Calling turkeys across creeks

[ScottS]

Anybody have any pointers on getting a turkey to come across a creek. I have one more day in the season and the property I am hunting has a deep creek running on the western edge. The other side I don't have permission to hunt. At about 9 this morning a lone gobbler sounded off across the creek and kept gobbling his head off but would not come across. I was cutting and excited yelping at him in hopes he would finally give in and cross but nope he finally went silent and I guess lost interest. They were roosted on the other side this morning in about the same spot the gobbler was at. Any tips on coaxing them across assuming tomorrow morning they will be over there again?

[d.winsor]

You were doing everything right, can't think of anything I could have done better.

[Y@]

I could be wrong; but, my old timer friends tell me that's turkey hunting. If they are strutting on the other side and that's where they want to be, that's where they will stay.
If they lose the girls and get sexually frustrated, they will go through anything to get to you.
I just had a bird on another farm go around a horse pen, around a barn, over a road, across a creek, and to the top of the ridge I was on to his head shot. You just never know.

[Gooserbat]

Y@ pretty much nailed it.  If they want to be somewhere then that's where they are going to be.  However if they are in the mood then creeks, fences, logs, or any of the other fickle things they hang up behind won't stop them. 

[silvestris]

Fire him up and then shut up.  It is pretty much the only consistent tactic to bring them across.

[firstflight111]

I hunt a lot of bottom land now I have seen turkeys walk across logs , walk in them , fly over them , turkeys definitely have place they will cross some no matter what you do they will stand on one side and never cross over .
find a place in the mud ,sand that has tracks on both sides and that's a good place to start .
good luck ...

Sent from my C811 4G

[Bigspurs68]

You might try getting him fired up and then walk away calling enough to let him know you are leaving. Hard fact is, big creek or little creek, if he likes the other side, no magic will make him cross.

[ScottS]

Thanks for the info! I thought about going away from him this morning but I thought for sure he was coming over the way he was fired up. Hopefully I will have better luck in the morning or I will be having tag soup this season.

[WyoHunter]

If you're hunting Merriams or Rios they don't have any problem crossing a creek IF THEY WANT TO. I called a group of 3 gobblers and 2 hens down a steep hill across a creek and up an equally steep bank on my side of the creek but they came in out of range. I saw these birds at about 400 yards or so. Some will and some won't. Just like fences. I would do what you did and call a lot. Maybe Easterns are more concerned with getting their feet wet. (Just a little humor)

[tomstopper]

You might try getting him fired up and then walk away calling enough to let him know you are leaving. Hard fact is, big creek or little creek, if he likes the other side, no magic will make him cross.

Same thing with fences as well. These birds are so unpredictable at times. Just keep after him. You never know day to day. Good luck....

[Marc]

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but I have noticed that when a turkey crosses a creek (for whatever reason) that they prefer to launch off on a spot in which the bank is higher on their side than on the landing side.

If you have brush and trees between you and the bird, you might try and coax him to a spot that is higher on his side with a good landing zone on yours (walk and call parallel to the bank).

I have found it difficult to get birds to cross barriers such as creeks or fences...  Also have had difficulty getting birds to come downhill for some reason (I have an easier time getting a bird to come uphill).

[ridgerunner]

Find a different bird..The only way to kill a bird like that is to be on the same ridge as he is..and since you can't hunt it.. move on to another bird.

[stinkpickle]

If I know a tom is on the other side of an obstacle, I will cackle and flap my hat to sound like a hen flying over it...and back away.  Sometimes it works.

[bamagtrdude]

If I know a tom is on the other side of an obstacle, I will cackle and flap my hat to sound like a hen flying over it...and back away.  Sometimes it works.

^^^ this, *and* I would add, make SURE no other hens are around.  I've had a lot of success doing the above, the gobblers are already hot/horny/frustrated about no hens being around, so you "shower down" on 'em, and they can't stand it.

[gobbler777]

You have a better chance if they don't have hens with them. Try a decoy (motion if legal) if they can see it from the other side. They can and will come if they want to. Period