it. Opening day, all you have to do is slip in without a light, sit down and wait.

Good advice, in my opinion. Give yourself every advantage you can. It stinks to realise that you can't shoot anywhere just as It's getting light enough that you don't dare move. I like to be where I'm headed early too, with plenty of time to get settled. I enjoy that time, sitting there in the dark with the anticipation neck deep.

Good luck with em.

Bob

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

I was in on my birds at 350 AM last Friday morning and shot within 2 seconds of the third gobbler touching the ground.

Use stealth.  Feel for sticks with your feet before placing full pressure on them in the leaves.  Take 30 seconds to a minute and a half between steps and bend over.  Make yourself look like a deer as you get in really tight.

The earlier the better because the birds are asleep, it's darker and you can get tighter to them without blowing them out.

If I'm hunting inside 60 yards of a roost, I'm in there set 80 minutes before light begins to touch the horizon.