Any of you Strut Zoners chasing turkeys in these states this fall? Still trying to find flocks elsewhere? What kind of turkey activity are you seeing from your treestand while after deer?

Let us know how you're doing . . .

Thanks,
Steve

Dirty,

If you want to get up early and walk around in the dark, you can try to knock them off the roost. I've had a lot of luck on unfamiliar land by scouting pre-dawn and listening for wings flapping. When I hear them, I stay put and wait. I located a flock that way this fall and stayed on them for two weeks.

That's a nice picture, Steve. Did that bird end up in your freezer?

Justin

Justin makes a good point. Accidentally flushing turkeys off their roost is about equal to doing it on the ground sometimes. If birds are scattered widely, you can simply sit down there, and try to call them back . . .

It's also a great time to listen for birds in the trees. There's often quite a bit of turkey talk just before, at daybreak, and right before fly down--and as they regroup in the morning. There's often a window of time, and then it shuts off like a faucet . . .

Looks for preferred food sources too. This shifts constantly sometimes. Here in the northeast, turkeys are staying in the woods since heavy frosts have been with us of late. Not as much bugging in the fields as last month of course.

I've also had luck locating them over the years by simply cold calling. Try that too.

Good luck to all of you guys. Keep us in the loop.

Thanks,
Steve

I'm still trying to get some deer with bow and/or gun for a few more weeks at least, then I plan on trying to go out and find some turkeys and bowhunt (until Jan. 15). I put an ATV bow/gun rack on my bike handlebars, I figure what better way to bust up a flock than biking right through them. It could be useful in the spring too, when hunting public lands you just have to be willing to go a little further than the other guys, right?

Oklahoma archery turkey season is Oct 1-Jan 15 each year, one either-sex permitted. Have been seeing good numbers from the deer stand and hope to get a shot soon. We scout the same areas that they feed in spring and have been able to pattern their travels in the morning and afternoon times. If not on stand and you encounter a flock, I have good luck scattering the flock then calling them back for a shot with kee-kee calls.