attracting turkeys / creating strut zones

[Bszweda]

I'm at the end of day four turkey hunting, and I can't for the life of me pull in a tom. My place has a lot of crp, but I recently added 4 different plots totaling 5 acres of clover. Thinking I'd be able to pull them from my neighbors farm fields. Nope the birds are still avoiding my place. When I call Ive only been able to bring in single hens. It's normally around 9 am .I can't tell if it's the same hen the last three days. I know of one strut zone my neighbors property farm field next to my crp. Ill see them out their right before they roost. I think I might have a chance to bush whack one when they cross through the corner of my property when they leave the strut zone. Any ideas on how to get turkeys to start using my food plots?

 

[BenAllgood]

I don't know if you could do it now, but burning sections of the CRP right before or during the season would probably pull some in.

 

[bwoods11]

I was thinking of this yesterday. We’ve cleared some downed trees to create some open timber . Small green plots seem to help ?

Why the Toms don’t follow the hens, that makes no sense ? Do you have trails they can walk in easy ?

Since adding more rye we see the turkeys in it every day !

 

[Bszweda]

I put in about 5 acres of clover plots this spring and the turkeys still avoided them. My fields have been thick crp, which only hens seem to like. I'm going to try and burn my 20 acre crp field next year to see if that helps.

 

[bwoods11]

I put in about 5 acres of clover plots this spring and the turkeys still avoided them. My fields have been thick crp, which only hens seem to like. I'm going to try and burn my 20 acre crp field next year to see if that helps.

Can you mow a big travel lane to the clover ? Where do they roost ?

 

[omicron1792]

I think turkey can vary year to year. Last year my property full of Jake’s and Tom’s. This year only hens.

My wildlife biologist thinks you need 1/4-1/2 acre clearing every 20 acres to support turkey and quail

 

[Mortenson]

Here if you can actually get the turkeys on your farm, they'll strut just about anywhere. Plots or fields, tilled in our case. If your plots are brand new, maybe they just need to become accustomed to using them. Might take a year or two for the habit to form? Give them privacy. Here it takes that sacrifice, have to leave the farm alone for a few weeks, no getting projects done. Let them get comfortable.

 

[Brian662]

Overseed clover with rye in the fall and the turkeys will be there, at least in my experience.

I agree with burning your tall grass CRP as well, they definitely love the tender, new growth in these areas.

 

[rocksnstumps]

I think in farm country strut sites are not too far from roost sites. With mixed patches of woods and fields all over they don't really have a go to a "favorite" spot day after day. Can't speak to big woods setting. Roost sites by me have changed with disease, wind, logging. When I hear them gobbling from a mile away instead of next store my little tucked away clover spot that was hot the week before is gonna be a long day. To me roost sites are more important than strut zones for consistent hunting