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Attract turkey from neighboring property?

Posted By: TijuanaTom

Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/04/22 05:14 PM

Any suggestions on how i might attract birds from a neighboring property? Not looking for them to change their roost and set up shop on my side of the fence, more just incorporate it into their range. Only thing i could think of was start spinning some milo in a feeder, but open to better suggestions.

It's a small property i've leased for deer just under 2 years. Never seen birds or gotten any cam pics. However, i went out a few times the first year on the lease in the spring just to do some calling. There are definitely birds on the neighboring properties. Close enough to respond to my calls, but too far to get serious about closing the distance. Was thinking if i could atleast get them ranging on my side from time to tome i might have a small chance in the spring.
Posted By: ElkOne

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/04/22 07:24 PM

Your idea is good might also want to spin the roads, good thing about that is the deer ,turkey quail and song birds all benefit, and you might get some turkeys to join in on your land.
Posted By: Sniper John

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/05/22 08:23 AM

Food Plot perhaps. We have quite a bit more Turkeys in years when the field on our lease is planted in wheat. Even a small food plot I plant some years next to my deer stand draws a lot more Turkeys than just having a feeder alone. In fact some years like this one when I did not do a food plot, I have not seen a single Turkey at that stand. I almost always do see them though when I have a nice food plot planted. Especially if I have a lot of Turnips in the mix.
Posted By: Wytex

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/05/22 04:30 PM

I don't think a feeder will make any difference. Learn to call better maybe.
Just kidding but food plots and good nesting habitat will lure them over.
Posted By: maximum

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/05/22 04:47 PM

If you have varmints, you'll need to start actively trapping and eliminating them.
You have to choose between coons and possums and coyotes and foxes and
such, and having small game and game birds. Turkeys and quail and such need
a safe place for their nests and to safely raise their chicks
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/07/22 12:35 AM

What is the habitat/cover like on your place and on the neighbors?
Posted By: TijuanaTom

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/07/22 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by stxranchman
What is the habitat/cover like on your place and on the neighbors?


Neighboring properties are a mix of cover and large pasture. My side is all natural growth/scrub no planted fields or pasture
Posted By: kmon11

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/07/22 03:25 PM

Turkeys like open areas with shorter grass and weeds. Thick brush they will go through if they want to but open areas mixed in are more attractive to turkeys. Vision is a turkeys main defense against predators and they like to be able to see distance.

On one place that is divided into 2, 70 acre pastures the back 70 was thick with 3 60 yard wide openings 200 to 300 yards long that had grown up a lot. Cleared one of those and the turkeys started using that 70 acres a lot more. The other pasture that was about 70% open sees a lot more turkey activity. Killed a lot of turkeys on that place and in the Spring could kill one about anytime I wanted to.
Posted By: Wytex

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/07/22 06:48 PM

You answered your issue, clear some pasture land and plant a couple of food plots or good native grasses.
Do you have any large trees for roosting? If not then lure them over with your more open pastures and nesting habitat after you clear some.
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/08/22 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by TijuanaTom
Originally Posted by stxranchman
What is the habitat/cover like on your place and on the neighbors?


Neighboring properties are a mix of cover and large pasture. My side is all natural growth/scrub no planted fields or pasture

You have poor habitat and neighbors have the turkeys due to them having better habitat for turkey.
Posted By: cos

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/09/22 06:13 PM

If you can get firelanes put in start burning your place. Turkeys will come.
Posted By: Simple Searcher

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/10/22 01:18 AM

Turkeys like a landing strip, food plots next to tall trees is good for this, and a water source.
I have got into a ground blind on the edge of a field very early in the morning to be there at first light. When 30 turkeys fly in from the tall oaks and into the field in front of me, it is a sight to see.
Posted By: TijuanaTom

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/10/22 02:28 PM

appreciate the insight folks
Posted By: Treinta-Treinta

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/10/22 02:45 PM

I guess this is why there are so many unproductive turkey hunters.

Thinking a turkey doesn’t like stuff as thick as big mature bucks do is a rookie’s ignorance.

Put some food out so they can add you to their route. Make a pig pipe cept hang it in a tree so the coons and such can get it dropping random corn.
Posted By: Wytex

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/10/22 04:22 PM

Been hunting the Red River breaks for years and while turkeys will use the thick stuff they prefer areas where their eyes are a bigger benefit.
Taken a many a bird form the thick stuff but mostly from open areas.
Corn will lure them but I would want a resident population, not just birds moving through.

Do some habitat improvement for them and keep some year round .
Posted By: Gamblinman

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/10/22 04:23 PM

Habitat, Habitat, habitat.
Posted By: Bbq74

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 01/10/22 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by TijuanaTom
appreciate the insight folks



Good advice.
Posted By: Trenton

Re: Attract turkey from neighboring property? - 03/03/22 03:46 AM

We leased 500 acres north of San Angelo years ago and we were not seeing turkeys or really seeing signs of them, yet we heard them on surrounding properties often. Never came to our feeders during deer season, and never bumped into them on our lease. Occasionally we would see tracks, feathers, and droppings but not much at all. After deer season was over at the end of January beginning of February we went out to fill our feeders with the intention of keeping them running year-round, and we started seeing a lot more signs around our feeders but didn’t see any actual birds. We went back towards the end of March to check the feeders and get ready for spring season, and we were covered up with birds! We guessed that the neighbors feeders ran out after deer season and they turned them off or never refilled them. The birds found all five of our feeders and were coming in morning and evening and hanging out on our property in between. My guess is if you crank your timers up on your corn feeders and maybe place one or two feeders about 100 yards from a fence line where you think the birds are at on neighboring properties you will have turkeys in no time. If the neighbors feed corn the turkeys will know the sound of a feeder and will make their way to your property to vacuum it up.
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