Calling Gobblers Off The Roost

[SHEDHEAD]

With the Spring season fast approaching, I'm curious to know what percentage of the time you guys fill your tag by calling gobblers off the roost. Most of the ones I've been fortunate to take have responded better in the late mornings or early afternoons when they were apparently away from their hens. My morning hunts have been a great way to enjoy the beginning of a new day, but the gobblers seem to always be with hens and fly down only to work away from me. What's been your experiences?

 

[Greywolf]

The best luck I've had early in the morning is when the gobbler was separated from his hens. Once I accidentally bumped a tom the evening before when I went out to roost them. I could see the tree he flew to and set up on him the next morning. Another time I had to sneak under their roost to get to where I wanted to set up. I flushed one of them out of the trees when I was trying to disentangle myself from a big multiflora bush in the dark. Both times the toms came right back to the roost sites looking for their hens. They met my 12 gauge instead

 

[muddy]

I've personally never really had luck getting birds off the roost in the morning. I like to set up at or near the roost tree area in the early afternoon and wait till they come back. Works like a charm.

 

[NWBuck]

I've probably had my best luck within 30 minutes of fly down. This is true early in the season (like first or second) but by 4th season I think a person is probably better off sleeping in and heading out about 9:30 or 10:00.

NWBuck

 

[hershy]

...I agree with NW Buck in regards to sleeping in early during the latter seasons, especially in areas of high pressure...but I love to hear'em gobble!...as for my success with roosted toms my record isn't too bad during the early seasons when the hens aren't in the breeding mood...as the season progresses I do have better luck during the mid-morning...my best luck with roosted birds has always started the night before...if a hot tom flys to roost one evening he will be looking for some lovin' real bad the next morning when he flies down!...I set up as close as possible and let my scouting pay-off...

 

[jason]

My dad and I called in two toms off the roost once. Really nice birds. Long beards, all fanded out, and very vocal. But we messed up, (one of many times!) because we thought the birds moved on, because they hadn't gobbled in the last 10 min, so we both stood up, and right when I looked over my shoulder, the two toms were standing about 20 yards away. And the next thing, we heard the loud beats of their wings, and saw there feathier butts. It was there lucky day!

 

[full-strut]

I'd say over 50 percent of the birds I have killed were during the morning fly down right of the roost. Try not to over call, just do soft tree yelps so you don't get "TurkeysaurusRex" all fired up to a point every hen in the section is shaking it under his tree as soon as good light hits.

I will normally stay with a soft tree yelp until a boss hen fires up and he starts responding to her. If so, fire up and mimic every thing she does. You have got to really turn it on for him and this may mean running a mouth call and a slate at the same time, following it with a box call. I try to really light it up like there is no gobbler with a small group of hens in a certain tree or small area. This will only work if you can do it right and the gobbler's are hen heavy.

Try to use some patience before resorting to this, but I will assure you it will work. Maybe not everytime, but a good amount of the time.

I also have good like from 10-1 p.m., this is when a lot of people go for a snack and leave the woods wide open. The hens are going to their nest and the "Boss" is on the move. I do not overcall here unless he fires up, the biggest bird I called was 3 years ago in Missouri. I fired him up cutting on a box call. He was about 150 yards away and he came in running with a hen in the front. She came to the fence and was looking for me and putting up a storm. I had a 20 yard shot at him in full strut. He went down like a sack of bricks. He weighed 28 lbs, 1 1/4 in spurs and 2 10" beards. A year earlier, I killed a bird in the same area that had 1 5/8 spurs.

That bird came in with 3 other gobblers right off of the roost and they looked for me from an open field into the timber. I didn't have a clear shot and they left and went to the top of the hill and started gobbling. I started cutting extremely hard, frequently, and raspy with a MAD Shippwreck call and he came in silent and alone. And, on the way out......he had a partner to walk out with.

Remember: "There is nothing prettier than watching a wild turkey, other than watching their 'Coppertone' body being pulled out of a hot pot of peanut oil"

[This message has been edited by full-strut (edited 02-25-2002).]

 

[SWIABOONER]

I have had my best luck with shooting birds of the roost when I can get between the toms and the hens. I know that this isn't always possible but when u can get it done it is a very effective way to score on a gobbler. But for the most part I have had more success with taking birds a little latter in the morning when the hens have gone off to their nest.

 

[SHEDHEAD]

Great replies!! Thanks. The tactic of sounding like a small group of hens that you mentioned, full-strut, sounds like something I would like to try. I have often wondered about trying that but never got up the courage to actually do it. I will this year though when my other tactics don't seem to be working. I have tried getting between the gobbler and his hens in the mornings but have never had much luck at it. It always seems that they are very close together and/or I end up spooking them all when trying to get into position. I have heard of alot of hunters getting between them though, so it must be possible. And like full-strut said, it's hard to beat the looks of a golden turkey being lifted out of that fryer of peanut oil! I'm so anxious that last weekend I went to the store, bought a turkey, and had one cooking in my turkey fryer by early afternoon!! Try it--it will get you in the turkey season mood, if you're not already!

 

[muddy]

mimicing the boss hen is a wonderful move, it seems to peeve her off and in her coming in it'll usually bring a few younger hens and sometimes the gobbler will follow them all. Another good way to sound like a flock of turkeys is to use the fighting purr finger push button calls at the same time and use a mouth call, you can interrupt yourself and then start a fight with yourself. Sounding like a couple of hens that are fighting makes old gobbler think he's gunna score multiple times with multiple partners.

 

[SHEDHEAD]

Thanks muddy and oletom! Some proven tricks of the trade that sound like they are well worth trying. I'll keep you posted on how they work for me this spring.

 

[OLETOM]

SHEDHEAD - If you do your scouting, or at least this is what I have found, most the time the tom will be located any where from 100-150yards from the hens. Especially with the dominate toms. They have certian trees that they will go back to night after night to roost in depending on weather. Allot of times you can seek in VERY EARLY and get set up between the gobble and hens or just off the side of them and intercept him on his way to his lady friends in the morning.

Another trick I have learn is to compete with the dominate hen in the group as well if the tom get buy you and to the hens. The doinate hen does not, in allot of my experiences, like to be out done when there is a tom near buy. Most of the time if you listen to here and call back to here the way she is talking to you, you will be able to bring here in. ALONE WITH OL'BOSS TOM! Try is some time. Remember call only as much as she does but do it a little louder. ONE OTHER THING, I forgot to mention, is that I have only done this in the woods. You can get yourseld to sound more real by russeling the leaves with a short twig or you hands. That little extra sound makes a world of diference!

Good Luck,

OLETOM