Scoutting with kids.
04-02-2008, 08:30 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 31
Scoutting with kids.
Ok so we all (Most people anyway.) try scoutting a little before season. I did a little home work on area public land, as well as asked a farmer or 2 where I had seen turkey in Jan-Feb for permission but hunting club leases about everything they can get there hands on and are pretty much city guys that pay to "Hunt" the leased land and I rarely report any success.
Well I got the topo maps printed, and went for a drive yesterday. Bout messed myself when 30 seconds after I get to public land I see this big tom on a field edge. He spooked when I stopped the truck and took off on wing. Stayed in the truck about whole time driven the gravel because my 11 month old is with me and was chillier than I wanted him out in. This morning was warmer so I toted the lil 25 pounder thru the thicket. He was quieter than I was and just wanted to look around.
Kicked up a decnt size bird, look that way when he was winging away anyway. So I figure I have ideas on 2 birds by 9 AM this morning.
I moved and meant to look for a watering hole but to another path. Saw some nice tracks, figured they were at least day old filed em in my brain to mark later. Turned around and came back the same trail bout 30-40 minutes later. To my surprise fresh tracks, and scat. So bird #3 mid morning area I have a decent idea.
With time table I have finding roost I thought would be a prob. I took my 2 older boys (Getting HE this w/e) tonight about 6pm for a scouting trip at the area I saw tracks this morning. More fresh tracks, I was like "Yeah"
Decided to cross a ditch with the boys to get to the watering hole to check it out, half way down the near bank I heard a clutter of activity, I swaer it took 3 minutes for my boys to get the idea QUIET. We had spooked 3 deer and they wandered around us for quite a while, out of sight but not hearing. After 10-15 minutes I got em moving again trying to grind in they're heads quiet quiet quiet.
After we got half way up the other side of the ditch/ravine I stopped em again. One of the small does was at the top of the ridge, just caught her silloutte against the skyline. Well boys being boys you know they heard EVERYTHING and pointed it out. Everything being everything that was NOT there.
Still making em wait quietly to see if a deer would pop up its head so they could see how close we were, darnest thing happened. That turkey, I found all those track from, started gobbleing. He went on for 2-3 minutes. BINGO got my roosted bird within 50 yds or so.
After awhile we headed for that hole again. Frogs close by were just raising cane, then zip, complete silence. Tried explaining that what you DON'T hear is almost as important as what you do. After a few minutes another gobbler sounded off, farther away.
Making our way back to the truck 1 of the boys almost stepped on a cottontail. Anyway my point is even though they still have about everything to learn about hunting they we eager tonite, and the littlest is prolly the quietest.
I plan on splitting my scoutting trips up between my kids, theres 5. The looks on the faces of those 2 boys when that gobbler sounded off and they realized what it was was priceless. Even after the lectures I put them thru, seemingly about every 10 seconds.
When I actually thought I would have the least luck I found my best scoutting. Alone perhaps I could of done more gone other places or been quieter. But it makes me wonder. What results would have been gain w/o the extra load or noise etc. I'll never know, but don't think scoutting will be alone for awhile. But glad I proffitted with the knowledge I gained and the experience with the kids. Closer to season openning will be alone but for now, a couple kids to share the excitement with makes pre-season scoutting that much more important with me.
Well I got the topo maps printed, and went for a drive yesterday. Bout messed myself when 30 seconds after I get to public land I see this big tom on a field edge. He spooked when I stopped the truck and took off on wing. Stayed in the truck about whole time driven the gravel because my 11 month old is with me and was chillier than I wanted him out in. This morning was warmer so I toted the lil 25 pounder thru the thicket. He was quieter than I was and just wanted to look around.
Kicked up a decnt size bird, look that way when he was winging away anyway. So I figure I have ideas on 2 birds by 9 AM this morning.
I moved and meant to look for a watering hole but to another path. Saw some nice tracks, figured they were at least day old filed em in my brain to mark later. Turned around and came back the same trail bout 30-40 minutes later. To my surprise fresh tracks, and scat. So bird #3 mid morning area I have a decent idea.
With time table I have finding roost I thought would be a prob. I took my 2 older boys (Getting HE this w/e) tonight about 6pm for a scouting trip at the area I saw tracks this morning. More fresh tracks, I was like "Yeah"
Decided to cross a ditch with the boys to get to the watering hole to check it out, half way down the near bank I heard a clutter of activity, I swaer it took 3 minutes for my boys to get the idea QUIET. We had spooked 3 deer and they wandered around us for quite a while, out of sight but not hearing. After 10-15 minutes I got em moving again trying to grind in they're heads quiet quiet quiet.
After we got half way up the other side of the ditch/ravine I stopped em again. One of the small does was at the top of the ridge, just caught her silloutte against the skyline. Well boys being boys you know they heard EVERYTHING and pointed it out. Everything being everything that was NOT there.
Still making em wait quietly to see if a deer would pop up its head so they could see how close we were, darnest thing happened. That turkey, I found all those track from, started gobbleing. He went on for 2-3 minutes. BINGO got my roosted bird within 50 yds or so.
After awhile we headed for that hole again. Frogs close by were just raising cane, then zip, complete silence. Tried explaining that what you DON'T hear is almost as important as what you do. After a few minutes another gobbler sounded off, farther away.
Making our way back to the truck 1 of the boys almost stepped on a cottontail. Anyway my point is even though they still have about everything to learn about hunting they we eager tonite, and the littlest is prolly the quietest.
I plan on splitting my scoutting trips up between my kids, theres 5. The looks on the faces of those 2 boys when that gobbler sounded off and they realized what it was was priceless. Even after the lectures I put them thru, seemingly about every 10 seconds.
When I actually thought I would have the least luck I found my best scoutting. Alone perhaps I could of done more gone other places or been quieter. But it makes me wonder. What results would have been gain w/o the extra load or noise etc. I'll never know, but don't think scoutting will be alone for awhile. But glad I proffitted with the knowledge I gained and the experience with the kids. Closer to season openning will be alone but for now, a couple kids to share the excitement with makes pre-season scoutting that much more important with me.
