Does Turkeys fly down in valley more in morning or up to open fields.

[x1957x]

If you had the option where there is alot of birds that you see both up top and in the valley fields do they have a tendancey to fly down to decoys or up to decoys that are set up in morning? Lots of birds in the fields up top later in morning and alot in valley fields in morning. What are the best setups to use? Do they seem to fly out of the roost to the bottom of the fields in the early morning and walk up the hills to the open field as the day progresses?

[96trigger]

I almost always see them fly down or across a valley and walk up. They are a big bird and have trouble flying up. My personal opinion is that wind plays a huge role in where they will fly. Most turkeys in the bluffland roost just below or slightly above the field line on the bluffs or on flat wooded bluff points. Sometimes when coming off of the roost they just kind of jump down and walk up to the fields. I think alot of time when they sail, there is a reason, like they get spooked or something. Its cool to be out bow hunting for deer and have thirty turkeys sail across the valley right at you. They look like 747's.

[goblueM]

In my experience they usually don't fly up - like 96trigger said, they'll hop off the roost and walk up in that situation. They'd much rather walk up a big hill than try to fly.

I see them coast across valleys all the time. Just last week I saw 4 hens fly about 100 yards to a gobbling rooster, it was pretty cool to watch. I also see them fly across water frequently

[Wanderer]

If there's water at the bottom, I like to start there. I have had birds pitch off the roost and glide into a bottom field set but they do usually walk. I don't think I've ever seen a bird go from roost directly to the top. As already said, they usually show up walking.

If you have enough patience though, when on top and talking to them on the roost (don't over call), wait them out even if they go to the bottom first. They usually remember the last place they heard birds on top and wind up making a swing through around 9-9:30.

I my area this is consistent anyway.

[Cheetah]

They seem to do whatever the heck they want, with no reason, and almost always the opposite side I am sitting on.

[Wallydog]

YES

[Tim_Anderson]

I don't anymore, but used to hunt the bluff country in southeast MN for many years. We experienced a lot of different scenarios, but generally, I'd say they fly down and walk uphill to us most often.

Some of my coolest memories though, are of birds that were up top during the day, and when we called from the valley below, they set sail and glided down to us. Yeah - they look huge!

Most generally, early in the am, they are roosted in the valleys - often up toward the top part of the draw. We set up above them, they flew down, and walked up to us. But I have also set up below them in strutting areas because I had them patterned there day after day. We've also had good success that way, with them flying down to the ground directly under the tree, and then walking down to us at the valley floor.

Turkeys may have preferences and tendencies, but you never really know what they're going to do, thus, you gotta stay versatile. My opinion anyway...

[goblueM]

They seem to do whatever the heck they want, with no reason, and almost always the opposite side I am sitting on.

That could pretty much sum up all of turkey hunting

One week-long hunt in Michigan's UP, we had a sweet piece of land with a river running down the middle. Birds roosted on one side or the other, but always close to the water. No matter what side I sat on, or what side the birds roosted on, they would invariably go the other way. So frustrating, but that just makes it that much sweeter when you seal the deal!

[NWBuck]

I agree they'll fly down more often, but in a bluff situation, I like to set up high. The only reason is because it's easier to call them up a bluff than down. In that case you're in business regardless of whether they fly out high or low.

[Dave S]

I had both situations where they'd go to the top and some fly to the bottom of the hill/valley.

More often than not, the birds that go from roost to the top fields at daybreak are the less experienced jakes. The more mature birds, as mentioned earlier, walk to the hilltops around 9-9:30 around here.

[brittman]

Fy down, walk up.

[x1957x]

Here's a scenerio of what I hunt. It is an 70 acre cigar shaped field that has a boomerang style valley around it at the bottom. At the bottom is 2 small 5 acre fields around the tip of the cigar shaped field if you will. The top field is always 30 rows of corn then 30 rows of beans that go around the edge of it by the trees with a man made pond ont the north side. Where the pond is it is met with a gully that runs up to it from the bottom or very close. Some years we see birds at top by pond and in that area all different times of the day. Sometimes on the bottom in the early morning. Last year they had planted beans at the bottom. They like to roost in the trees at top of field edge (2 cottonwood) plu other spots all around the field edge and with a late snow melt and only sparse greens. Do you think that they will fly out in the field in the morning or come walking in later. Is it worth waiting at the top or take the hike down the steep hillside at 4 in the morning to get the fly down. 57

[DonBo]

They could go anywhere, but if they are in the "let's impress the ladies" stage, they tend to head towards anywhere the first rays of the sun reach the ground. That's typically on upper fields, but hey, only scouting can pinpoint what they'll do.