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Thread: General Terrain question

  1. #1
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    Default General Terrain question

    I learned to turkey hunt in river bottoms. A 2 foot rise in elevation would be a mountain in most of the places I have hunted. Now I have a new place to hunt. While it isn't exactly mountains, there are some pretty steep hills along the creek drainages.

    As long as I can remember, I have read that you want to above a turkey when hunting in hills if possible. I know if a turkey is ready to die he will fly over two rivers and run thru a burning five year old low country cutover, but in general do those of you that hunt hills find this to be a big thing to worry about or is it just another thing you want to try to get in your favor but no big deal?
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  2. #2
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    Disclaimer: I kill most of my turkeys in river bottoms

    Now, I have branched out and had some success with those hilly terrain bastards. Being above them is nice, if you can make that happen. The biggest issue I've had is judging the distance of a gobbling bird. If he's on top of a ridge he sounds waaaay closer than if he is in a drain. They will fool you until you learn to figure it out.
    Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him

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  3. #3
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    out west if you get above him he will die, at least that's been my experience (when you don't miss him, of course )
    Last edited by LowcountryBuck; 02-05-2016 at 04:04 PM.

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    I started off in hills and then started hunting flat open land after we moved here.

    I agree that gobbles sound alot different. The first gobble I heard here, sounded like he must have been right on me compared to what I was used to.

    Use the land to your advantage. If a bird is on the other side of the ridge, I set up just on this side of the ridge so that he can't see the hen he heard. The ridges are also nice if another hen drags him away, you can back out and set back up on him. I got away with alot more moving in hilly terrain.

    I also think its easier to judge distances than flat ground, but that might just be what I grew up on.

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    Trkyklr and I had one working last season. It started up stream of us on a creek and proceeded to do a loop counter clockwise above us gaining elevation. We both said afterwards that we should have started the morning above it on that ridge.
    Last edited by DJP; 02-05-2016 at 08:19 PM.

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    it makes a much bigger difference if you're truly in the mountains, in typical upstate/Midlands terrain, it can help being above them, but it's not usually the difference between a dead bird and a sob story.
    if you do find yourself in a situation where you're below the Bird and it's the only option you have to set up, make sure you can shoot to the top of the ridge or hill. being above them also makes it much easier to move on them if you have to move or circle them.
    if I'm blind calling and not much is going on, I do like to sit on a higher spot and call/listen. many times they'll come slipping in out of a creek bottom of hardwood holler and investigate what's going on.
    rip Dakota

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    Of course you know there is no such thing as always and never. You also know its usually easier to call a bird to you when you are trying to get him to come some place he already wanted to be.

    To me I believe it is more important to know where they want to spend time during the day to choose whether to be above or below. In a place where you have a lot of food plots and roadways up on the ridges, the birds are likely going there and thus being above them is advantageous. In areas where you have rolling ridges and wide creek bottoms or a river bottom the birds like to spend the day in it seems like being low isn't an issue.

    I do think it is often easier to slip closer to a bird coming from above him, which is usually a good thing. I will say if he is roosted on the side of a ridge I want to be on the same ridge he is if at all possible.

  8. #8
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    Definitely above. You could be 100 yards away from a bird with both of you at the same level on a hill, but he's going to go 300 yards over the peak to get to you.

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    Every bird is different. I grew up hunting hill and river bottom turkeys. Quit trying to figure them out and let them tell you which way they want to go. Then kill them before they change their mind.

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    I'd have to say that it's more important to just be on the SAME ridge with him. If he's across a little bottom, you have a problem that doesn't occur in the flat land. Get him going and he's likely to prance up and down HIS ridge and might give you a chance. But, if you ever get to his ridge, it's probably time to hush and wait him out. If he ever thinks you came to his ridge, he is going to stay where he is on it and wait. Better to leave a caller on the other ridge to keep him prancing and get to the other end of his ridge and wait for him.

    Having said all of that, you're probably either going to shoot him ON the ridge at flydown or down in the bottom later in the day. Don't try to reverse those; it doesn't usually work in my experience.

