I agree with all.


First I would walk, look, listen and scout all three properties. I would concetrate on fields after 8 AM each day looking for birds that are using it. You said you found tracks in the mudy edges - start there with your scout.
Wisconsin is the only state I actually hunt fields and field edges. The woods are susally ravines that are untillable and very hard to crawl up and down in my area. Some are flat out 90 foot drops. So we cocnentrate on fields and field egdes. Rahter than Run and Gun - (going at a gobbling bird) we scout areas to put up blinds and sit and wait........Since we have hunted the same area in Wisconsin for many years I actually start my scouting the Sunday before my opener. 1. This is the last day of the previous hunt season. I let others tell me where they are seeing birds - I looked for parked vehicles. Then get out and listen at 1st light - I do not call. 2. I run roads, trails, for the 1st few horus after I start to hear gobbling off the roost - all are marked on my map for later reference. 3. After Gobbling stops - I run roads, walk fields, run trails, looking for the birds I have heard from the roost. Keep at it and you will see them - I don NOT call! 4. I stop at 9 or 10 and then do it all over again till 1 PM. then I stop get a bite to eat and then check areas where I have seen birds from 3 to 6 PM. Birds will feed before fly-up. A few days of doing this I will start to develop a pattern of almost any bird. There has been a few times due to weather I was very frustrated - 2 days of scouting and not much info. And then the 3rd day it all came to gether so I could send all 4 of us in a direction to get a bird. And we did.

Now on tracks in fields I look for the freshest sign. Look for sandy areas for dust bowls. On heavilly tracked areas stand there and ask yourself - where do you see the biggest trees. If you can - go look at them. any turkey poop under them or feathers or broken branches? Fresh tracks rub out. don't leave them for your comeptition and if they use the area they will make more. Be sneaky. Before you enter any field stand well into the edge and glass that field. Be careful of tall grass as the bird may see you but you can't see them - happens all the time.
For locator calls I will use a crow, owl, duck or dog whislte. I do not use any hen calls at all. I may use a gobble call as long as no one else is around - but I use that on rare occsasions. And I choose to glass more than I call.

JW