scouting for turkeys
02-15-2009, 05:15 PM
#2
Fork Horn
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 140
RE: scouting for turkeys
If you know they are in area you know of.......go @ the crack of dawn and listen for goobles.....after they fly down......listen to were the goobles go......find roosing trees.....and glass from a distance! Put a plan together and sit and wait em' out! Good Luck!
DP
DP
02-15-2009, 05:23 PM
#4
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,437
RE: scouting for turkeys
There are all sorts of methods.
1. In winter areasI look for winter roost sights which in my region is big ole pine tree groves. Turkeys like to flock together on the winter and once I found the flock I try to keep track of them. Come Spring they will break up and move to adjoining areas.
2. In places I can't scout like this I go a few weeks before my season and listen at high spots at first light. The Toms will sound off. Those I mark on my map and keep visiting these areas through the course of the day to see if I can get a look at them in surrounding fields or logging trails.
While walking these areas I look for dust bowls, tracks, strutt marks (Tom foot steps close together with wing drag marks paraelling the tracks on either side) feathers, droppings, Tom poop is shaped like a "J" a hen is just a plop and of course the turkeys calling one another. On areas of hgh turkey sign I look for likely roost trees and then look a the big barren branches to see if I can find poop or feathers on the forest, roost area ground.
3. I do try to roost at times and there I pick an area I have either seen or have lots of sign and then sit within ear shot of the likely roost trees. You can hear the wing-beat quite a distance and may just catch a Tom gobble.
4. During the course of the day we binoc fields and field edges. If it is hot look at the shady side. We will continue to check these fields throughout the day.
5. Locator calls do work. Owl Hoots in the morning and later crow, coyote, whistles, duck calls all work at times to shock the bird into gobbling. And of course just plain Hen yelping but I try to hold off on that as not to make the bird call shy.
6. On the private I am allowed to hunt I stay in contact with the owners and have trained them to exactly what I am looking for. You would be surprised how well this works over the course of the year before season. I call it my AT&T turkey scouting. Saves me time, travel and gas money!
7. I keep a journal and over the course of the years I have hunted it helps remind me of areas that have been productive. I have found more birds working cut corn fields in spring than soybean or grass pastures is one tip I can pass on. find high productive areas and do keep track fo them. They can produce from year to year.
Sounds like alot but if you want to be on birds is what I do.
JW
1. In winter areasI look for winter roost sights which in my region is big ole pine tree groves. Turkeys like to flock together on the winter and once I found the flock I try to keep track of them. Come Spring they will break up and move to adjoining areas.
2. In places I can't scout like this I go a few weeks before my season and listen at high spots at first light. The Toms will sound off. Those I mark on my map and keep visiting these areas through the course of the day to see if I can get a look at them in surrounding fields or logging trails.
While walking these areas I look for dust bowls, tracks, strutt marks (Tom foot steps close together with wing drag marks paraelling the tracks on either side) feathers, droppings, Tom poop is shaped like a "J" a hen is just a plop and of course the turkeys calling one another. On areas of hgh turkey sign I look for likely roost trees and then look a the big barren branches to see if I can find poop or feathers on the forest, roost area ground.
3. I do try to roost at times and there I pick an area I have either seen or have lots of sign and then sit within ear shot of the likely roost trees. You can hear the wing-beat quite a distance and may just catch a Tom gobble.
4. During the course of the day we binoc fields and field edges. If it is hot look at the shady side. We will continue to check these fields throughout the day.
5. Locator calls do work. Owl Hoots in the morning and later crow, coyote, whistles, duck calls all work at times to shock the bird into gobbling. And of course just plain Hen yelping but I try to hold off on that as not to make the bird call shy.
6. On the private I am allowed to hunt I stay in contact with the owners and have trained them to exactly what I am looking for. You would be surprised how well this works over the course of the year before season. I call it my AT&T turkey scouting. Saves me time, travel and gas money!
7. I keep a journal and over the course of the years I have hunted it helps remind me of areas that have been productive. I have found more birds working cut corn fields in spring than soybean or grass pastures is one tip I can pass on. find high productive areas and do keep track fo them. They can produce from year to year.
Sounds like alot but if you want to be on birds is what I do.
JW
02-15-2009, 05:36 PM
#5
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 5,076
RE: scouting for turkeys
Well ... I'm sure theres others on here that will add there 2 cents in later on but in the mean time let me share some of my advice.
