What time to get in the woods ?

[ilbucksndux]

This is a question I get ask often by new hunters. My response is ,It all depends . If I know exactly where he is roosted I want to get in there in the pitch dark and quietly get as close as I can to him. Or in other places I want to be 3 or 4 ridges back before I start "hunting" I want to be there in the darkness. But there are other times when its not crowded and I have a place to myself that I will start hunting as soon as I get out of the truck.These days I will stand at the truck ready to go and not start walking till daylight has started to break and the birds are chirping.



Anyone have other opinions or suggestions ?

[Bowguy]

Maybe call it overdoing it but even when I have a spot to myself I'm in at least an hour before dark.  That means in as in set up, normally it's earlier.
When I roost birds I'll often go home get my gear n sleep at least half the night w them. The closer it it to daylight the more apt you are to bust em. Never do I just go in n hope or walk blindly. Truth is n it's only my opinion n perhaps the hardwoods I normally hunt but if the birds are already chirping the gobblers are up. They're in a tree n have a birds eye view of us walking in. That'd be the last time I'd be caught moving around the woods.
Yes if the first set up doesn't work I may run n gun but truthfully it's not my fav option. I should add a flashlight going in is unnatural n even at night will bust em if you get close, I never use one

[ilbucksndux]

Oh I should have added that I do NOT use a light and I only run and gun. I walk in and listen for a gobble and head to him. So being "setup" for me is sitting by a tree with gun on my knee

[Bowguy]

It's by no means picking apart your thread or criticizing anyone's methods. I'm just for the be where the birds are first thing method instead of hitting the woods w intent to find em. Now if preseason scouting allows us the birds are in the area n we have no time to roost the running n gunning in an area is great. I'd just be in a bit earlier n being its a learn to hunt forum just expressing the way I do it. I just feel earlier than birds awake is best in open woods, especially if you gotta get through fields first. Birds will see us coming 300 yards out in that situation

[ilbucksndux]

No offense taken. If I have put one to bed I will be as close as I dare before daylight.  I always have a good idea where they are from preseason scouting. I dont have many fields where I hunt and you can get pretty dang close to one before he flies down if you know how to move around the woods. Do you always have one roosted or know exactly which bird you are going to hunt every day. ( Not trying to argue I really want to know)

[Bowguy]

Most times I do try n roost one. Last year I didn't have time but every bird I killed was a first light set up knowing already where those birds were roosting but I coulda been wrong those mornings.
I didn't even move to reposition on em. I'd not label that running n gunning though.
To be fair though I should add roosting birds by the house is almost a nightly thing, when I hunt a place bout a 1/2 hr away in NY its tougher so I'd imagine guys living even farther away would find it hard

[Greg Massey]

Maybe call it overdoing it but even when I have a spot to myself I'm in at least an hour before dark.  That means in as in set up, normally it's earlier.
When I roost birds I'll often go home get my gear n sleep at least half the night w them. The closer it it to daylight the more apt you are to bust em. Never do I just go in n hope or walk blindly. Truth is n it's only my opinion n perhaps the hardwoods I normally hunt but if the birds are already chirping the gobblers are up. They're in a tree n have a birds eye view of us walking in. That'd be the last time I'd be caught moving around the woods.
Yes if the first set up doesn't work I may run n gun but truthfully it's not my fav option. I should add a flashlight going in is unnatural n even at night will bust em if you get close, I never use one

Interesting i have to know more, so let's say you roost a bird right at dark, so your saying you go back home get your gear and stay most of the night with the birds. So just how long are you sleeping under the tree waiting for these birds to wake up....?

[ilbucksndux]

I pre scout several areas. By scouting I mean go out and listen so I know where several are roosting. Combine that with the knowledge I already have of the area and constantly looking at topo maps and Google earth. Those things combined with a knowledge of turkey behavior you can guess where one will be and when he fires off head to him.

