I am not sure where you are going to scout on the plains or mountains, I hunt the mountains.[/align][/align]I would scout in the snow, in Colorado snow in April and may can happen and usually does. You need to know how their habits change with the snow. My turkeys are off the roost by 6:30 let it snow and that can change to 8:00.[/align]Find the roost and the rest is easy. Use the snow to track em finding their roost, strutting zone and travel routs.Merriam's travel a long distance, in the Colorado mountainsthey prefer to roost on east and south facing hills, ridges and gullies I have found that water is always close by the roost.[/align]Look for water, and east and south facing ridges, that's a very good start to mountain scouting.[/align][/align]Ileave my calls at home also and use only owl, coyote, peacock and crow calls to locate turkeys. I have also heard that elk bugles calls work great to locate turkeys.I hunted an area I always saw turkeys and I saw a hunter using turkey calls to locate turkeys as he was moving. I know the turkeys saw him because I never saw any turkeys that day.[/align]Good luck and have fun![/align]