    BTW: I strongly second what was said about using the ridge line to make him come close without having a good look. Just remember that he can take a little look over that ridge that you will never see. IMO, it's better to have him REAL fired up by the time he gets to the top because you don't want him to hesitate before coming over the top.

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    Thanks all. This ought to be a fun season with three new places to hunt, none of which are anything like my old stomping grounds. Hopefully the learning curve won't be too steep.

    I thoroughly enjoy learning new properties so I'll spend a bunch of time walking around for the next month to learn my way around and finding some good spots to start listening from when it gets a little closer to time to go for real.
    "My resume is the trail of destruction behind me. " Bucky Katt

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    Quote Originally Posted by LowcountryBuck View Post
    out west if you get above him he will die, at least that's been my experience (when you don't miss him, of course )

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    Damn
    Private Land Rubberhead # 1

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    If you have not hunted in the mountains and had the birds fly in on you from across the ridge then you are in for a treat.... It happens just like that, I have had them fly in silent and scare the shit out of me and I have had them fly in after a little working and gobbling, but when they fly in it is super badass. I don't think it is all that uncommon for them to do it, maybe I'm lucky... But probaly not. It also helps if you kill birds with your ass and not moving every hour or two.
    They say the only time a fishermen tells the truth is when he tells you another fisherman is a liar.

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    Oh my....
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  16. #16
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    My rule of thumb is to always get above the bird, but DuckPopper and I smoked one last year that came down a freaking bluff. It was pretty fun to watch.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Tuffy View Post
    I'd have to say that it's more important to just be on the SAME ridge with him. If he's across a little bottom, you have a problem that doesn't occur in the flat land. Get him going and he's likely to prance up and down HIS ridge and might give you a chance. But, if you ever get to his ridge, it's probably time to hush and wait him out. If he ever thinks you came to his ridge, he is going to stay where he is on it and wait. Better to leave a caller on the other ridge to keep him prancing and get to the other end of his ridge and wait for him.

    Having said all of that, you're probably either going to shoot him ON the ridge at flydown or down in the bottom later in the day. Don't try to reverse those; it doesn't usually work in my experience.

    BTW: I strongly second what was said about using the ridge line to make him come close without having a good look. Just remember that he can take a little look over that ridge that you will never see. IMO, it's better to have him REAL fired up by the time he gets to the top because you don't want him to hesitate before coming over the top.
    Everything you wrote was pretty much going to be my response. Couple more things to add. If a bird is on a hilltop, you can't go directly to him because he'll bust you. You need to hit that ridge a hundred yards from his location preferable uphill. Also don't expect the bird to walking straight to you over a hill. He'll usually come across flanking you at an angle.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tuffy View Post
    I'd have to say that it's more important to just be on the SAME ridge with him. If he's across a little bottom, you have a problem that doesn't occur in the flat land. Get him going and he's likely to prance up and down HIS ridge and might give you a chance. But, if you ever get to his ridge, it's probably time to hush and wait him out. If he ever thinks you came to his ridge, he is going to stay where he is on it and wait. Better to leave a caller on the other ridge to keep him prancing and get to the other end of his ridge and wait for him.

    Having said all of that, you're probably either going to shoot him ON the ridge at flydown or down in the bottom later in the day. Don't try to reverse those; it doesn't usually work in my experience.

    BTW: I strongly second what was said about using the ridge line to make him come close without having a good look. Just remember that he can take a little look over that ridge that you will never see. IMO, it's better to have him REAL fired up by the time he gets to the top because you don't want him to hesitate before coming over the top.
    This and what Kioti said. I will say, when a bird wants to hold his ground, I would much rather be above him than below him.

    That said, he has a brain the size of a pea with eyes twice that size. They're all crazy, irrational, and squirrelly as can be.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by surfcock View Post
    That said, he has a brain the size of a pea with eyes twice that size. They're all crazy, irrational, and squirrelly as can be.
    Well said.
    "I do not hunt turkeys because I want to, I hunt them because I have to. I would really rather not do it, but I am helpless in the grip of my compulsion"
    - Tom Kelly, Tenth Legion, 1973

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