Here' s a little freindly advice,that has proven beneficial over the years in learning the hard way!For about the last month or so i' ve been watching 18 different longbeards in 3 seperate bachelor groups!Right now they are very predictable in there roosting sites and traveling routes using the same ones daily!Here in N. Calif the birds have begun to gobble at sun up also and it would be very easy to go out to a spot and hear and see birds.For many this is what they call scouting,but have you ever wondered why when turkey season rolls around,the birds have moved or the birds that were there are gone or are very few to how many were there just a couple of weeks ago!Even though I' m loaded with gobblers right now I' ve learned it can all change in a matter of a few days because the spring break-up has not ocurred yet!These gobblers for the most part especially the 3 year olds will not hang together as they are now, but as the days lengthen and the desire to breed kicks into full gear the mood will change from friends to enemies!Instead of being fall and winter buddies they will begin to look at one another as rivals and will begin to establish dominance over one another by a display of anger and jealousy resulting sometimes in nasty confrontations (fighting)!This will in turn lead to the birds splitting up in establishing there own turf,sometimes miles from where they spent the winter together!You' ll find birds that were feeding in feilds together are' nt there anymore or are down to just a handful!Then you will also find birds popping up in areas they have' nt been all year yet every spring season they show up there!The reason why is because of the spring break-up!Sure huntin pressure and other things attribute to the dipersing of birds in given areas,but its always amazing how right before season you can hear and see alot of gobblers and come opening day or soon after your scratching your head wondering what happened to all the birds!Its tough determining when this break-up will come about,and the Gobbler guide put out by K&H is suppose to help in clueing the perspective hunter in,but I' ve seen birds just a few miles apart that were still in there winter pattern when there counterparts just down the road were split up!Whats all this tell us!Well in my mind it tells me the hunter should try his best to scout till opening day if he can!Even though I' m on birds as we speak,I know the pattern will change probably within the next 3 weeks as this is when the break-up usually will take place in my stretch of the woods.We can talk all we want about calls,guns,and camo,but the real difference in my mind as a guide and hunter is nowing what the birds are doing in my general local,then I can put all that other stuff to work!!Scout your birds as often as you can fellas,the confidence in knowing what your birds are doing come opening day not only will help you take to the woods as a turkey hunter prepared but in many cases gives you the edge over those that didnt do there homework!!Bob

Bob, how true!! I couldn' t agree with you more. That is why I always continue to go out at dawn and listen and watch right up until the day the season opens. That' s also why I start my vacation 2 days before the season opener so I can get the last minute updates on where the birds are and where they are moving so I won' t be disappointed come opening day. Like you said, things are continually changing in the turkey woods from day to day in the spring and the smart hunter will be wise to stay on top of it. Nice post!!

That is a very goog point Bobgobble2. In the area that I hunt the winter flocks will migrate, following green-up for a few miles. We have seen sign so thick that it looked like every turkey in the state had gathered together there. A few years back I scouted the area and went back in to hunt 3 weeks later. I found lots of old sign but it took me two or three hard days to find a tom. The turkeys seem to get to a certain area and then split up. Now we go in, set up camp and then spend a couple of days in the area before the season starts. The problem now is hunters from the local town coming in on the day of the hunt and filling every nook, when the day before the season we had it to ourselves. Oh well, it makes it interesting and a challenge, and that is part of hunting public ground.