"Putting turkey to bed"

gobbuster · Member Joined: Dec 20, 2007 Posts: 51

Hi Vince,
I'm sory about my subject matter not matching the thresd but I'm not very computer literate. I'm not even sure if this post is being done correctly.
Anyway, putting turkey to bed. What happens is around sunset you shock the birds which puts them to roost or bed pretty much where they're standing. But the call used is very important. The wrong call will send them running for a different area. I can't share more than that or we will have a bunch of hunters shooting birds out of the roost which I find unethical. I've been hunting turkey this way for many years and have never not killed my bird. I've only had a few hunters not get their birds and that was only because they couldn't handle the physical requirements of climbing the mountain.
And for those wanting to hunt turkey and can't get drawn. Hunt New Mexico, you get 2 tags over the counter for $75.00, or 1 for $50.00. there are more birds in that state than you can immagine.
And for that guy wondering what kind of birds we have in N.Mex. and Arizona, they are merriams.
Gobbuster

gobbuster · Member Joined: Dec 20, 2007 Posts: 51

Oh, one more detail. Turkey are night blind and will stay in the roost until it is good and light the next morning.
Gobbuster

Vince · Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:15 pm Post subject: Re: "Putting tirkey to bed"

Ok, I think I understand mate. I am assuming that when you say "shock", you aren't talking about an electric shock.

So you use a particular call (of a predator maybe) that makes them not want to go out and show themselves and subsequently settle down where they are for the night?

If you want to elaborate, but don't want to give any secrets away then you can either email or PM me mate.

Cheers, Vince

hunterjoe21 · Posted: Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:45 pm Post subject: Re: "Putting tirkey to bed"

Vince wrote:

Ok, I think I understand mate. I am assuming that when you say "shock", you aren't talking about an electric shock.

So you use a particular call (of a predator maybe) that makes them not want to go out and show themselves and subsequently settle down where they are for the night?

If you want to elaborate, but don't want to give any secrets away then you can either email or PM me mate.

Cheers, Vince

Vince,

You have the basic idea of it correct. They roost in trees at night for safety. Some folks around here use calls to shock 'em at night too, but in general, "puttin 'em to bed" refers to getting out in the evening to figure out where they are roosting. In my experience, you usually don't need to "shock 'em" into a roost, they are pretty vocal on their own just before they fly-up for the night and if you are within a few hundred yards are pretty easy to locate. The trick is to know what constitutes a "good" roost area.

Oh, and I'm speaking of Eastern Turkeys, and since I've never hunted Merriam's, none of this may apply to Gobbuster's hunting area.

gobbuster wrote:

I can't share more than that or we will have a bunch of hunters shooting birds out of the roost which I find unethical.

Not only is it unethical, but in Ohio it's also illegal.

gobbuster · Member Joined: Dec 20, 2007 Posts: 51

Hi hunterjoe21,
You are absolutly correct, and the birds you have are eastern merriams. They are the exact species of our merriams, just called eastern merriams due to the geography. I've heard an estimated 90% of turkey hunters refer to turkey's as hard to hunt, elusive, and so on. But the fact is they are the easiest of any game to hunt. They don't even have enough sense to come in out of the rain and will drown because of their stupidity. And I wasn't intending to sound secretive about the 'shocking" part of my hunting methods, only the type of predator call that works in an advantagous way at that time of the afternoon. But, as hunterjoe stated, they will roost pretty much where they are at sunset, if they don't feel threatened by flying predators. But for reasons such as hunter presure or maybe they have had a close call within the hour(they have a very short memory)will often be very quiet. I've shot a bird and then turned around and called in his buddy within a few minutes. This is an example of how short their memory is. Some predator calls are good for locating during the day such as owl, hawk, and though not a predator call the crow call is very good for locating and will not spook the birds. If I showed someone just once how to sucessfully hunt turkey, they would be sucessful every year because they are so easy to hunt. Its really not dificult to figure out turkey hunting once you know what makes their boat float.
Gobbuster

gobbuster · Member Joined: Dec 20, 2007 Posts: 51

Hey hunterjoe,
I think the main reason we do it with a specific call at bed time is to try to keep them in a real close range due to the terrain we hunt in. A few hundred yards here can mean one heck of a rough next morning hike (vertical) that has to be acomplished in the dark. If its flat land it wouldn't really matter since they can be located from a mile or more away. One mistake that can ruin your hunt is getting to involved in your calling. Its doesn't usually take me 1 to 3 very, very soft calls to get them within 5 or 10 yards of me. The most important call is the tree call, barely audible. After that a wing beat or a feeding scratch will usually do the trick. I don't wear camo, just sit perfectly still.
Oh, the Rio Grande are as well a merriam and are just named for their region. The birds in Florida are a different specie though.
I don't think I have the concept of a blog completely figured out, if that is what this is called. And Vince, I don't understand some of the jargon associeated with this type of communication over the internet. I'm 52 and have never used my computer for this purpose, so please help me along guys if you don't mind. I'll PM you as soon as I know what that is.
Gobbuster.

