Mountain Turkeys Questions

[Mule3006Elk]

I don't have access to private lands. I could go knocking on doors but I really like the challenge of public land hunting. Good training for big game season anyhow.

I found a spot last year with turkey sign and I saw several hens. Heading there this week. Besides glassing sunny slopes, listening for gobbles, looking for sign, how often do you location call when you're simply trying to find birds or get a response? Every 5-10 minutes? New drainage? Calling in the morning mostly or t/o the day as well?

I'm very new to turkey hunting. One trip last year, no bird, but I got the bug. Ha!! I believe I saw Merriam's in the woods last year.

This mountain area has agriculture fields in the flats (3500 feet). The zone I'm working is about 4,000 feet and I plan on staying closer to the agriculture fields. If I hike up the mountain, just to paint a picture, the ridges are about 7,000 feet. At the top there is a fairly large flat rolling area with stable elevation throughout. Not sure how high I can expect to find birds. Mostly below snow line I'm assuming.

I can make 6 trips up to this area over the next 5 weeks. I have some time to sort it out.

Any tips for this type of turkey hunting are welcome!

Thanks in advance.

 

[Bluegrassvw]

What works for me:

If you find a bird on the roost, they generally (75% of the time) fly down into the side of the hill. Though I have also had them pitch off the side of a hill down to a meadow/field.

If no luck first thing, start boot stomping. Call every hundred yards are so. Cutting and location call. Depending on the area a crow call works great too.

Best time to hunt birds in my opinion is between 11am-1pm. I love getting them off the roost too but that is hit or miss early in the season.

Fields are great strutting zones but so are high knolls and benches. A light drizzle is the best time to spot check fields.

If you start working a bird and he goes silent stay put for at least 45mins. It's a crap shoot as they are either coming in or were peeled off by a hen.

Lastly, if a tom is with hens, you need to call to the hens not the tom. He will follow suit. If you can get the lead hen agitated and she starts ripping calls...start mimicking her. Be louder and cut her off each time she starts cutting. Be cautious as she will come in looking to fight and will need to work past you before the tom comes into range generally.

Hope that helps. Good luck!

 

[Mosster47]

I'll add to this if you know the tom has hens and you can't get him to break away while he is still gobbling back the best chance you have is to keep calling during the middle/hottest part of the day.

The tom will break off and come in but won't make a sound the whole way to you. It makes it way easier if you're calling a field and can see them, but it's still pretty high percentage either way.

 

[highcountrymuley]

Find ponderous pines near a big drainage, that's where they roost. Figure out where they are coming from and going to.

 

[Anobody]

In my travels birds also roost on leeward side of a mountain and just about level with the crest of the hill they are on. Ha ent hunted out west but eastern s in the mountains I noticed similar

 

[FLAK]

I've never hunted Turkeys out West, but here in the East
they seem to be in different areas in the Spring than they are in the Winter.