hey again,
my question is...."when scouting for turkeys, should i get up before light and simply listen for them to gobble, and then once daylight shows up begin to call? or should i call while it is still dark and attempt to hear them that way? When, in the morning, is the best time to start calling? thanks
I wouldn't advise using turkey calls while scouting. Maybe use a locator call, but I wouldn't advise using a turkey call until it's actually time to hunt. Calling to birds in pre-season only educates your birds. You had asked about Green Ridge. Go there one morning, get to a high spot by first light and just listen. You'll hear turkeys (unless it's windy). Do this a couple times and you'll probably see a pattern. Mix in some walks through the areas your hearing turkeys and look for scratching and scat. What you want to do is figure out where they roost and where they like to head off the roost. Find a bench with alot of scratches, this is a good place to be if you go out hunting and don't hear any gobbles on the roost. Set up there and call softly, but mostly, have the gun up and ready.
Get yourself a good pair of binoculars too. Using locator calls is the best thing you can do like they said. Also, you can look for sign. Turkey tracks and scat along their walkways, and feathers and scat where their roosting sites are. I read somewhere that the tracks where the middle toe is longer indicates a gobbler.
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yes geterdun, have to also afree with slicendice, no turkey calls till day of hunting. But the locator is a good idea.
However, I like to just go to the woods on the weekends or couple days prior and find a good spot and sit and listen. I am sure you will hear them and judge direction and distance maybe, then the next time move more in that direction but not super close. That way I begin to see where they are and maybe more in other places and then determine where I want to go opening day! [8D]
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quick question regarding scouting...
