How far do you think a gobbler goes in spring?

[bigdog061]

In a days time, how far do you think thes gobblers travel from there core area in the spring?  I'm thinking about 300 yards!  What do y'all think?  Thanks

Paul

[mikejd]

300 yds? I bet its in miles. You can watch a bird travel more than 300 yds.

[NYbassman]

Miles. Especially in open areas. I have been watching 3 gobblers since march in a very open area, small blocks of woods, 90 % fields. They travel a 4 mile radius weekly, you never know where they will roost, it could be the same block as the day before, or 3 miles from there.

[870supermagnum]

     3+  I'd say it's at least a mile depending on the topography.  Swamps and large hardwood bottoms will be less than open farm land (fields).  Those long legs can cover some distant daily.

[nantzh]

I think it depends entirely on where you are.  I know the farms I hunt in Southern Indiana i would bet that they dont travel much over one mile.
Last week in Nebraska they would travel that mile in the first 30 min after flydown, and then who knows how far.  I bet those birds covered 5+ miles some days.

[dirt road ninja]

In SW MS I don't think they go to far. We've got plenty of cover, plenty food, and lots of hens, but I know it's way further than 300 yards.

[TauntoHawk]

few years ago I set up on some birds close to the roost but at fly down those birds had their mind made up where they were going. we watched them for a while to get a bead on where they were going and looped around. I killed that gobbler 1.1 miles (according to my GPS) from the roost at 7am and he was still headed away.

I would say the average bird has a home range of 2 square miles but terrain will really effect the overal size. I know birds that roost all season in the same trees and then I'll see some others all over and seems like they roam a lot.

[turkey_slayer]

I read a study on a radio collared gobbler one time that once all the hens started sitting and quit going to him he traveled over 5 miles in one day

[Spring_Woods]

I read a study on a radio collared gobbler one time that once all the hens started sitting and quit going to him he traveled over 5 miles in one day

That I can believe. Its like deer hunting. They have a late season pattern.

[BP1992]

Did you really just say 300 yrds?

[tomstopper]

like everyone said it definitely depends on the terrain these birds have to cover, but i tell you what i have chased a few gobblers that took me on wild goose chases for several miles. So my answer would be depending on terrain i would say anywhere from 2 to 5 miles one way easily.

[bigdog061]

Here in southern Wv. we have birds roosting in the same tree allott of times.  We have abundant mast, lots of cover, and I don't see these birds traveling that far all day. yea, probably more than 300 yards, but you can pattern these birds pretty easily. I don't know!

Paul

[guesswho]

Early season I can belive 300 yards from the roost one direction or the other on some of my places.  Later in the season they travel a little farther than that, but even then I usually find them within a half mile of where they spent the night.  There are exceptions without a doubt.  It also depends on where in the pecking order a gobbler is.

[Reloader]

Early season in hardwoods, 3-400yds is a reasonable radius.  Late season it can be miles.  In open country it can be miles from roost and right back to the same area to roost again.  Even in thick areas, I've seen them hit ROWs or dirt roads and go a good ways.  There's no right answer, just do your best to get somewhere along that path (or make him find a new path )

[VAHUNTER]

Early season I can belive 300 yards from the roost one direction or the other on some of my places.  Later in the season they travel a little farther than that, but even then I usually find them within a half mile of where they spent the night.  There are exceptions without a doubt.  It also depends on where in the pecking order a gobbler is.

Agreed