Where would you go?

[Virginia Boy]

Here's a question for some of you long time turkey hunters that has been puzzling this newbie for years. If you had a parcel of land in farm country that was a mix of timber and fields (cut corn, last years soybeans, etc.) - which would you choose to hunt in? Would you opt to set up on the field edge and call them out into the field? Or would you go into the woodlot and set up there? Decoys - yes or no - in either situation? I'm really interested to hear thoughts on this one. I've been trained that if you have this type of parcel - you must hunt the fields. And that's what we've been doing - calling birds out of the timber or treelines or hedgerows between fields and out into the fields - only to have them consistently come to the calling, then hang up at 50-60 yds instead of coming all the way to the decoy out in front of me. Seems this is a constant storyline I hear repeated over and over and one that I'm getting pretty frustrated with. I've seen some absolute monster turkeys at 50+ yds this year - and it stinks having to let them walk again and again. So... what does everyone think? Thanks in advance.

[1Morgan]

I think you answered your question. Get in the woods, it's harder for them to see you or a hen. No decoys needed.

[Cut N Run]

ORIGINAL: 1Morgan

I think you answered your question. Get in the woods, it's harder for them to see you or a hen. No decoys needed.

 
^Same here.  I would suggest you do some long range early season scouting to see if you can find where those birds like to hang out & roost.  There are also travel corridors turkeys sometimes favor, like creek bottoms, logging roads, & deer trails.  If you can figure out which way they like to go between roosting areas & strutting zones, you should be in business by calling them to a place they already wanted to go.
 
As good as hunting out of a pop-up blind can be, don't be scared to use some natural vegetation and downed trees. 
 
If you can zero in on a strut zone in a small opening or wooded clearing, it can be a bonanza, eapecially if there is a natural place to conceal yourself nearby & you can get in there quietly.  Logging roads in the woods can be great places to set up along, especially if there is a slight curve or intersection in that road that puts turkeys in your range, but leaves you hidden.
 
Jim

[mark hay]

Get into the woods. Deep as you can with what is available . Get as high as you can too. No decoy needed . Avoid wide open timber .Big timber with no underbrush is no different than being out in a field. He can stand way off and look for the hen. You need some cover to conceal the hen you portray .Small saplings and seedlings in leaf are great. Vines , treetops etc.  You are not concealing yourself , only the hen that the gobbler wants to see . You conceal yourself by sitting stone still . Use benches and saddles and ridgetops to your advantage in a set up so when the bird appears by coming over top or around  he'll be inside your guns limit . If he's gobbling good or drumming so you can varify his postion and how far from your set up , this will dictate when you should no longer call . Avoid calling when a bird is in sight . He'll pick you out QUICK!
 Now go fool him and bring us a picture.
 
 Best of hunts to you

[Gopherlongbeards]

The vast majority of successful setups I've been a part of have been in the woods, or in SMALL clearings within the woods.  The type where a bird is within range as soon as he enters the clearing. 

p.s.  this only goes for situations where we were actively calling a bird.  If we were just sitting along a travel route hoping to ambush one, visability didn't seem to matter.

[xcal1ber]

Yea what everyone else said!

[kygobbler]

You got some sound advice there above. Look at this way, say you dropped your keys on a nice clean floor they are going to be easy to find, aka a field. Now lets say you dropped your keys in a deep mud hole, you are now going to have to actually get down and look hard for them, aka a deep thick woods. Make that gobbler get down and look for you. I hope you post some pics up soon.

[TurkeyJohn]

Here's my 2 cents now.  If you have any idea where they're coming out into the field, I'd find a tree just inside the woods that's wide enough for you, face into the woods from where you think they're coming from.  If you feel the need to decoy, in the field but close to the edge so he can't see her from the woods, but if he's coming from the field, gives you a distraction for him while you reposition.  I've had the good luck to take a few birds this way, especially rainy or overcast days when they're wanting to get to the fields.  Good luck and yeah, let's see some pics.

[Virginia Boy]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I know pretty well where these turkeys like to roost with fairly consistent accuracy. It's either in the woods across the field from where we hunt (which is the neighbor's and off limits to get into) or in another set of woods behind our field, which is accessible via the next door landowner. He lets us hunt on his property, too. The interesting thing about his woods is that he had some timber taken out just prior to turkey season, and we hadn't checked his woods out til just recently. Well, as some of you have stated, the loggers actually made a very nice logging road right through the middle of his woods - which wasn't there back in the fall deer season. So, I'm guessing that these turkeys are now using this logging road to get from roosting area to the fields. There is a really nice bend in the road, as well as a place where the road intersects another really old but still visible trail in the woods - that I believe is being used by both deer and turkey. So... I've got several good hideout spots to set up in these woods. I would guess I'd be within 100 yds, maybe even 75, of the roost area. There are lots of tree tops from the logging operation still down on the ground, which might make really nice natural blinds. We are going in tomorrow afternoon to check it out, and stake out a few killing spots. If my buddy wants to keep hunting the field edge, more power to him. But I'm going in deep and take a bird in the timber! Hopefully pics to be posted by the end of the weekend. Thanks again for all your advice. This is why I like this forum - you guys are great help! Jim.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

That sounds like a good location. If he's back in there roosted, and you can get within a 100/150 yards of him, give him some soft tree yelps and clucks, if he gobbles to them CUT HIM OFF with some cutts and keep cutting him off everytime he gobbles with cutts or cackles, and don't be shy about getting loud either. Expect the boss hen to try to out call you, she will not be quiet or soft, she'll give you an ear popping call and you better be ready to out call her, no need for soft calling then, get on it. If he hits the ground and starts coming DO NOT yelp at him, just cluck and purr, very your tone fron soft to loud and then back to soft. The only time you should yelp at a bird that is 70 yards or closer is if he turns to leave, otherwise he will lock up and stay put. Forget calling if he's 50 yards or closer, again unless he starts to leave, and don't be soft. You have to become the boss hen and it will get loud and fast believe me. [:D] You yelp and cutt to the hens, and cutt, cluck and purr to the gobbler.