Vince · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:13 am Post subject: Re: "Putting tirkey to bed"

gobbuster wrote:

Hey hunterjoe,

I don't think I have the concept of a blog completely figured out, if that is what this is called. And Vince, I don't understand some of the jargon associeated with this type of communication over the internet.

I'm 52 and have never used my computer for this purpose, so please help me along guys if you don't mind. I'll PM you as soon as I know what that is.
Gobbuster.

No problems Gobster. 52...you're a youngun' mate. I'm 55 and there are some here that are ...well, just a little older than me.

PM refers to a Private Message that you send to my Inbox here on HuntingNut. If you look at the bottom of my Post...my reply to your Post in this thread or subject...you will see a box marked PM. Click on that and it will open a window where you can type me a message. When you click Send your message goes straight to my Inbox and nowhere else.

Cheers, Vince

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 9:49 am Post subject: Re: "Putting tirkey to bed"

Aah for crying out loud, Vince...I'm 65 and proud of it. He's 52 and probably can't keep up with me. I hike the Ozarks with a 54 year old and I have to slow down for him..."...well, just a little older then me.". Nice try, Vince....

1895ss · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 10:54 am Post subject: Re: "Putting tirkey to bed"

So that's how you put old turkeys to bed ................. Hmmmmmm I didn't know that. Very Happy

Ya ......... "Nice try Vince"......... I'm a little older then you but Bushy's "a lot older then us all" ............ oops ...... did I say that out loud ??????? Shocked

Bushmaster · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 11:30 am Post subject: Re: "Putting tirkey to bed"

Doesn't your wife have something for you to be doing? Or maybe go fill in a few pot-holes or something...Oh yeh!! Go paint a white strip on your neighbor's ass...(donkey for short)

gobbuster · Member Joined: Dec 20, 2007 Posts: 51

I wasn't refering to 52 and trouble with hiking. I was refering to my computer skills not being as refined as oh say my boys who are in their mid to late 20s. I can certainly climb a mountain, at least for now. I've hunted with fellows half my age that can't keep up with me or keep up with some of the guys I hunt with that are in their 50s or more. Its all about staying conditioned no matter how old you are. And without a doubt I'm sure you guys would probably be leading me along the vertical slopes and waiting for me at the top. When we limit our selves do to our age, we are only allowing our age to dictate to us our limitations in turn.
Keep on keepin on!
Gobbuster

1895ss · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 2:13 pm Post subject: Re: "Putting tirkey to bed"

Bushmaster wrote:

Doesn't your wife have something for you to be doing? Or maybe go fill in a few pot-holes or something...Oh yeh!! Go paint a white strip on your neighbor's ass...(donkey for short)

Nope, wifes chores are done and I'm off for the winter ................. and the neighbor went to Mexico and took his "donkey" with him............ Laughing

hunterjoe21 · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:22 pm Post subject: Re: "Putting tirkey to bed"

gobbuster wrote:

Hi hunterjoe21,
You are absolutly correct, and the birds you have are eastern merriams. They are the exact species of our merriams, just called eastern merriams due to the geography. Gobbuster

Without doing the research to identify each one,(I'm sure Big D will Google It) the Eastern subspecies is different from the Merriam's, which is different from the Rio, which is again different than the Osceola (a GRAND SLAM if you kill all 4 in one hunting season). Add in the Goulds(a SUPER SLAM), and some other one from Mexico(the name escapes me every time I try to think of it)(which makes it a WORLD SLAM), and you have several different birds out there.

Hunting methods, including the calls used, are very similar for each of the sub-species though.

Dimitri · Super Member Joined: Nov 25, 2005 Posts: 5946

Fine I'll Google it. Laughing

Quote::

Eastern (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris)
Range covers the entire eastern half of the United States; extending also into South Eastern Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces in Canada.

Osceola or Florida (M. g. osceola)
Found only on the Florida peninsula.

Rio Grande (M. g. intermedia)
Ranges through Texas to Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Colorado, Oregon, and Central and Western California, as well as parts of a few northeastern states.

Merriam's (M. g. merriami)
Ranges through the Rocky Mountains and the neighboring prairies of Wyoming, Montana and South Dakota as well as much of the high mesa country of New Mexico.

Gould's (M. g. mexicana)
Native from central to northern Mexico and the southern-most parts of Arizona and New Mexico.

South Mexican (M. g. gallopavo)
The nominate race, and one of the few that are not found in North America.

Dimitri

Vince · Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2008 8:56 pm Post subject: Re: "Putting tirkey to bed"

Bushmaster wrote:

Aah for crying out loud, Vince...I'm 65 and proud of it. He's 52 and probably can't keep up with me. I hike the Ozarks with a 54 year old and I have to slow down for him..."...well, just a little older then me.". Nice try, Vince....

Yeah, I know buddy, but its only the outer shell that's 65....everything else is half that age ain't it?

Cheers, Vince