Tvesthunter

The public land I have been hunting in Alabama has just done a perscribed burn a WEEK befor the start of turkey season. I have been scouting since I was done hunting the deer out there and have been watching a big ol tom and a ton of decent turkeys. But now that this has happened it has pushed the turkeys about 5-10 miles away from the green fields were they usually hang arround. I went out this morning, thats when I discovered the burn, jumped 6 deer on the first green field, but when I came up to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th there were no turkeys. They were gobbling their heads off two ridges away where they stoped the burn. Only trubble is that it is rough, densely wooded terrain and hard to hunt. Didn't even see a one. So my question is will the turkeys make their way back towards the green fields or am I going to have a rough season. I have no experence with a burn this size and the effects on turkey. If someone with experence in doing large burns could help me out with some tactics it would help?

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Wingbone

If your land behaves anything like ours, that burn will green up quickly with some tender shoots. It may be a hot location later when the birds are looking for greens and an open area to strut. I predict they'll be back.

WAYNE1

I've hunted burn's before....heck...I've sat right next to a smoldering stump...just to keep warm....and called in 6 tom's.....trust me...they'll be there....plus they love dusting in the ash's

slee

Wayne's right on the money. The first year I hunted his neck of the woods, we moved in to the USFS camp in the middle of the burn as they were packing up. We got a scouting report from them, and starting hiking and hitting the locator. It took 2 days, but they came back. The first evening that we heard birds when we got back to camp, there were 13 gobblers within earshot. They'll return pretty quickly.

trapper T

I know in case of Deer and Elk there's a mineral in a burn they don't normally get with out, so I've seen deer walking around eating hot ash. Turk's probably do the same, plus like a previous post, it will green up pretty quickly, and you no they love those fresh chutes.

huntnma

QUOTE-there's a mineral in a burn they don't normally get with out-QUOTE.....i never believed it til i saw it for myself, but it so true..... i think i know about prescribed burning enough to know that it wont effect the critters...actually we just did a 850 acre burn last week and we're planning on another one about 200 acres on monday , God willing....it should take about a week before you see the new growth, some times it's only 3 days before you start to see new growth...i used to be one of these people that would have a fit over burning, because i didnt know the benefits....i hunt public land, i work on public land, the turkeys will be there....don't worry.....unless it was a really hot fire and burned everything in sight, i wouldnt worry....burning is so good for the land and the animals, i wish i would of taken my camera yestarday, i wanted to take pics of the new growth where we burned recently , like 2 months ago...it is awesome and i know the turkeys and deer love it there now , more than before, well maybe not more, maybe it's just the fact that i can see them now , lol...good luck and keep the faith

totoe

...anyone got a (lighter) its all brush around here....

huntnma

just make sure you what direction the fire is giong to go

Tvesthunter

Yall were right about that burn went out this morning and bagged a good bird in an hour. I had an 8 in beard, about an inch spurs, and it was 18lbs