Mountain Hunting

[Stout33]

I am hunting some public land in Western Maryland. I am having a really tough time finding turkeys; I have scouted twice but both times has been between 12 noon and 5 pm. I am planing on going early tomorrow morning with the hope of hearing some gobbles. Basically, my question is, do turkeys not like steep areas? I am trying to find some flat area but most of the land is steep up hill. For example, one spot i found and liked goes from altitude 1200-1700 fairly quickly. There are some creeks running through the park and I figured turkeys will be roosting around that area. I just need some suggestions because the season starts Wednesday and I have been working hard trying to prepare. 

[Turkey Havoc]

 "More than once I've tried to circle to get on the same ridge with him only to find him gobbling where I started out from once I got over there!"

Same here when I hunted in the Ozarks!

[Kylongspur88]

Here's what I look for. I start up top because it's generally easier to work a bird up hill, and it's harder to get busted if your just over the ridge line because the bird can see anything coming up the hillside. Benches, points and roads are where I find allot of birds. The logging roads are easy travel and the benches and points are great spots to congregate and strut. I find most of the birds in KY and VA where I hunt roost at the head of the hollers or just below the ridge line, that's most in my experience, certainly not all. As for food, any acorns in the fall and some red oaks usually are left over in the spring. Beech nuts are an important food source here. The gobbler I called in for a kid during the youth hunt was full of beech nuts left over from the fall. Mountain birds can be tough, but at the same time use the terrain to your advantage. If you know the land it's very possible to slip around a bird and cut him off without being seen. As far as too steep is concerned, I don't think anything is too steep. Sure a bird will prefer easier travel routs, but I have also seen birds feed on hillsides I have to slide on my butt from tree to tree to get down.

[Kylongspur88]

Ohh, and wear good boots with good socks. Bloody and blistered feet will end your season quick. I've been there done that. I like to take an extra pair of socks with me and change about lunch time.

[Stout33]

Thanks for all of the replies! I am going out tomorrow morning to see if I can hear some gobbles. I really hope I can find something, thanks again!

[TauntoHawk]

I hunt some mountains here in PA and river bottom farm country in NY.. mountain birds are way harder

I try and get high to start, focus on Oak flats and open ridges, old roads and clearings when im setting up

good boots and socks are your friends.. talk less calls and more water

[Brent]

Mountain birds are the most frustrating but by far the most fun/rewarding.  Look at a top map of where you're hunting and pick out the best looking saddles, hollows, and points.  You will usually find turkeys around the topo features in the mountains.   As stated earlier, if you find a big cove that has water year round and a road network around it there WILL be turkeys there.  Get up on a high place and just listen and you can cover alot of ground like that.
And I don't care what anybody else says, when you do get on one either get on his level or get above him and you will have alot easier time killing him.  I know already that somebody is about to chime in and tell about calling one downhill, but I've hunted mountain birds all my life and I can tell you without a doubt that this is the exception and not the rule.

[jakebird]

Ideally, you want to get high, preferably above a bench that runs a long ways out the side. Southern slopes green up first and get more sun on those morning strutters, and just tend to be more productive overall. Birds like to roost near the head of any hollow cuttting thru a side, so pay special attention to those. Spring seeps are magnets to spring birds and most hollows were formed by water, many have a good spring seep at the head. Birds like to travel along a bench, so try and get a direction on them. You can move with them from above without getting busted like u would from below, so stay high, keep that advantage. When a tom gets lonely u should be able to bring him up to you. Stay shotgun range from the rim of the bench above him, so when he tops it, he's already in range. Good luck!