I have a question and I think I knew the answer but I am not so sure now.
Friday afternoon I went in and set up on a hole in a fence that is the border of private and public land. There are two holes in the fence and the birds are using them both. Apparently they like to use the one I am not watching
. They also like to come in from another property that I wasn't watching at all. I sat until about 7pm at (circle 1) and then I went to the area I wanted to set up this morning about 75 yds away. I wanted to set up on the other side of the hole in the fence, but it just seemed to open so I chose a tree on the other side of the trail leading to the hole. I have killed a bird here 2 years ago and saw a tom go through the hole last Sunday, but got pinned down by roosted birds.
Last night It was windy but as it got close to sun down the wind died so I could hear. I never heard a turkey gobble and I never heard a turkey roost, but after I went and picked my spot for tomorrow (circle 2). I walked out the red line which is a trail that goes back to where I parked. I did bump about 5 hens roosted throughout the woods. I thought about not coming back but ultimately decided to. I got set up (circle 2) and was facing the trail (red line) and heard one "jakey" sounding gobble off to my left and then another behind me in the distance. I called at 6:05 and waited. I heard nothing. At 6:25 I called again and heard nothing. Then about 5 minutes later at my 11 o'clock I heard a turkey fly down or at least switch branches. Then I heard another fly down at my 7 o'clock (red dot is approximate roost) I heard movement from 9-10 o'clock so i was watching in that direction. Then I heard a twig pop to my right at 3 o'clock and instinctively looked. Of course it was the tom I am after at 20 yds. snuck in behind me and then came down the fence to my right. When we locked eyes he bolted. I'm a righty so I couldn't swing anyway, so he was gone. The blue line off the red dot is the approximate path he took to get by me.
I clearly heard him come off roost this morning. It was pretty windy. I didn't hear him roost last night and the area he was in was roughly equidistance from the two trees, so I can't see how I couldn't have heard him go up.
Here is my question. Do Turkeys change roost trees at night?
I can't imagine I couldn't hear him go up and I would have walked right by him on my way out. My experience is they stay put, but I can't see how he could have been there the whole time.
follow up question: Will he forget by the morning or should I wait until next weekend and hope no one kills him.
Friday afternoon I went in and set up on a hole in a fence that is the border of private and public land. There are two holes in the fence and the birds are using them both. Apparently they like to use the one I am not watching
. They also like to come in from another property that I wasn't watching at all. I sat until about 7pm at (circle 1) and then I went to the area I wanted to set up this morning about 75 yds away. I wanted to set up on the other side of the hole in the fence, but it just seemed to open so I chose a tree on the other side of the trail leading to the hole. I have killed a bird here 2 years ago and saw a tom go through the hole last Sunday, but got pinned down by roosted birds.Last night It was windy but as it got close to sun down the wind died so I could hear. I never heard a turkey gobble and I never heard a turkey roost, but after I went and picked my spot for tomorrow (circle 2). I walked out the red line which is a trail that goes back to where I parked. I did bump about 5 hens roosted throughout the woods. I thought about not coming back but ultimately decided to. I got set up (circle 2) and was facing the trail (red line) and heard one "jakey" sounding gobble off to my left and then another behind me in the distance. I called at 6:05 and waited. I heard nothing. At 6:25 I called again and heard nothing. Then about 5 minutes later at my 11 o'clock I heard a turkey fly down or at least switch branches. Then I heard another fly down at my 7 o'clock (red dot is approximate roost) I heard movement from 9-10 o'clock so i was watching in that direction. Then I heard a twig pop to my right at 3 o'clock and instinctively looked. Of course it was the tom I am after at 20 yds. snuck in behind me and then came down the fence to my right. When we locked eyes he bolted. I'm a righty so I couldn't swing anyway, so he was gone. The blue line off the red dot is the approximate path he took to get by me.
I clearly heard him come off roost this morning. It was pretty windy. I didn't hear him roost last night and the area he was in was roughly equidistance from the two trees, so I can't see how I couldn't have heard him go up.
Here is my question. Do Turkeys change roost trees at night?
I can't imagine I couldn't hear him go up and I would have walked right by him on my way out. My experience is they stay put, but I can't see how he could have been there the whole time.
follow up question: Will he forget by the morning or should I wait until next weekend and hope no one kills him.
