Digisouting for roosting areas?

[rhendrix]

Heading back to NW Oklahoma to hunt rios for a few days...wanted to get a week in but with a wife who is 30 weeks pregnant and a 5 year old and 2.5 year old at home I can only get 4 days...so I gotta maximize my time. Trying to do some digiscouting at work and looking at areas that might have some cottonwoods in them for potential roosting sites. I've hunted the area before and had a hard time finding roosting sites last year, can anyone tell me if these are good roosting sites by just looking at an aerial view?

These are some of the areas I'm looking at:









Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Jared Bloomgren]

So hard to tell from looking at these pics to tell what tree is big, little, cottonwood, spruce, or maple!!!

If you have hunted it before do you remember there being bigger trees? Look for the bigger trees that are preferred for roost sites. Look for trees with horizontal branches that will allow the birds to roost without having to fight an angles limb throughout the night. If in there during the day look for trees that have smooth mark on the top of the branches, lots of crap, and feathers spread underneath them. I think just as important is finding the strut zones located throughout the property as well. Open fields with lots of scrathing. Think like a nightcrawler, if it rains, where will you show up at?

 

[rhendrix]

Jared, there's some large oaks in that third picture and my buddy shot a beat up jake last year in the same area, we saw some awesome tons in the field to the east there, but could never get within bow range. Learned the hard way last year that spot and stalking in open terrain with a bow is damn tough to for turkey. I'll be running and gunning all day until I find a roost and can pattern some toms or jake. Last year I was picky, this year I don't have that luxury, so the first decent tom or jake I can get on I'm taking it.

 

[Jared Bloomgren]

Sounds like you need to give a Heads Up Tom Turkey Decoy a try!!

 

[rhendrix]

Need a bird to get a fan for one first!

 

[Jared Bloomgren]

I'll sell ya one!!

 

[rhendrix]

A rio?

 

[Jared Bloomgren]

Type of fan won't matter!