Fly-down/Roost Times

[Hotspotter]

For you guys scouting and taking on the early season birds, what times have you been observing birds flying-down in the morning, and at night, going up to roost?

It's important to note that these times change with weather, landscape position of the roost area, and many other variables, but it's cool to hear when you're hearing them!

Throughout the season, if we can keep this updated, others will know about when to be listening for fly-ups!

Joel

[brittman]

About 10 minutes before sunrise on Sunday morning. Heard him from the road.

Figure he won't be around by early May or will have foregotten my calling.

Anyway - gave him three sets of hen calls (diaphram). Each time he responded back. Left to scout other areas. Returned by the same spot about 2 hours later. Hit my yelp and low and behold an aggressive gobble - about 50 yards away - on the otherside of the road.

Same bird - I would suspect so - since I only heard one gobbler in that area. I suspect he came looking for that road sitting, gravel grabbing hen.

Woods was very quite Sunday morning after sunrise.

[Powerstroke]

The bigger fear is that the gobbler will remember your calls by then and will remember the last time he came looking for that horny hen it was nowhere to be found TWICE!

You should really avoid using your calls pre-season. There is a reason guys have a hard time callin birds in late-season. They get call shy. If you expose him to your sounds now he may be too wary when its time to close the deal.

[buckpredator]

I've been seeing turkeys flying down as early as 20 mins before sun up on nicer days and as late as 1 hr after sunup on not so nice days.

roosting times have been right about the same at about 15 mins after sunset and they keep on gobbling for another hr atleast after.

Power stroke is right about the preseason turkey calling. I have ruined my chances on more than a couple birds by calling them in, in the preseason. its hard for me to leave without turkey calls, but now when i scout i just go out with locator calls and then I work my way to them and just try to pattern them from there.

[brittman]

Did I say that I called him in to me??

This bird never found what he was looking for - nor did he ever see a hunter. No stress regarding hunters - really not educated.

I call drake mallards into my back yard in April - looking for hens. Does that make them call shy in the fall??

If this turkey makes it to May - he will have likely heard much calling between April 9th and mid-May.

I have never had a problem with getting May gobblers to come to my calling ... not all come into gun range ... for a variety of reasons, but I would suspect that many have been educated by hunters in the 4+ seasons before me. To be honest I have called in turkeys in 3 states using box, slate (custom), aluminum (cheap), and diaphram (my favorite) calls. No one call works on all birds.

I have also worked the same birds on consecutive days using the same calls.

The diaphram call I used on Sunday was new type for me. It is a complex triple reed call that I had little experience with. This bird which I will likely not pursue in May gave me the perfect chance to use it. - guess it may work.

Confidence in your call is - excitement in your calling - is my top factor - after scouting for bringing in Toms.

[Eye-lander]

Last 2 days have been the same. On roost at almost 8:00 (dusk), and came off roost about 6:20. Hens flew down first, then group of Toms flew down after they heard where the hens flew to.

[strat-o-caster]

Just got back from my West-Central Mn hunt. Yes! I got a VERY young Jake ( I think he still had milk on his lips).. I only notice two Fly-down times (Fri-Sat). Friday the 11 hen's hit the Ground by 6;30 and the Tom's folowed about 5min latter. Sat which is really weird and was going to be a Question for everyone the Jake that I shot did not fly down till 10:30!!!! Is this common?? I have never seen fly down that late before... Strat

[Ray Esboldt]

I've seen hens jump up in trees in the middle of the day. I've also seen crows pin a bird in a tree for about two hours after all the other birds flew down. They're turkeys. Who knows why they do what they do!