Sportsmen's Choice Game Calls - Spring Turkey Tip of the Week April 1st, 2012

The following tip is from Pete Plasmier of Sportsmen's Choice Game Calls. Check out Pete's website at www.sportsmenschoicegamecalls.com/. Pete is a long time hunting cameraman who has been creating hunting videos in Pennsylvania and New Jersey for 21 years. Check out his website for his full list of videos, calls, scents and gear. You can also see more tips and reports from Pete at The Buck Barn.

How to locate a longbeards roosting site
April 1, 2012

Early April is a great time to scout for a gobblers roost. I do a few basic things, I'll pick a clear, bright, sunny day your likely to hear some turkey chatter. I have with me binoculars and Ill wear a good pair of high rubber boots, its usually wet this time of year. I never dress in camo this time of year, neighbors and people driving by may think you are hunting and may call the local police or the game warden. Dont bring any attention to yourself, turkeys do see people, its not a crime to take a walk in the woods.

In the winter months, turkey's feel safe together, and they roost in large groups, in trees like hemlocks, spruce, and pine trees, usually in lower elevations. This is to protect themselves from snow, freezing rain, and the cold winter winds.

In the spring the flock breaks up and that wise old longbeard that you are after thinks much different, it is the breeding season.

Come spring gobblers prefer to roost in high elevation almost to the top of the ridge, the high point on the knob of the mountain. Two reasons for this behavior: come day break a mature gobbler likes to feel that nice splash of sun in his face and most important he wants to be heard as he belts out his thundering gobbles in the valley below. Remember as a turkey hunter its always fun to take on the king of the hill.

Keep in mind gobblers like to roost near running water, also near open fields, meadows, and clear cuts. Its easy to pitch down off his roost and quickly gather his hens. In most cases gobblers will avoid roosting in heavy cover, its much to dangerous.

In your scouting when you discover an active roosting sight, there will be plenty of turkey signs. Lots of scratchings, plenty of loose feathers, and turkey droppings.

Many successful turkey hunters find these fantastic roosting sights-and return each year they are proven hot spots. Generations of mature gobblers each spring will return to these roosting sanctuaries. Even when a sharp old woodsmen goes and kills a real heavyweight one morning, in most cases another tom will take up housekeeping on the same ridge just days later. Nobody said it was going to be easy to consistently kill a hard gobbling, strutting, wild turkey, thats the fun of putting in your time and figuring out the whole thing.

Remember never call to the wild turkey, save all that fun for opening day when you put the smack down on him.
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