roosting trees

[jims]

I've been doing a bunch of "computer scouting" using googlemaps and will likely be hunting the SW Nebraska and SW Kansas this coming year.  Most turkeys in these areas are located along creek and river bottoms where it is fairly open with few trees on the upper hillsides.  Generally speaking, if I'm going into an area blindly what type of trees would turkeys tend to roost?  I'm aware this can change from area to area but do turkeys generally look for any particular kind of trees to roost?  Do they prefer the tallest trees in the area, cottonwoods vs elm, thick patches of tall trees, long limbed trees with big branches, close to water, out of the wind, etc?

[Mike Honcho]

In those areas cottonwoods will be among their favorite roost trees.

[J Hook Max]

 I agree. I grew up hunting in the Mississippi River bottoms and cottonwoods were the preferred roost trees.

[jims]

That's kindof what I thought.  Where I hunted last year I got up high over looking a stream bottom and noticed a clump of cottonwoods that was WAY taller and bigger than all of the other cottonwoods and other tree species in the area.  It was evident when I got up to them that they were roosting trees.  The ground below the trees was loaded with turkey poop and feathers....so that was a pretty good guess!   Does anyone ever look for poop and feathers below trees to find roosts?  I would think that would be a great way to locate them while scouting during daylight hours?

With that said I wonder if hanging out around a roosting area may spook birds and change their routine....sending them somewhere else?

[J Hook Max]

 That is exactly right. The answer to your two questions are YES and YES !