All,

How early do you start scouting for Spring Turkey? I have noticed before that I have seen turkeys, only to come back 4 weeks later and not be able to find them at all.

At this time of year with all the leaves off it is easier to find game and the turkeys we have don't move all that much . It's a good time to locate the roost trees .

Here in NY, our spring season starts on May 1st. I like to get in the woods starting mid april to try and pattern the birds and pin point their roost sites. Any earlier and they may change locations. Most state DEC agencies try toplan the hunting seasons "after" the majority of breeding takes place. So in mid april, there will be much breeding going on, andyou can pattern the birds nicely. Don't bring your calls with you, but be camoed up and sit, watch, look and listen. Take along a small note book and write down the times, weather condition, how many gobbles heard, and where they enter fields, roost, etc. This is the time to construct any natural blinds too. By the time your season comes along, you should have a few places already scoped out to hunt and know exactly where to set-up.

Don't see anything wrong with looking for them nowwhile your shed hunting , although there pattern might change a little they'll still be around the same area.

Listen to what maytom said. I couldnt agree anymore. The important part is leave your calls at home. Because it is tempting to do a little calling.

It's very true, where you find Turkeys at this time of year you may not find any later on. On the other hand, later on you may over look an area that had no Turkeys early. Hold off on serious scouting until six weeks prior to season and start out slow, making note but don't draw any conclusions until one week before season. The last week check everywhere regularly. Don't call to the Turkeys. Don't even use locater calls. If you really need to hear a Gobble get your ars out of bed and liston from a good distance from your vehicle and move on to liston else where before fly down. Look for "Tracks" if even just hen tracks,"Feathers," "Terds" and most importantly "Strutt Zone." You don't actualy need a Gobble to know that Turkeys are present but it's purty dern handy to have when it comes shoot'n time.[/align]

I typically start about a month before. I do the usual scout where there feeding, roosting, flying down, strutting, etc. But if I am hunting a new area I'm not real sure about. I will actually wake up and dress in my camo as if I was hunting and head out to the turkey woods. I get out well before they start gobbling, set up in a blind ~except I never use any calls, even an owl hoot, and of course never any decoys~. I listen for their gobbles in the roost, watch where they fly down, and watch where they go after they fly down. Once the area is clear, then I move or go home. It is hard to wake up just to scout, but it will be all worth it when you down your big gobbler. Since this can change a little, I do this a couple times before the season starts. After the first season or two, it probably isn't as necessary since you will already know the area.

Thanks for all the help guys. Has anyone had any luck using a scouting camera?

I guess it depends on were you huntI've learned over the years that on public land scouting is better done while hunting... You scout a month before the season and when the season opener comes and you think you got this hot spot all picked out just to have 3 or 4 !@#$ sticks come in on your set up and screw the whole woods up with there owl hooters and crow calls and there car doors slamming

I guess you guys are right. Private property birds are as hard to hunt as public land Gobblers