Not bumping roosted birds

[Bowguy]

Guys we all have birds where we hunt. That's why we hunt there. Gotta be honest, I very rarely bust a roosted bird and I sometimes set up close. Like  40-50 yards.
I've even w kids had to sneak under birds through cattle gates that were closer than that.

I'm writing cause the roost busting birds threads made me think. I've posted something similar before but apparently we have new folks that may not have heard it. For starters leave your flashlight home. I never use one. Gonna day something, I had a bit of a serious medical issue, made my balance way off the last couple years so if I can do this (walk w no light)you can. Ok so someone is gonna mention breaking sticks. If you ever sat in the woods at night, all kinds of sticks are broken. Birds don't bust everywhere all night. The key is be natural. Walk a few steps and wait, almost like a deer. Leave early, I am early enough at least an hour to an hour and a half passes w me set up. As in I'm already set and quiet and in my spot. I've been known to sleep in the woods near the birds. They seem less spooky the earlier and darker it is.
Say you fall. Don't start talking, saying "oh man", grunting, etc.
Any noise just stop a bit. If the birds are awoken and you're still they'll retuck their head and go back to sleep.
Going under birds, say the cattle fences we cross. They creak, bad. We go up to them and someone watches the birds for instance. If you have binos you can see in the dark even better, especially at sky lighted birds. The reason for watching the birds is to see them wake. At that point you wait longer.
So we get to the gate post where it's strongest. Either slide gear over, under or pass it off. First person goes over, soon as it creaks, we stop a bit. My daughters started doing this at 10 and there'd be 3 of us,it works.

For fellows using a blind, same thing but blinds sound unnatural and are kinda big so open a section, makes a noise stop, another tiny noise stop for a bit. We can put dekes, blinds, little kids inside all w birds clearly very close in range.

As you can see the method requires some time, an hour before daylight is way too late to arrive at your area. Hope this may help at at least give you ideas to arrive without busting birds.
Remember don't walk like a human. Oh I should add, during the mentored hunts we do for NWTF, often wheelchairs or trax chairs and transporting hunters physically into another chair happen. Birds aren't busted here either though we do set those binds near farm roads or lanes.

One last thing I'll add is really bright nights. The ones that you can see clearly on early season. Stay in the shadows. Take a step or two and we'd aim for a shadow behind a tree to stop, this may leave you a tree or two strung out.

[ilbucksndux]

I think you are spot on. Get there early and dont use a light. One huge thing to remember is if he is gobbling ,he is awake and looking around !

[Bowguy]

This is correct as well. Something else to think about for new folks, often it's 15 mins or more a bird is awake looking around and not gobbling.

[SD_smith]

spot on amigo! good post!

[kjnengr]

Agree x 100.  The earlier and darker it is, the more you can "get away with".  I hate when I am late and I have to rush to a spot and then I'm worried the whole time whether or not I spooked the birds. 

I've heard before and believe, turkeys are used to things walking under them while they're on the roost. 

I like the idea of keeping an eye on the birds when you know you are about to make a sound to read their body language and reaction.

[Spitten and drummen]

If you snore , maybe you shouldn't try to sleep near a bird.

[Bowguy]

If you snore , maybe you shouldn't try to sleep near a bird.

Lol they think it's thunder and gobble harder come morning!

[POk3s]

I'm a relatively new turkey hunter but have never had any problem waking up early. Being under roosted birds while there's no twighlight yet is an awesome feeling. To add onto your post, my buddy was hunting a ranch near me in the black hills while I was hunting public. He told me how they blew them out of the tree in the morning which I knew they were going to because I passed the ranch house driving into my public land spot and no lights were on. That evening he said they were roosted there again.

To which I mentioned, "I would be set up underneath him by 5:15. Shooting light is 5:45." The response I got was "jeez we might as well just sleep out there then." "Well you can blow them out of the tree in the morning again if you want. Your choice." ...... they blew chose to blow them out of the tree again, and then wanted advice on calling 

[TauntoHawk]

By far my most successful tactic is to be tight to the roost, also watching the birds wake up on  the limb is one of the great wonders of this sport. If you are in a blind 250yds away you miss a ton of turkey behavior.

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[tomstopper]

I agree with all the above but will also say that if you do get up late and head to the woods at first light, be cautious. Many of times there have been turkeys still sitting in thier roost on my way in after working all night and getting to my hunting grounds. Just be patient and don't think that just because the sun is out, that they have left the roost

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[silvestris]

The Rattlesnakes and Cottonmouths would prefer that you didn't use a light as well.

[3bailey3]

I have a  stream light pen light that is green that I think I could walk close enough to one without being seen but every time I try this he is no where close to where he roosted the day before, I hunt most every morning of our season so I don't try and stay all day to see where he flies up, I like to just listen in the morning and move toward him, that's just me though!

[Bowguy]

The Rattlesnakes and Cottonmouths would prefer that you didn't use a light as well.

No cotton mouths here but there are copperheads and rattlers but not a real lot. Being I always walk w no light, I use different things such as streams to help w direction. One morning I was following a stream up a mountain taking my time when I heard blowing like a hot air balloon from way too close. If anyone knows the sounds bears make to warn you when you're too close they know what I mean. I knew what it was cause bears are everywhere round here,  it made the hike in very entertaining that morning. Still safer than going to an ATM at night to get gas money in a city.

[Marc]

Great post...

It was my understanding that turkeys have far more cones (daylight sensors) than rods (night sensors)...  My own experiences seem to validate this.  It seems to me that turkeys can see a flies wings move 100 yards away on a sunny day, but would fail to see a quiet moving elephant under them in the dark...  (Well maybe that is an exaggeration, but you get the point).

I do  not use a light (white, red, or green), and if I know where a roosted bird is, I get there earlier to set up, than if I am going to try and strike one up.

And they might not see so good in the dark, but they sure can still hear.  I have a plan of action for setting up and sitting down quickly and quietly when hunting a roost...  And I know that whispering does not always scare birds, but my experiences taking my children out this season would indicate that they do hear it and react to it...  Talk to your partner and have a plan before getting to your spot to set up....

[g8rvet]

On that subject Marc, I was sneaking in to a spot that I knew birds would be roosted.  We were easing in under total blackout.  I would fuss quietly at my son when he would hang on a briar or step on a twig, trying to teach him to roll his foot as we walked.  I thought we sounded like a herd of elephants.  We sat down and waited for light.  At daylight he let out a gobble and was about 30 yards from us. Scared me to death.  My son was young, but old enough to know we don't shoot them on a roost.  We did not kill him, but he got an unforgettable lesson in how they act on the roost.  Watched him limb hop a bit and turn and gobble in different directions, answering hens and other gobblers.  very cool hunt.  I also apologized for fussing at him.