[Bowguy]

Maybe call it overdoing it but even when I have a spot to myself I'm in at least an hour before dark.  That means in as in set up, normally it's earlier.
When I roost birds I'll often go home get my gear n sleep at least half the night w them. The closer it it to daylight the more apt you are to bust em. Never do I just go in n hope or walk blindly. Truth is n it's only my opinion n perhaps the hardwoods I normally hunt but if the birds are already chirping the gobblers are up. They're in a tree n have a birds eye view of us walking in. That'd be the last time I'd be caught moving around the woods.
Yes if the first set up doesn't work I may run n gun but truthfully it's not my fav option. I should add a flashlight going in is unnatural n even at night will bust em if you get close, I never use one

Interesting i have to know more, so let's say you roost a bird right at dark, so your saying you go back home get your gear and stay most of the night with the birds. So just how long are you sleeping under the tree waiting for these birds to wake up....?

Buddy I live in the town I hunt. If I was to get up it'd prob be 4 hours early anyway, just the way my body works.  I'm not saying that's necessary it's just what I do. Since I'm up n minutes from home I just go in that 4 hours early n sleep. Why sit in the truck?
It's seems you're disbelieving. I never sleep straight through any night. And I don't sleep much as most guys. . .
Back to the thread earlier is better imo

[Greg Massey]

Maybe call it overdoing it but even when I have a spot to myself I'm in at least an hour before dark.  That means in as in set up, normally it's earlier.
When I roost birds I'll often go home get my gear n sleep at least half the night w them. The closer it it to daylight the more apt you are to bust em. Never do I just go in n hope or walk blindly. Truth is n it's only my opinion n perhaps the hardwoods I normally hunt but if the birds are already chirping the gobblers are up. They're in a tree n have a birds eye view of us walking in. That'd be the last time I'd be caught moving around the woods.
Yes if the first set up doesn't work I may run n gun but truthfully it's not my fav option. I should add a flashlight going in is unnatural n even at night will bust em if you get close, I never use one

Interesting i have to know more, so let's say you roost a bird right at dark, so your saying you go back home get your gear and stay most of the night with the birds. So just how long are you sleeping under the tree waiting for these birds to wake up....?

Buddy I live in the town I hunt. If I was to get up it'd prob be 4 hours early anyway, just the way my body works.  I'm not saying that's necessary it's just what I do. Since I'm up n minutes from home I just go in that 4 hours early n sleep. Why sit in the truck?
It's seems you're disbelieving. I never sleep straight through any night. And I don't sleep much as most guys. . .
Back to the thread earlier is better imo

Not disbelieving , just curious , i'm usually in my hunting spot couple hours before daylight. Days before season opens, i have taken a garden rack and made a path to my hunting spot..lol   It's just amazing what we will do to kill a turkey....lot's of fun....

[Bowguy]

Yes. I am not a young man n still can't sleep late if I'm going tomo. The only dif is now falling asleep became easier

[catman529]

Opening morning or a really hot spot on a Saturday morning on public land, I like to be super early, like an hour or more before daylight. That is only to get to my spot before anyone else does.  Otherwise you can start hunting whenever you like. I work two jobs and one of them I get out between 830 and 9am. If I'm not headed into the other job, that's a great time to hit the woods too.


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[Greg Massey]

Opening morning or a really hot spot on a Saturday morning on public land, I like to be super early, like an hour or more before daylight. That is only to get to my spot before anyone else does.  Otherwise you can start hunting whenever you like. I work two jobs and one of them I get out between 830 and 9am. If I'm not headed into the other job, that's a great time to hit the woods too.


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Yes middle of the day is a great time to kill a bird...i've seen you kill birds up in the morning. Most would of already left for home...

[Marc]

 If I have a bird roosted, I want to be in the field and set up an hour before shooting time begins. I will not use any light, and I will set up as physically close as possible to the bird without scaring him while he is sleeping and roosted.

I would love to be able to scout more, but my time schedule generally does not allow for such.

That being said, If I do not have a particular bird roosted, I want to be dressed and ready to go by shooting time, and be in a good vantage point by shooting time. I will let the birds gobble on their own and then try to set up on them as close as possible without scaring them.

[MK M GOBL]

Depends on the bird and the hunt... I have a spot I call the 10:00 field, it earned that name because it is a notoriously "bad" spot for first light hunts. Birds don't roost right there, do something else until they get there and not in the timber I can hunt... So I get to this spot around 9:00a or so and go. I typically hunt another spot first and this is plan "B"... So for the first set I am in early enough it's hard to see down to my toes

MK M GOBL