Up or Down

[Blaster]

I was talking to some guys at work about turkey hunting, and we got on the subject of calling turkeys up and down ridges. This guy swears that it is impossible to call turkey down to the bottom of a ridge. He say's you need to be up on the top of the ridges and call them up to you. What's everybody think?

 

[Limb Chicken]

I have about 10 or twelve turkeys that should have attended that day in turkey school... One of my best spots is in a flat spot in a ditch.

The best thing that I can tell you is turkeys do what turkeys do. You hunt them long enough and you just about see everything. That is similar to saying that bucks only walk into the wind...

 

[Limb Chicken]

I would also add that generally toms have strut zones where they can be most visible/vocal and if he is in his prefered strut zone and you are trying to pull him out of it, it may be difficult not impossible but difficult.

 

[River1]

I've seen them fly across the Maquoketa River to come in, and I've seen them hang up on a 3' wide creek in the Miss. bottoms. I've seen them run up a near verticle bluff and other times fly down the same one to come in.

I'd say it just depends on the bird and his mood. Seems to me turkey hunting is more luck than skill most of the time. You go enough, hit the right bird on the right day, he's done for.

In regard to Limb's observation, I would take a strut zone over any set up, especially when bowhunting.

 

[Blaster]

That's good to know! Since i have three new spots this year and all of them i was planning on setting up in the open fields below the ridges!

 

[KPM]

You can call a turkey anywhere he wants to go. They will come a running if you catch them at the right time. I hunt both ridge tops and valleys. Seems the last few year I have better luck in the valleys. My favorite spot is along a fenceline 150yds from any timber.

 

[jkratz5]

I know I have experienced better success on ridge tops but mainly because I fell these areas are prime strutting grounds (I usually see the birds using these areas and then try to get in on them the next morning). I have called a few turkeys downhill but I feel that the guys you are talking with probably are trying to call birds out of the prime strut areas like limb was talking about. If you pull a bird out of there, give yourself a pat on the back because you have accomplished a very very tough task.

 

[LoessHillsArcher]

in our area it is best to hunt the tops of the ridges cause the birds stay up there most of the say cause they roost on the tops of the ridges, just what I have noticed.