Southeast Ohio

[Hughesjr60]

So my brother and I are hunting Wayne National Forest/Burr Oak area. Before I ask, I don't want your "spots" or anything like that. We made the trip down this weekend to scout. He has never turkey hunted and I've nver hunted hills and forest like this. Any tips on type of terrain features we should be looking at or ridges vs bottoms, things like that? We brought our boys with us (6 and5) so we didn't get to cover as much ground as I wanted but we were able to go about 3 miles, but mostly scouted ridge tops. Now if it's there when we go back in May is another question but I did take a trail cam and hung it 12 foot up a tree angled down on some turkey scratchings. Ps if anyone is doing an out of state hunt like I am, onX maps is fantastic for property lines and marking spots like where we left the camera at. Anyway, thanks for any tips. I'm a seasoned turkey hunter at home in Indiana but I've been hunting the public lands where I'm at a long time and know them very well. This is all new to me as far as out of state and like I said my brother has 0 experience, but I am really looking forward to expanding my season and hunting with my brother

[West Augusta]

Wayne is known to hold a lot of turkeys.  Be prepared to do some hiking and climbing.  Get to the ridges well before daylight, sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee and wait.  Wait for them to sound off.  Stick to the ridges.  Mountain birds are easier to call up a hill than down.  Saddles are good areas.  Look for old oak ridges. 

I've never hunted that particular section of Wayne but have hunted others in the area.  I'm not that far away.   You have a lot of territory to hunt there.  Good luck and hunt safe.   

[Hughesjr60]

Hey I appreciate that. Will do on the ridge tops. That was my plan unless someone thought of something better lol. Thanks again. Really looking forward to this trip. Nothing in the world like hunting turkeys!

[Chris O]

Do your mountain birds typically fly off the roost down hill or up hill? I am just curious I have never hunted mountains before thanks

[Happy]

Do your mountain birds typically fly off the roost down hill or up hill? I am just curious I have never hunted mountains before thanks

It varies in my experience. If they are roosted on the uphill side of a field or clearing then my bet is they willpitch down to it. Same with benches. If it is just a wooded hillside then my bet is they drop to the upper side of the hill. It's all an educated guess though

[Chris O]

Thanks Happy, I guess I Just picture a nice meadow in my mind that they would gravitate to. I realize not all the mountains have those areas and flying off the limb up hill would be a shorter fly down If it was really steep

[shaman]

If it's any help, I've been in the middle of a flock several times as it was flying down.  Do they pitch down uphill or downhill? The answer is yes and it depends.  I have mostly ridges and ravines on my place.    When I've watched my turkeys fly down, they pick the downhill side if they're trying to get away from the roost.  They pick the uphill side if they want to stay close to the roost tree. 

I had a flock of turkeys that liked to roost on the shooting rail of one of my ladder stands.  I never knew if they were there until I was almost at the top.  It was amazing how long these birds would hold before busting.    Most of the birds would bust downhill, because that gave them the longest distance to get away from the roost tree.  I'd assume my spot, bring up my bow and wait for dawn. 

There were turkeys scattered on neighboring trees as well.  These would eventually wake up to the fact there was a human in their midst and pitch down.  They would go in all directions, but it appeared to me that the dominant birds would fly down uphill and then start making assembly calls.  The birds further down the hill would then come up.  This forming up process might take the better part of an hour, and there would be some intense arguing.  The dominant hens would squawk back and forth trying to figure out who was going to form up on whom.  Eventually the whole crew would muster at some point up the hill from the roost and walk off feeding.

I have had similar experiences watching birds in the pre-season.  In late winter, I'll have big flocks consolidate and hang out in the same ravine we call Hootin' Holler.   These birds will roost up and down the creek in the tallest trees, usually a third to a half way up the hill.  Birds pitch down in all directions, but they end up usually move to the uphill side of the roost no matter what.