this will be my first season and the next couple of weeks i will be starting to do some serious scouting. i am hunting heavily populated bird areas (private land) that very rarely sees any kind of hunting. the owner sees 20-30 birds often just riding the 4 wheeler. my questions is when i start looking and scouting what kinds of signs should i look for to tell me of the best place to start hunting?

Look in clearings for feathers and crachings on the ground, both are good turkey signs. you can also look for turkey droppings in those areas as well. As for clearings both fields and openings in the woods should hold turkeys.

sp should i concentrate more where the woods meet the field at the top of the ridge or the open creek bottom below the field at the bottom of the ridge

Click if there is as much action as you say you shouldn' t have to look to hard just use your ears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It wont be long and you will be posting pictures like ol BT

iT WILL BE EASIER TO HUNT THE HARDWOODS BECAUSE YOU HAVE MORE COVER.

do you usually start out on higher ground or lower ground? i was thinking that i have heard not to hunt higher than the birds because he won' t climb the hill? is this true should i stay equal or lower than he is?

i thought i heard that turks wont go down hill to a call but they will walk uphill. if im wrong someone say so

I agree with Mr. Longbeard. One of the best ways to scout once they start gobbling is just to listen from a good vantage point. It' ll tell you right where they like to roost and you don' t have to get too close to them and bump them before season. If you know where a couple of birds like to roost, that is as good a place to start on opening day as any.

If it were me, and there was that many sightings, i would just wait for the spring gobbling to begin. Then you can, from a distance, pinpoint their roosting sites without going in a spooking birds needlessly.With binos, watch for the birds in fields and record their daily movements.But seriously, if u can keep from bothering them til opening day, your odds 4 sucess sky-rocket.

you will hear various things but if you know the birds are there I would tend to stay back listen for them to fly up to roost & then glass the fields to see when they are using them. If your lucky you can find where they sleep & where they strut and eat. If you find that you can kill the birds even if they are not vocal.

It is also well worth your effort to walk any roads that you can & see if you can find tracks droppings & dropped feathers. Turkeys tend to walk roads a lot more than other creatures. Good Luck!