Do turkeys hang out in creek bottoms? Or up on ridge tops?

[Mossberg90MN]

I've been listening for gobbles recently. After locating a bird on a ridge side, I glass the ridge top and don't see a turkey there. I thought turkeys would fly down from the roost and go towards the high ground?

Or do the proceed towards the bottoms and hang out there all day?

I'm just a little confused. I suppose turkeys do what they want.

Thanks!

[Tom007]

I always find them on the ridges.......

[Dtrkyman]

Yep!

[trkehunr93]

Typically they will pitch back towards the ridge their roosted on but I watched a flock of birds yesterday morning pitch of the ridge they were roosted on and fly 200 yards down and across the river they were roosted above.  I've seen them fly across roads their roosted next to as well.  It's what floats their boat that morning.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Greg Massey]

I've seen them stay on high ground and move out into the fields or woods and I've seen them leave the ridge tops and fly down into the bottoms. It's just turkey's being turkeys. When you think you have them figured out , they will do right the opposite, like coming out into other parts of the fields or move off into the woods and never come out those days. Hen's during the breeding period can change up everything gobblers do.  But if you have a really good creek bottom on your place i would concentrate on hunting these area's often especially late during the morning and early afternoon, these area's always usually greens up the fastest in the spring. 

[fallhnt]

Yes

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[THattaway]

Depends on your part of the country I guess. Here in the upper piedmont of SC they typically roost on prominent ridges and fly down to river bottoms. Those are the strutting areas and primary travel routes here on wooded land. They will strut, gather hens and head off up or down river normally. It's not exclusive, some hang out in pine flats or fields etc. Just speaking of wooded river areas. I did better once I learned to beat them out there.

[Tom007]

The big woods of the North East has ridge running turkeys.... They love the ridges......

[JL_Longbeard]

I'd say get up top, & cruise the tops until u have a good reason to head down. I've kilt 1 or 2 by calling them up. Usually if a bench is available 20 yards down, I'd set up there. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Spitten and drummen]

Yes

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

This

[StruttinGobbler3]

With these South Georgia birds, heck if I know. Occasionally they'll roost up on a ridge. Sometimes in the bottoms. Other days there will be a couple up on the ridges and a couple down in the bottom. Where they decide to go after pitching down is anybody's guess, it's like playing the slots in Vegas. Some days they come out to the fields; some days they don't. I've confirmed that theory using the time lapse mode on trail cameras looking over plots and fields. I've been chasing them a long time now and I still don't see any set pattern to what they do. They also rarely gobble in the evening, roosting is a laughable concept. Usually you just go to a prime listening spot before daylight, hope they gobble early, and strike out towards one. I have also slipped in close to general roosting areas about an hour before dark, and listened for the wing beats when they flew up. That's as close to roosted as you'll get one 98% of the time here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[StruttinGobbler3]

As a side note, I have a rather unscientific opinion on what makes a gobbler down here decide to go in a specific direction each morning. Redneck, shade tree wild turkey psychology, if you will. Pretty sure these hardheaded jokers wake up in the morning, have a good stretch, and pitch down whichever way he happens to be facing when he wakes up. If you can tell me which way he's looking at daylight, I'd kill them all. Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Tail Feathers]

I don't know the answer,but I would think that an escape heading downhill would be easier.  So where it applies, I start high and work downward as needed.
But on real windy days, they usually wind up down in the bottoms to catch a break.

[GobbleNut]

Simply put, turkeys are creatures of habit, and those habits are formed as a function of satisfying their daily needs.  Learning where and when they satisfy those needs is a big key to knowing where to be at any given time during the day.   

The easiest place to call a turkey to is the place they want to be to begin with.  Very often, that place is generally going to be in the same vicinity, at generally the same time, every day. Sometimes that is on a ridge, and sometimes it is in a bottom,...and much of that has to do with the habitat they live in and how they have adapted to that habitat type.

What's that saying again?  Oh, yeah,..."Learn the habitat, learn the hunt" 

[Mossberg90MN]

I'd say get up top, & cruise the tops until u have a good reason to head down. I've kilt 1 or 2 by calling them up. Usually if a bench is available 20 yards down, I'd set up there. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is definitely going to be the strategy. But we're still a month out here in MN.