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Odds that he'll cross a creek?

Booner

Well-Known Member
Today was by far the best day i've had this year and I didn't even harvest a bird. We had turkeys gobbling they entire mornin' I'd still be out there if it wasn't for dang Bio lab at 9oclock. But I was wondering what the odds of a tom crossing a creek is? I have a small creek that splits my 80 acres i hunt perfectly in half, and it seems like i can never figure out which tree them birds are gunna roost in for sure the night before. Today we set up on the wrong side and we had a Tom gobbling literally for 15 minutes straight to anything type of noise he heard. He would come to the base of the creek, strut and just walk right back up and strut some more. Any help would be greatly appreciated. We gunna give er' a shot tonight and in the morning.
 
Is there a spot where you could shoot on both sides?? They will cross, they wont do it all the time but they will. thats what I would look for :way:

A friend and I had one cross a river this morning only to spook at 38 yards at the sound of him clicking off his safety (kinda loud) at leaset thats what we think happened :confused:
 
Well since your not suppose to shoot across water thats kind of out, but I have had many toms fly across creeks, most of the time I dont use a decoy when I set up close to them, makes them get more curious to find the ladies IMO.
 
Cant shoot across water? never heard such a thing :confused: if that was the case the riverbottoms I hunt would be a no-shoot zone. Water running everywhere.
 
You just never know. I had one yesterday morning that did that on a fence line for over 1/2 an hour and would come across to me.
 
Well since your not suppose to shoot across water thats kind of out, but I have had many toms fly across creeks, most of the time I dont use a decoy when I set up close to them, makes them get more curious to find the ladies IMO.


Pretty sure the law only includes rivers not small creeks. I had two birds run to a creek bank and then glide across a creek to hit my deeks. It really just depends on the bird and the mood he is in. I have had a mature gobbler refuse to jump over a small log in a trail. He would strut back and forth next to it but would not cross. They can be so stupid and lucky sometimes! :)
 
I guess the regs read rifle over any water of the state, so I guess I will take back my statement, as obviously it is not a rifle. Sorry for that
 
Thanks guys,
I'll be going back out tonight to give it a whirl. I guess we'll see what happens, like i said that was they absolute hottest bird i've ever seen/heard so I'm confused why he didnt cross. He had to have seen the decoys but i never fully got to see him except through brush. He didnt even let me finish my calls and he was gobbling his brains out. I'm gunna try and set up closer to the creek that way if i can get a shot across I'll do it. Hopefully I'll be posting tonight BIG TOM DOWN ha ha!
 
I would say you have about a 25% chance of them crossing the creek. Some birds will cross multiple obstacles to get to ya. One time I had a bird cross the creek twice and 2 fences...twice. He really wanted to die that day. :D
 
I have the same deal in one of the chunks I hunt. We need to build ourselves some makeshift plank bridges for them to walk across. Then we're good either way. :D
 
I'd say ya got about 50/50 shot. depending of course on the toms mood, how good of a caller you are, and about a bazillion other things, but i'd say ya got a shot. for me, gettin' 'em across is easy, gettin' 'em in gun/bow range is another thing.
 
Last year I had one come in from behind me (I didn't know he was there until he gobbled at I think my decoys), I never called and then he flew across a creek about 15 yards wide and then a fence on the other side of that and he ran straight at my PrettyBoy all pissed off.. I had the PrettyBoy facing me with a hen at about 10 yds. I think in your situation, get your decoys where you know he can see them and dont call at all. The more you call, the more you're telling him that you're interested (sure, it's fun to call at them when they're all fired up and cutting you off, but you need to resist the urge and just have patience)... which in nature, usually leads to the hen moving in on the tom. If you can sound like you're un-interested in him and give him a visual of another tom in his territory getting ready to breed one of 'his' hens, chances are, he'll fly across.. Good Luck!
 
Last year I had one come in from behind me (I didn't know he was there until he gobbled at I think my decoys), I never called and then he flew across a creek about 15 yards wide and then a fence on the other side of that and he ran straight at my PrettyBoy all pissed off.. I had the PrettyBoy facing me with a hen at about 10 yds. I think in your situation, get your decoys where you know he can see them and dont call at all. The more you call, the more you're telling him that you're interested (sure, it's fun to call at them when they're all fired up and cutting you off, but you need to resist the urge and just have patience)... which in nature, usually leads to the hen moving in on the tom. If you can sound like you're un-interested in him and give him a visual of another tom in his territory getting ready to breed one of 'his' hens, chances are, he'll fly across.. Good Luck!

Good advise! Pay less attention to the tv shows, I just cringe sometimes watching those shows when they have a bird on a string and continue to call :thrwrck:.
 
I'd cross a creek for a lady that is ........well, he will too. Just keep at it!! Maybe there was a hen with him you never saw. Goodluck!!
 
On my girlfriends first gobbler I called them through 2 ravines. They just have to be in the mood to figure out what is going on. The pretty boy definitely helped out this time.
 
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