# Toms Going Down Hill?



## c. j. stone

I always heard/read that it's difficult to call a turkey down hill to you and much better if you are above them and they will come up to your calling. Friend of mine who see lots of them near his home said he's seen toms having a real difficult time walking down a steep hill near him like they seem to be drunk or something. We discussed this and pretty much decided it's because they have heavy front ends and have a problem with balance going down hill. Anybody care to add to this discussion?


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## mjgood

I have hunted turkey successfully and have had plenty of observations of them in the woods. They seem to be drunk at times, but believe me, they have no problem going up or down hill quickly with great ease. In southern Ohio and Tennessee they can disappear in a heart beat up and over a ridge. I would say the are least gracefull when landing, but fly well in the open. I try and not call to much becasue irds become call shy early in the season. Place decoys in an open area near cover to hide in, and call only one or two times an hour. This is not quite as fun as cut and run, but believe me you can get a shy or big tom to come in easier.


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## Walter Adkins

They shy away from walking up and down steep hills if they do not need to. I do not know why except it is extra work for them. I have seen flocks feed straight up the side of mountains but seldom do I see them feed down a mountain. Just call them weable-woobles. They look funny but only fall down if you put them down.


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## c. j. stone

Oh I've had my share of seeing how fast they can leave the area I'm in alright! Just don't remember seeing one leave in a hurry going down hill 
in all my encounters! I do remember their flat terrain escapes the best because they don't run straight away-they zig and zag putting trees between you and them kinda like the way grouse fly off! How could something with a brain the size of a raisin be sooo smart!?? Guess that's what keeps us coming back to their neck of the woods........


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## bigcat46

The reason they say Toms or any turkey will not like to approach calling going down hill, is they most of the time would prefer to walk uphill. The reason turkeys prefer to approach calling up hill is because if they encounter danger they can just turn and "pitch off" of the bank to fly away from the danger and it requires less effort for them to get into the air. It's the same thing with turkeys going to roost. If they are going to fly up into a tree and they are in a big hollow, they are not going to want to fly 200 ft. up into the air to get in the tree. They will most likely walk up the hill to get above or at least level with the tree they prefer to roost in, then pitch off the hill into the tree. Turkeys are large birds and not built for flying long distances


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## c. j. stone

I have to agree with you about going to roost off the side or top of a hill but I was once cutting circles trying to find one in a pine woods on a hillside that I had shot at(apparently 'too long' a shot to injure it badly, just knock it over!) Just as I was cutting the last circle on the edge of a huge ravine, he flushed and flew towards the other side of the ravine(more like a valley) which had to be a good quarter to half mile across! Last time I saw him, he was two hundred yds. out and soaring like an eagle! They probably don't like to have to fly that far but trust me, they can flat do it. Interestingly, I had called him to me after observing him-closely following two deer through the woods-while gobbling, for a long way.


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## BuckEyeBigBuck13

well im not no expert or anything i have killed two toms and one jake all with my mouth call and all that .. but the jake was in union county and there is no hills now i have called turkeys down off hill and they kinda glide down... but i mean if there hott enough then therecoming .....butgoo luck i cantwait till turkey season i love it .....


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## bigcat46

Oh yea they can definitely fly when they have too, but they usually choose not too, and conserve energy. I posted what seems to be the general answer to why Tom's are supposed to be easier to call up hill. And I pretty much agree with it. 

I killed a bird in Monroe county, and there are some real hills down there by the river, and he came at least 1/4 mile straight down hill to me in the late morning, he was basically running down hill to find my sweet hen love calls. [email protected] I believe that is the only bird I have called down hill before. 

As far as calling birds directly off the roost, to me it would be the exact opposite, they will Glide off the roost to a lower spot, or what I have observed the most across a hollow to the opposite side they are roosted on, then as what I posted earlier, they usually will prefer to walk up hill.


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## Flippin 416

I have also heard that Toms are more receptive to being called up hill due to the visibility factor. If you are set up on the top of a hill or ridge and the Tom is at the bottom of it....can he see what is on top of the hill....more than likely not. Now if you reverse the situation and you are the bottom of the hill and the Tom is at the top...he may be able to walk out or part way down the hill and then be able to see all the way to the bottom of it......just something that I have heard....seems to make sense...


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## crabby

Turkeys 99% of the time will not come down hill to a call because they can see that there is nothing down there thats for them. also a turkey does not become call shy they become henned up and could care less about a solo hen if a certain call causes a turkey to shut up or to disappear its probably because you dont really sound like t turkey.


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