I have never really scouted before this season, which is why i have posted so many posts regarding scouting for turkeys (and have received great help from you guys). This post is just asking for conformation that my process of scouting and locating birds is correct. A simple "yes" or "sounds good" will be sufficient, or of course any suggestions for better success. I hope this sounds good to you guys....


First, i find land that i know turkeys roam. this is alreadydone because i am hunting on public land (GreenRidge State Forest, MD) where turkeys are known to live.

Second, a few weeks before the season,I wake up predawn and blow some owl locatersfrom the road and, if i hear a gobble, i mark on my map about where it came from. Then i move on to about 200 yards downroad and continue to do the same.After light comes, i blow some crow calls and once again listen for gobbles and, when i hear some, mark their direction and distance on my map.

Third, after i have done this until about 9:00am -10:00 am (about three hours of scouting), i go back to those areas i marked and begin to get deeper in the woods in search of sign or actual turkeys (being very cautious not to bump a bird). I am now looking for scratches, feathers, crap, anything to find a roosting site or strutting zone. Rivers, creek bottoms, largehorizontal branchedtrees, etc, are all good places to start.

Once i have found some signs of turkeys and/or roosting sites, i try to observe some gobblers from a distance (which, to me, seems challenging)

Finally, on the actual night before the hunt, i attempt to either put the birds to bed (which also seems hard to do) or blow some locater calls at night to see where they are roosting - which will tell me where they will be in the morning.

On the morning of the hunt, i blow some locater calls again to confirm they are still there and then i move in on them and set up. Theni start calling as you normally would do.

QUESTION: will locater calls work at any time of the day/ night, or just specific times (dawn, dusk) and how often do you guys hear a gobble in response to locater call. Do you hear one about half the time, everytime (doubtful), 1 out of 10...? I just want to know if im going in the right direction.

I appreciate your guys help. It just seems challenging to me to hear a bird, let alone see one. But, i guess it comes easier with years of experience. There are so many acres and different paths in this state park, it is hard to know where to start - but im learning, or trying lol. It seems it is best to scout from large areas to smaller, more specific peices of land where the turkeys actually are. Thanks alot fellas, really.

Geterdun

wow you are definately putting some time into it. i think what you are doing is good, but try not to visit an area to often and spook the birds out.

as far as them answering locatoar calls, i've heard birds gobble at 3am and during rifle deer season in november. if somethings gets their attention nd they want to gobble they usually do.

i don't know about your turkey population but i dont but anywhere near as much effort into scouting as you do. PA does have an abundant turky population tho. when i do get out, i usually just go turkeu hunting without the gun. i walk around using turkey calls to get gobbles. if i feel a gobbler is coming in i just sit and shut up to maybe get a view of what he looks like. if i dont scout an area, i just show up before the crack of dawn, listen for a gobble, and chase after it when i hear one.

your methods sound good too tho

Your main concern should be finding the roosting sight. When You blow a locater call and hear a gobble truck on towards it. Do not wear the bird out with a call every two minutes. If you can hear the bird you sould be close enough to find him, unless you're hunting ridges. One pieceof equipment that is a must is a good set of binoculars. I twnd to walk 20 30 yards and stop and listen if there are birds roosting near by you will hear some tree yelps, fly down cackles and some other turkey vocabulary. If you bump a bird once it shouldn't matter. You need to train yourself to look for a turkeys jerky movement on the ground. I use my ears just as much as my eyes for putting and yelping. Certain locator calls work for me and some do not. Mix it up, I have the least luck with a crow call. Try a pileated woodpecker call it is loud heck and really will get a response. If you roost some birds the night before than I would try to get at least 100 yards from the site and in the direction the birds usually fly down and walk. I would not blow a locator since you have them located. Let them wake up and start talking, if you are not close enough you may have to circle way out of the way to get closer, but that is just the game. Your main concern should be the roosting site. Find this and 80 percent of your challenge is complete.
You need to look for funnels, fields,on your maps, turkeys are just like deer and will take the path of least resistence while walking through the woods. Look for open wooded section where a hen will have the ability to see a gobbler while he struts. Like I said you are doing the riight thing, just keep at it remeber to use your ears as much as your eyes, and take your time.Do not be afraid to get to cmove towards the gobbling that you hear, but move slow stop evey 20-30 yards and survey your surrondings and listen. There is not a magical call out there that will make a bird gobble everytime. Think about going to a basketball game and everytime someone scores you yelling at the top of your lungs, you are going to get horse and stop after a while. I have seen a gobbler, gobble himself horse before competing with two other gobblers. Persistence pays off in big ways,and so does patients. good luck hope this helps.

i can tell you that turkeys sometimes start to associate owl hoots and crow calls with a turkey hunter if they have heard it too much, and they will shut up on hearing one..they can work wonders, and they can mess u up sometimes..so be careful..this is especially true if you are hunting high pressured areas like public land.