Hunting hilly terrain

[Tn Joe]

The farm I hunt in Smith Co. is rather hilly (not like the mts.but steep).
Seems Ive had the best luck calling a bird in when Ive setup on the same lever or higher up the hill than he is.
Just never done any good calling one down a hill. Ive called them off the hill on the other side of the hollow and back up the one I was on but never down the hill I was hunting.
How bout yall?

 

[TNTomtaker01]

I always want to have the ground on the bird and be above him.

 

[REN]

I have hunted up in smith co so i know the terrain you speak of (mine was in the chestnut mound area). I would not even bother trying to call a bird down hill in those areas, there is really no point to it. Being equal or above is almost the only way to make it happen

 

[NoNtYpiCaL1]

They can't fly away from danger going down a hill. Its just not a natural approach for them

 

[bvoss]

I've called a bird down the hill one time. I always try to get even or above the bird if I can.

 

[Baxter83]

I'm in Smith County at this very moment in the Chestnut Mound area and am surrounded by so many hills that there is no phone service whatsoever down in this hole....I've seen a lot of birds down here though.

 

[Winchester]

Its definitely best to be even or higher, but I promise you they can and are called downhill at times!

 

[8 POINTS OR BETTER]

A lot of depends on where they want to go. Just try to get in front of the direction he wants to go.

 

[ROUGH COUNTRY HUNTER]

I always want to have the ground on the bird and be above him.

same here

 

[deerchaser007]

You know i have always heard higher or same level,...what i find funny is on my property in cannon co. is early morning flydown they fly down,... then go straight down off the ridges.From my experience,i can usually call them back up mid day or late afternoon,.. but hunting high or same level is not working at all in the mornings.

 

[REN]

it just depends on the landscape really. I hunt on a piece that has a ridge running down the north end of it with big open corp fields at the bottom of the ridge. Some mornings they fly off the top of the ridge straight to the field and some they dont. I would bet that if that field was not down at the bottom they would not fly DOWN nearly as much as they do. as with all thing turkey hunting related, nothing is a definite but some things have more odds then others.

 

[String Music]

Logging roads are key. In hilly terrain, this is where you will find most gobblers in their "strut zone."

I won't use a turkey call until I'm atleast on the same level with the bird. I'll use locator calls to keep track of him while I'm climbing.