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Help on Typical Turkey Behavior in Fall...

Started by dan61psu, October 21, 2013, 10:52:05 AM

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dan61psu

Getting ready to do some fall turkey hunting...

I was up scouting on some private land I hunt in the Spring in north central PA.  I knew where they were likely roosting, as we heard em in the Spring and couldnt call them to us (they didnt wanna go west, they wanted to go east!)

Anyway, I was scouting Friday AM, and definitely found em.  I inadvertently got too close to the tree talk and got stuck in a half stand/crouch as they flew down within 50 yards of me.  It was awesome.  I was glad i found em, but was afraid to bust em up.

I stayed still for about 15 minutes while they grouped up.  About 15-20 birds in all.  They grouped into two separate units.  They both went to the same area on the hill top for dusting and warm up (i skirted around the hillside and saw em there).  Luckily i stayed still enough and they didn't spook.

It looked like a group of hens and a group of gobblers/jakes.  One was def a gobbler, the rest might've been jakes or just younger gobblers, i wasnt close enough to really tell, plus they were going the away from me.

My question:  Is this typical for guys and gals to group up?  Is it typical for them to stay near each other, but not follow as close?  Lastly, am i likely to see this behavior in a month when i get out with a shotgun?  Im trying to decide if i wanna setup at the roost or where they headed.  I am hoping for the latter as its 50x easier to ambush em there than to crawl down the wooded steep hill into the riverbottom where they fly down.

thanks for any help!
It's no fun living so far from good turkey woods!

strutnrut

The short answer is yes. I think they will remain in the same roosting area and yes the gobblers like to stick together. As I see it you have a couple of option like you stated. One you may have over looked that I will use is to bust them off the roost the night before. Let them fly up for the night then bust them hard and separate them. The next morning they will be looking for each other and will be talking a lot. You could slip in there just before daylight and get right in the middle of them and when they hit the ground bust them. Then sit down and enjoy the fun. A lot of times if you set up in the direction they like to go they will come by you but still be to far away for a clean kill. If posible I'd bust them up. Now gobblers are a little different. If 2 or more fly in the same direction more than likely you will not be able to call them back. The Jakes will come back together but the mature gobbler a lot of times will not. If he does come in more than likely he will not talk at all. You might hear so gobbler clucks. Just cluck back at him. Good luck
The way I look at it is a day spent chasing a turkey is a great day indeed.Kill or no kill

dan61psu

Good thought.  Since I have 2 full days to get my bird, I think Ill probably try Morning 1 at the dusting site (easiest). 

If that doesnt work, spend the day setting up at roost site to catch em on the way back. If they choose a different roost site, go to their roost (hopefully) and bust em up so i can call em back Morning 2 :)

Thanks!
It's no fun living so far from good turkey woods!

strutnrut


dan61psu

...and i came home empty handed.  The flock completely vanished.  No sight, sound or sign of em anywhere.  Really confused/bummed.

Sigh...
It's no fun living so far from good turkey woods!

fallhnt

I use decoys in the fall and call alot. You keep after em' and you will win but not everyday. Every minute I spend in the woods is 1 min closer to killing em'. good luck
When I turkey hunt I use a DSD decoy