Wild turkeys spend the vast majority of their life walking around on the ground. They are actually capable of clumsily flying well enough to get up into the tree canopy too though. In fact, they spend their nights roosting in trees safe from predators prowling the forest floor at night. One of the most popular and effective methods of hunting a turkey is locating one just before dawn or at first light. That’s when the birds typically gobble from their roost. Once turkeys are on the ground, they don’t stay put long. That mean’s finding one its roost might be your best chance at success.
Learning how to triangulate the location of a roosted gobbler is a valuable skill every turkey hunter should learn. Our friends at Realtree recently published an in-depth article on doing just that, and Outsider shared their secrets.
Realtree Turkey Nation Highlights Best Of American Turkey Hunting
Wild turkeys can be hunted in 49 different states across the country. However, some states are simply bound to be better than others. Our friends at Realtree set out to develop a turkey-hunting report card for each state. It’s based on a variety of factors. Those grades were determined the old-fashioned way: subjectively. Experts from Realtree’s team looked at turkey populations, hunter numbers, bag limits, the ease and cost of getting a license, the amount of public land available, and other factors when evaluating each state. Altogether, Realtree’s Turkey Hunting Nation is one of the most in-depth overviews of turkey hunting in America that you will find online.
Spring Thunder Highlight Reel Showcases Successful Roosted Hunts
Realtree Spring Thunder has been airing on Realtree 365 for six seasons now. It’s hosted by David Blanton and Michael Waddell. They’re two of the original gangsters when it comes to making top-notch hunting videos for Realtree. Before we dive into some of their best off-the-roost turkey hunts, here are a few tips from the Spring Thunder team on locating roosted birds.
In 1996, Waddell won a Realtree turkey hunting contest and unlocked the chance to have one of his turkey hunts filmed. He’s since become one of the most successful hunting television personalities in the industry. David Blanton began working as Executive Producer and host of Realtree Outdoors as well as overseeing the production of the best-selling deer hunting DVDs of all time, Monster Bucks. They were a part of the original Realtree Outdoors hunting crew along with founder Bill Jordan. Together they all helped revolutionize the hunting television industry.
Realtree Spring Thunder is one of the most sponsored and promoted shows in the outdoor space. Brands that support the show include On X Hunt, Chevrelot, Camospace, Bushnell, Alps OutdoorZ, Retay Shotguns, Lacrosse Boots, Spartan Camera, and Federal Ammunition.
If you’re able to tie together all the lessons and advice about locating a roosted gobbler, getting on him quickly, setting up in the right spot, hitting the right buttons with the turkey call, and making a good shot, then your turkey might only last a few minutes into the morning. Take a look at some of the roosted turkey hunts from Spring Thunder to see what it looks like when the experts make their magic happen and the dots connect on a roosted bird hunt.
