Pine timber birds

[TauntoHawk]

Got a question for you more southern minded turkey hunters. Logistical I just don't think I can make my Nebraska trip in mid April work out, with the amount of time I can swing I'd spend more than half it driving not hunting.

I've had a standing offer to come to North Carolina from a guy I've taken out up here as part of a wounded warrior veterans hunt and we've stayed in contact with.

So since I have a free turkey weekend now I think I'll head down for 2 or 3 days and Chase some birds with him. So  I did some recon on OnX in his area lousiburg NC. it seems to about 85% pines and 15% hardwoods. Most of the hardwoods seem to be in the bottoms with a few ridges but nothing like the topography I'm used to in the north east.

Am I correct in assuming the birds will roost and hang in the hardwood draws and bottoms or on any knolls or ridgetops?

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[Gobbler428]

Not necessarily, I live and hunt in South Carolina just south of Charlotte.NC. We have the same type situation, lots of pines and some hardwoods, some hardwood ridges but mostly hardwood bottoms which are wet and have creeks running through them.  The birds will roost in both areas.  When its warm, and it is most of the time in April, the birds tend to hang out in the bottoms near the creeks where it is cooler during the day but they roost both in the hardwood bottoms and on the ridges in both hardwoods and pines.

[bbcoach]

I live and hunt in Eastern NC and pines are the norm on the coast.  Birds will roost in the pines, around swamps, almost anywhere.  Best bet is to scout roads and any open fields.  The birds will utilize the roads to move from place to place and they will use them as strut zones as well.  In order to find birds, you can listen first thing in the mornings and try to locate roost sites in the evenings.  If you can Running and Gunning is a great tool once you locate some birds.  Use your Binos on roads and field edges, they are a valuable tool.  Good Luck. 

[Cut N Run]

I've hunted around Louisburg some over the past 10 years.  A lot depends on the area you'll be hunting.  Pines less than 20 years old probably won't have many birds roosting in them, especially if there are bigger hardwoods in the surrounding area.  If you'll be hunting along the Tar River, definitely pay attention to the hardwood draws.
PM sent.

Jim

[Tomfoolery]

Living around logged time i have had gobblers roost in nusery pines. If there strip cuts thats perfect place to kill em.

[bbcoach]

Living around logged time i have had gobblers roost in nusery pines. If there strip cuts thats perfect place to kill em.

X2.  In pine plantations, that normally have a 30 year life, birds will roost in 5 year old or 25 year old pines.  Any place they can get 10 feet above the ground with a limb that will hold their weight.  Some of our best winter roosting sites are young pine thickets.  Normally these young pines will have plenty of under growth that allow the birds to detect predators coming, if the predators can get through it.  When it is time to fly up, they normally will use a road, shooting lane or open area to fly up from and use the same area to fly down, in the morning.  If you are hunting more open pines and hardwoods, then they tend to hit the bigger trees.  Don't close your mind to birds not using young pines because they will.

[tha bugman]

I like mid morning trolling transition zones of hardwoods and pines.  Good luck!

[g8rvet]

I hunt a very large National Forest in Florida and 90% of the time, the birds roost in the hardwoods.  Maybe more.  Every once in a while they will be in a pine.  Private place I have been hunting for 15 years, I have seen them roost in a pine tree one time. 

[TauntoHawk]

Thank you for the responses and those that PMd me. Looking forward to seeing some new scenery

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[TauntoHawk]

I want to say thanks for the guys that reached out and provided information one of which even shared detailed info about public land that we hunted a bit.

We had a great hunt and it was certainly different,  90% of the timber we encountered I would have called un huntable for turkeys in the north east it was so thick. Birds were extremely challenging they were not vocal and seemed very spread out. We spent a lot of time covering ground until we found fresh sign then usually slipped back to the sign areas in the morning or evening and hoped for birds to be back through.

We took a bird each in 2.5 days of hunting and took them both on a small piece of private we had access to. mine was a pretty solid bird at 20.5lbs sporting 1 3/16th sharp spurs and a 11 5/8th paint brush.

Good BBQ and biscuits and enjoyed the warm weather now it's time to wait two weeks for PA and NY to open.

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[daddyduke]

Congrats!

[tomstopper]

Very nice. Congrats to you all

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[bbcoach]

Great Job Guys!!!!!!  Hunting has been tough.  Not much gobbling.  Congrats on two Great Birds.  One that was a Limbhanger.  Welcome to NC hunting!!!!

[TauntoHawk]

Great Job Guys!!!!!!  Hunting has been tough.  Not much gobbling.  Congrats on two Great Birds.  One that was a Limbhanger.  Welcome to NC hunting!!!!

Do you guys farm poison ivy down there?

I left it snowing in PA and came home to snow flying again so the sun was nice for a few days. The pine pollen was out of control

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[Cut N Run]

Great Job Guys!!!!!!  Hunting has been tough.  Not much gobbling.  Congrats on two Great Birds.  One that was a Limbhanger.  Welcome to NC hunting!!!!

Do you guys farm poison ivy down there?

I left it snowing in PA and came home to snow flying again so the sun was nice for a few days. The pine pollen was out of control

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We don't need to farm poison ivy, we've already got a natural bumper crop. The pine pollen hasn't quite reached it's peak yet either.  I'm glad you guys did well here and I hope you get the opportunity to come back soon.  You definitely chose the toughest week of the season, though I'm glad your skills and determination helped you score.  Congratulations and good luck the rest of the season.

Jim