Roosted Birds - Out Early This AM - Never saw Them!

[flysar]

I finally roosted at least one gobbler last night about 9 and was sitting on stand at 4:40 this morning about 80 yds away. Listened to the bird(s) gobbling until 5:30-6 (didn't have a watch) waiting for the fly down. Then there was a long series of gobbles, possibly the fly down, and then the woods went silent... my cutting and yelping couldn't raise a gobble and nothing came in. Got up and started moving around about 7:00 and the woods were empty or at least I heard no response; walked a 1/2 mile area around the roost site calling from time to time.

I thought this was going to be the day, but once again a big zero - can you tell I'm a rookie turkey hunter; been hunting for 35+ years but not turkey.

What do I try next?

[BOWHUNTER45]

Typical situation ... you done right but this is what turkeys do .. a couple things to do is #1 try to find where they are going ..usually they follow that pattern every day until someone scares them .. if you find out which way they go after fly down try to be in that area tomorrow morning .. call soft by purring and soft clucks ..if you want to get on these birds in the evening go to the area where they roost and call soft doing what I said ealier ...It maybe late before they come to roost but sometimes they are close enough to call in before dark ... just make suttle soft sounds ... try it let me know how it goes ... good luck !

[baldopepper]

Welcome to turkey hunting!!!  No way to know for sure, but couple of things could have happened.  They may have seen you coming in or you may have been calling to them while they were still on the roost. (You'd know the answer to that one). By this time in the season many birds have been yelped, cut, purred at so much they automatically head away from the call.  Personally, I've never had much luck actually calling to them while on the roost (I just plain never do it anymore).  Not unusal for them to go quite when they hit the ground, often times they can also fly down quite a ways away, especailly if they are on a very steep hillside or ridge.  Part of the challenge of hunting the d---- things, sometimes I almost wish they would'nt make any noise so you could use the excuse that there arent any around.  For whatever it's worth I've had that happen many times.

[flysar]

Didn't call while they were on the roost, read or saw not to somewhere   After the real long gobble that I thought was the fly down and things went quiet that is when I tried a few cuts then some yelps but there was nothing but silence.

I did hear a gobble 2 days before in the morning about 7:30, 200 yds from that location so maybe that is their route, if I roost them where I did last night again I'll set up toward where I found them a couple days ago.

They were in the middle of some large growth, open underneath, so i can't imagine them flying very far when coming off the roost but I don't know turkeys very well.

Having fun, just would like to see them doing their thing rather than just hearing them.

Thanks for the info... I'll let you guys know what happens over the next week, won't be hunting over the weekend.

[Deer slayer]

Good luck.  Follow their pattern.  Like the others said dont call while they are roosting.  I see your another Klickitat area member.  Welcome.

[flysar]

Good luck.  Follow their pattern.  Like the others said dont call while they are roosting.  I see your another Klickitat area member.  Welcome.

Thanks for the welcome. Moved here in 2008 after 26 years in the Army & Coast Guard. Love fishing the Klickitat, learning the woods, hoping things will come together this year for both fish and game, if not, I love the quest.

[sneakyjake]

I hate it when they do that.

[270Shooter]

I think they can disappear into thin air

[flysar]

Sounds like my situation the other day is nothing new to the experienced turkey hunters, just new to me!  Thanks again for the info... Good Hunting!

[BPturkeys]

Maybe the biggest fraud in all turkey hunting lore is the  "put 'em to bed and get 'em in the morning" fantasy. This situation that you describe is the "NORM", not the exception. I would dare say that 90% of the time when this strategy works, it's because you set up in an area they intended to fly down to anyway, or, you set up in their normal travel route. In all reality, you may think you called them in...but alas, no...they just were going to walk that route anyway. I know, going to be a bunch of boys come on and say..."that's not true, I call them in off the roost all the time"...to this I say, sure, what ever makes you feel good. To all you other guys that weren't so lucky...don't give up, still lots of fun just being out there in the woods.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Maybe the biggest fraud in all turkey hunting lore is the  "put 'em to bed and get 'em in the morning" fantasy. This situation that you describe is the "NORM", not the exception. I would dare say that 90% of the time when this strategy works, it's because you set up in an area they intended to fly down to anyway, or, you set up in their normal travel route. In all reality, you may think you called them in...but alas, no...they just were going to walk that route anyway. I know, going to be a bunch of boys come on and say..."that's not true, I call them in off the roost all the time"...to this I say, sure, what ever makes you feel good. To all you other guys that weren't so lucky...don't give up, still lots of fun just being out there in the woods.

   Yeah i kinda agre with ya but not all the way .... I wonder how many hunters hunters know what  ( WHIT WHITS )AND( DO ITS ) MEAN in the turkey language... Ever heard of them ?  I kill  alot of turkeys with these sounds and have showed only one person and he was like what the heck is that ..cant discribe it without actually showing you it .... These T.V shows do not let you know everything !!!  if you research it , these are sounds made by them when they are hanging around the roost ... master these sounds , you kill more turkey ...

[turkeydancer]

I will do a sleepy tree yelp but just once after hearing them get going in the morning.  If he gobbles, he recognizes me as a "real" live hen  ... I shut up until I hear them really building up in volume and speed.  Then I'll fly down cackle while simulating a fly down by beating my hat against my leg.  Again shut up and use his curiosity and sex drive against him.  It does pay to find which way they go after fly down, simply because they usually go that way again and its easier to call any bird in the direction he wants to go anyway.
 

[BOWHUNTER45]

I will do a sleepy tree yelp but just once after hearing them get going in the morning.  If he gobbles, he recognizes me as a "real" live hen  ... I shut up until I hear them really building up in volume and speed.  Then I'll fly down cackle while simulating a fly down by beating my hat against my leg.  Again shut up and use his curiosity and sex drive against him.  It does pay to find which way they go after fly down, simply because they usually go that way again and its easier to call any bird in the direction he wants to go anyway.
 

   10-4 good buddy ...silent treatment works too !!

[PA BEN]

Once they start gobbling you need to call and let them know you are there. You have to pull them out of their tree to you and not the real hens. I call w/a mouth call and a box at the same time, sounds like more then one bird. And just before shooting hr I flap a turkey wing and do fly down cackles. I do several fly downs. Once my hen is on the ground I cutt and yelp. 

[JKEEN33]

I call w/a mouth call and a box at the same time, sounds like more then one bird.

I do the same thing. I personally think that the two calls together has been the key to my success. When the birds are a ways off, I also move a little so it sounds like multiple birds in a small area, but not in the same exact spot.When they start getting close, I go to the mouth call only so I am hands free.