Roosting birds well after dark?

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TN-TurkeyTickler
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Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by TN-TurkeyTickler »

I am only gonna get to hunt the weekends this season. Im barely going to be able to make it to the properties to listen at fly up. Although I will be able to make it out there I cant be within earshot of all the potential roosts at last light. Also have multiple properties to listen at as well. Im just wondering if they might shock gobble an hour or two after dark. I am just trying to maximize my odds, in my limited hunting time. Thanks!
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Dr Juice
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Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by Dr Juice »

I doubt it. My experience is that we have about 30-mins after dark unless we are near a full moon phase [emoji281]
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OLE RASPY
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by OLE RASPY »

I doubt it but never tryed it so who knows. Good luck.
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youngoutdoors
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by youngoutdoors »

My granddad used to talk about roosting turkeys late at night. I took it you just had to be closer to them to disturb them into a gobble.

God Bless, Louis
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appalachianassassin
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by appalachianassassin »

I think the year was 1999 I had 2 gobblers roosting 100yds from my house. I got them to gobble at midnight on several occasions. worked on them don't see why it wouldn't work for you. have to say they are the only birds I ever tried it on.
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ICDEDTURKES
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

appalachianassassin wrote: February 21st, 2018, 4:17 am I think the year was 1999 I had 2 gobblers roosting 100yds from my house. I got them to gobble at midnight on several occasions. worked on them don't see why it wouldn't work for you. have to say they are the only birds I ever tried it on.
I've done it too. I was dinking with an owl on a full moon, bang gobble.
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GobbleNut
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by GobbleNut »

From what I have seen, getting turkeys to gobble at night after full-darkness is just too unreliable. Having said that, I also don't think trying it is going to hurt anything, and you never know, you might just get a response if that is your only option. Of course, that is assuming that you are the only one hunting the properties. I would advise not doing that in a place where there might be a lot of other folks hunting or camped in the area. They might frown on somebody running around in the middle of the night squawking on a locator call. :mrgreen:

Personally, I think I would be more inclined to just start an hour or so earlier in the morning before daylight to try to locate birds. I have often had gobblers respond well before first light in the morning.
TN-TurkeyTickler
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by TN-TurkeyTickler »

Thanks, just wondering in case I get desperate. Dont know why im so worried about it. Its been a few years since ive killed one fresh off the roost anyways.
KPcalls
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by KPcalls »

I've roosted some by the not so distant lights of a wally world in early spring. The moon ....wally world light and a good pair of bino's.
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SwampDrummin
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by SwampDrummin »

Never had too much luck roosting in the south but a couple fellas here are on to something when they say get out there an hour earlier. I can’t tell you how many times I THOUGHT I was there in time to here the very first peeps and wouldn’t cha know the dang birds were already halfway at it.

I’d spend my energy getting up early and sneaking closssssseeeee to where you think one might be. If you do it right you’re in the game before the first feet hit the ground
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ncturkey
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by ncturkey »

Scouting before the season is key for me. Cause I can not always Roost birds on a regular bases due to work and distance fron hunting location. I been scouting in late February. I will Actual be starting this coming Saturday. I go to all my hunt areas and learn everything I can about the birds at each locations. We the season gets here I have a plan of attack. Opening day I will be early too my best spot to listen and hopefully move in on a hot gobbling bird. Scouting will be your best tactic and then maybe roosting one at your best spot.
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turkeyinstrut
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by turkeyinstrut »

I have roosted birds before and they were still gobbling an hour after dark, went back the next morning when I climbed out of the truck at 5 AM they were gobbling. Don't know if they gobbled all night or not but when I left there there was one less of them. :toothy7:
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Re: Roosting birds well after dark?

Post by hobbes »

turkeyinstrut wrote: February 23rd, 2018, 1:30 pm I have roosted birds before and they were still gobbling an hour after dark, went back the next morning when I climbed out of the truck at 5 AM they were gobbling. Don't know if they gobbled all night or not but when I left there there was one less of them. :toothy7:
It's been a while, but I've been on a bird or two like this also. Dang those are exciting.
Lately, I'm rarely give a chance to roost a bird. Even if I do, it seems rare anymore that I kill a bird right after flydown anyway. I had a lot more opportunities to kill birds just after flydown back in the East.

Unless its a really simple matter of trying to roost that late, I'd just show up plenty early to move in on the first tom that gobbles. Although, sometimes it pays to let him gobble a few times to see if another sounds off that you are about to step on top of.
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