Finding the roost

[Alavoie52]

Hello All,

Had a pretty good scouting season so far and have multiple Toms, Jakes, and Hens on cam, but only one problem, I cant find the roost. At fist I had them patterned move one direction in the morning and one at night. I figured the direction they come from and to would be the roost but I just cant seem to find it. I looked at first during the day for large concentrations or scat near a tree as well as other turkey sign but no luck. I eventually went out at sunrise and sunset to see if I could hear them gobble from the roost or maybe a fly down cackle but nothing. unfortunately the birds in my area are fairly quite still. so from this I have 3 questions.

1. do I need to find the roost if I know a general area they will be in pretty frequently?

2. does anyone have any tips on finding this elusive roost?

3. Lastly, how far do they usually venture from their roost?

Thank you all for your time!

[Bowguy]

Listen in the morning. Wherever they gobble from is last nights roost. They do often change and that's the value of roosting at night.
It's not necessary for some guys to find the roost as they get up at daylight and locate. There's dif styles. I'd way prefer a roost hunt.
Here's something to consider. You have limited cameras. Imo maybe I'm
Old school but it's a waste. You can only see the birds that walk past a camera. They can be 50 yards to the side and you'd never see them.
Also you may be trying to put all your eggs in one basket.  You shouldn't be looking for a roost. You need to find a whole bunch. Least that's the way I'd show ya. People, predators, birds not home, you need to change/rest spots, all reasons to bounce around. And you need to have plan B if an A fails. Plan C if A and B fail.
Not talking going 100 yards down a hill, I'm referring to another high odds place to try.
Yea, I'd find a roost. Than another, than another, and another, and another, etc. Don't ever stop finding new spots as back up areas.
Use your truck, hike roads, mountain bike, first light to locate. That's the way I'd scout and locate a roost. I'd never do it prior to a season or in season by walking into Turkey areas. Least not much and only than from a distance.

[Marc]

1. do I need to find the roost if I know a general area they will be in pretty frequently?

2. does anyone have any tips on finding this elusive roost?

3. Lastly, how far do they usually venture from their roost?

Thank you all for your time!

1. No.  Knowing the general area will kill birds.  If birds are not gobbling, it is tough though.  Patience will be the deciding factor for you...  Running & gunning will work against you if you cannot get them to gobble (or so I would think).

2.  What type of area are you hunting...  I hunt rolling oaks with some digger pines...  Birds seem to prefer digger pines at the base of a hill (I feel they fly from the high ground to the tops of the trees).

A well used roost will have some turkey sign (especially feathers and poop) around it.

3. My guess would be anywhere from 1/4 to 1.5 miles from the roost during breeding...  Towards the end of the season as most hens are on the nest, I think some toms will move around a lot more than that; and roost in vastly different areas from day to day (looking for a  hen).

Non-vocal birds are tough to hunt...  I would hunt likely areas of travel with patience, and when done hunting cover some ground and look and listen for turkey sign (strut marks, poop, foot-prints, feathers, etc.).  When I am uncertain as to where birds are, I have a pair of binoculars around my neck, and will spend more time in areas I can see for some distance.

[Twowithone]

I was told to go out in the morning and listen for the gobblers and turkeys if not overly pressured will roost in the general vicinity for awhile. This has been true for me since 1996 and I wasnt hunting turkeys then due to a hunter sneaking up on me and having his shotgun pointed at me 4' away I gave up turkey hunting for a couple of yrs. I always kicked these birds out going in deer hunting so I started turkey hunting again.This is 22yrs turkeys have been in this location. Once the turkeys break up their winter flocks they come back to this little patch of woods to roost it might have something to do with the breeding or something but they come back every year.   

[beardwacker]

In my experience, Roosting birds is waste of time.  This comes just from public hunting experience.  In the old days I have done that, then sneak back in and they was gone without me doing anything wrong.  On public land, birds move to different tree's until they feel comfy and safe.  I have witnessed birds settling in to roost, then actually fly to another tree 100 yards or so away, the whole flock.
I have found that knowing that turkeys are in the area, then the morning of hunt, hearing them "gobble", moving with in 100 yards have always worked.  The most important part of turkey hunting is knowing the lay of the land, and where the birds want to go and WHY.

[Bowguy]

In my experience, Roosting birds is waste of time.  This comes just from public hunting experience.  In the old days I have done that, then sneak back in and they was gone without me doing anything wrong.  On public land, birds move to different tree's until they feel comfy and safe.  I have witnessed birds settling in to roost, then actually fly to another tree 100 yards or so away, the whole flock.
I have found that knowing that turkeys are in the area, then the morning of hunt, hearing them "gobble", moving with in 100 yards have always worked.  The most important part of turkey hunting is knowing the lay of the land, and where the birds want to go and WHY.

I respectfully disagree. I hunt lots of public land. It's actually less crowded than some of our leases. Roosting birds is never a waste of time. Yes they can move 100 yards but you're still starting out only 100 yards away.  On public land with lots of pressure it'd be best to be the closest guy to a bird no?
You can work him softly and maybe shoot before anyone else is even ready.
Now to address the birds flying away after they're roosted , this isn't their nature most times. If it was dark when you left and you used no light to get out I'd bet more often than not you'd be way ahead.
Why start a race the same place as everyone else when you could already be 3/4 done. Why not roost a bit later after they've settled in their second tree too?
Roosting is no guarantee but it's a guarantee there's a bird nearby. Most often right exactly where you left em. In your woods only 100 yards away. Not too far to work for sure.

[SD_smith]

Listen in the morning. Wherever they gobble from is last nights roost. They do often change and that's the value of roosting at night.
It's not necessary for some guys to find the roost as they get up at daylight and locate. There's dif styles. I'd way prefer a roost hunt.
Here's something to consider. You have limited cameras. Imo maybe I'm
Old school but it's a waste. You can only see the birds that walk past a camera. They can be 50 yards to the side and you'd never see them.
Also you may be trying to put all your eggs in one basket.  You shouldn't be looking for a roost. You need to find a whole bunch. Least that's the way I'd show ya. People, predators, birds not home, you need to change/rest spots, all reasons to bounce around. And you need to have plan B if an A fails. Plan C if A and B fail.
Not talking going 100 yards down a hill, I'm referring to another high odds place to try.
Yea, I'd find a roost. Than another, than another, and another, and another, etc. Don't ever stop finding new spots as back up areas.
Use your truck, hike roads, mountain bike, first light to locate. That's the way I'd scout and locate a roost. I'd never do it prior to a season or in season by walking into Turkey areas. Least not much and only than from a distance.

You can never have too many spots. If one ranch is dry then I pick up and haul butt to the next until I can find something worth the time. I try to be an efficient hunter the best that I can and especially during the early season I don't like to waste time.