Question??

[Stumed]

Do Turkey not like go up hill, or down hill for that matter when calling them? How do I locate Strut Zones, where I hunt is very steep with few open woods, lots and lots of thickets, some small man made feilds, and power line clearings.

Also, in telling which way turkey a going, I know to watch for which way the leaves are thrown, but its like they just dissapear, how would you locate their roosting trees, and do they have favorits that thay normally return to? As far as seeing any, I have only ran up on them a hand full of times. What terrian fetures do they like to travel along, where I hunt there are OLD longing roads should I just stick to them, thats where I find most of the , but thats mainly the only way I travle through the woods, Believe me if I could get off the beteen path I would, usely you can for a little bit but then you run in to another stinken thiket. So if you were a Turkey what would you do?

[I_HUNT_ALL]

Your gonna want to try to call a turkey up a hill, not down. they can see whats "down" there before they get down the hill, but they wont know whats up the hill until they peak the crest....
and look for dropings under the trees, or do a buch or afternoon scouting!

[turk2di]

Scouting will answer most of your questions. Thier prefered roosting sites can be found by simply listening come mid-late March for thier gobbling. Turkey don't really mind goin up or down hill, its just when you want them too that it gets maddening. They prefer to go uphill due to thier anatomy, its easier. But they won't hesitate to go downhill. Many times tho, they will simply glide downhill.

[teacher]

Haven't hunted your neck of the woods before, but strutting areas are usually going to be areas where the tom can be easily seen by the hen.. Clearings, long ridges, fields, power lines, log roads, or points and flats coming off ridges.. Do some scouting in mid march for birds gobbling.. You can also listen before dark and hear birds fly up to roost.. I have always heard that it is easier to call one up a hill rather than down.. I usually start on top anyway..

[deepfryum]

It is my understanding that a turkey is more comfortable going up hill verses down. He can easily make an escape if he can go down hill rather than making a retreat up hill. That is why I try to call from above or same level as the turkey. Remember you are going against nature to make him come to you. Try your best to make it as easy and as comfortable for him as possible. Finding strut zones is all in the scouting. About mid march go and listen to them gobble. After fly down try and keep on him just to see where he likes to go. Once youfigure out where he wants to go when he comes off the roost. You will want to be between him and that spot when hunting him. I have hunted the DBNF and I feel your pain! One tip i can give on this place is go to the end of the ridge where it looks over the valley bellow. Them old birds like to be there because they can hear them hens from along ways and their gobble covers more area, and when he sounds off in the morning and you are already on the ridge with him you will be in good shape!

[thunderchicken09]

What county are u hunting in?

[WildmanWilson]

If you can get on the same level as they are. I have called a bird in once down a huge bank and up the other side in stripper pit country. I'm talking several hundred feet down and back up. I couldnt believe he came in but if the bird is ready they will do about anything. Just try and make it as easy for them to reach you as you can and you should have good luck.

[shaman]

Do turkeys like walking up hill or down hill?

Most of my turkeys roost in creek bottoms of the little side hollows against the ridges. That means

a) They have to go up hill every morning if they want to go anywhere besides down.
b) Some time during the day, they have to walk or fly back down to their roosting tree.

That is an over simplification. I actually have seen them pitch down in the morning, head down to the mouth of their hollow and roam the bigger bottoms fairly frequently. The point is, turkey go up and down hills all the time. This is like the old myth that deer only travel with their noses into the wind. If that were true, all the deer in the state would be gently drawn to the west and you would never see them again.

Where they come out into the pasture and I can glass from a distance, you can see what they are really up to. Turkeys generally do not walk straight up a hill and the only time you will see them go straight down is if they are scared. Instead, they take an angle and walk along the contour of the hill, gently angling up or down to suit their needs. This is not a hard and fast rule. I've seen lone gobblers and entire flocks walk straight up a hill in the middle of the woods, when they had a mind to get to where they were going. However, if you have a flock of turkeys that are out feeding, you will find them generally walking along a hillside, and never directly gaining or losing elevation in a big way.

What does that mean for turkey hunting? Your chances of luring a gobbler to you somewhat depends on your relative elevation. If you have a gobbler that is far below you or far above you on a hill, there is less chance that he is going to come straight to you. If you want to ambush him, you should be on the same level or close to it.

Let's say you're out cruising for gobblers and you use your locater call and get a response that is well above or below your current level on a hill. Do not charge straight to the gobbler. Instead, try to get closer to his elevation by doing an end- around in the direction you believe he is moving. How big of an end-around? Give the gobbler enough room to gently move up or down to your final destination on a gentle angling slope.