First of all if youhave seen turkeys ina plot of woods or even farm fields , take time to do a little leg work and take a walk though those woods and fields.
Look for tracks,loose feathers, dust bowls and scat, dust bowls will look like little round impressions in the ground in loose soil or sandy like dirt.
Their scat looks like little cigar butts, dark green in color with just touch of white at one end, a toms scat is diffrent from a hens, it willhave a little curl like the letter ( J ).
Turkeys like to roost in big trees such as oaks in the spring and summer, pines in the fall and winter.
Sometimes they will seek cover in bad wet weather on the ground under some thick dense foilage.
It's real easy to spot an feeding area in the woods, when your walking around and you seealot of round bare spots of loose leaves on the ground but it is harder in the fields.
When trying to find out where there roosting at night, try using a crowor owl call at dusk and listen for their gobbling.
Hope this information helps, the other members here are more than welcome to either aggree or criticize me on this but when it come to scouting for these birds, I know what I'm talking about.
First of all if youhave seen turkeys ina plot of woods or even farm fields , take time to do a little leg work and take a walk though those woods and fields.
Look for tracks,loose feathers, dust bowls and scat, dust bowls will look like little round impressions in the ground in loose soil or sandy like dirt.
Their scat looks like little cigar butts, dark green in color with just touch of white at one end, a toms scat is diffrent from a hens, it willhave a little curl like the letter ( J ).
Turkeys like to roost in big trees such as oaks in the spring and summer, pines in the fall and winter.
Sometimes they will seek cover in bad wet weather on the ground under some thick dense foilage.
It's real easy to spot an feeding area in the woods, when your walking around and you seealot of round bare spots of loose leaves on the ground but it is harder in the fields.
When trying to find out where there roosting at night, try using a crowor owl call at dusk and listen for their gobbling.
Hope this information helps, the other members here are more than welcome to either aggree or criticize me on this but when it come to scouting for these birds, I know what I'm talking about.
02-16-2009, 08:16 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Chatham, Ohio
Posts: 8,834
RE: scouting for turkeys
I think a really good thing to do is in the week or so before the season, go into the woods and just listen for where the turkeys are gobbling from. Then as mentioned before, listen to where they go. If you can get a good pattern (a consistent roosting location and direction of travel) then you will be one up on the turkeys. On opening morning, try to get in the woods without spooking anything off the roost, and set up about 100-150 yards from the roosting location (maybe farther), in their normal direction of travel. Wait for them to start gobbling, and fly down, then wait for them to come on your direction. Once they get close, start calling very lightly.
Another method if you cannot get into the woods before the season is get in early, use a locator call or wait for them to gobble on their own. Once they star gbbling, get within 100-150 yards and set up VERY quietly. Put out a few decoys, and get against a good tree that breaks up your outline. Start calling sparingly, and hopefully the gobblers will call back. Then wait for the turkeys to fly down and start calling again but sparingly. Be ready for gobblers to appear out of nowhere.
Thier is many methods you can use but these are my favorite 2 for morning hunts.
Another method if you cannot get into the woods before the season is get in early, use a locator call or wait for them to gobble on their own. Once they star gbbling, get within 100-150 yards and set up VERY quietly. Put out a few decoys, and get against a good tree that breaks up your outline. Start calling sparingly, and hopefully the gobblers will call back. Then wait for the turkeys to fly down and start calling again but sparingly. Be ready for gobblers to appear out of nowhere.
Thier is many methods you can use but these are my favorite 2 for morning hunts.
02-16-2009, 05:44 PM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Southwest Ohio
Posts: 2,754
RE: scouting for turkeys
ORIGINAL: RDHunter
Well ... I'm sure theres others on here that will add there 2 cents in later on but in the mean time let me share some of my advice.
First of all if youhave seen turkeys ina plot of woods or even farm fields , take time to do a little leg work and take a walk though those woods and fields.
Look for tracks,loose feathers, dust bowls and scat, dust bowls will look like little round impressions in the ground in loose soil or sandy like dirt.
Their scat looks like little cigar butts, dark green in color with just touch of white at one end, a toms scat is diffrent from a hens, it willhave a little curl like the letter ( J ).
Turkeys like to roost in big trees such as oaks in the spring and summer, pines in the fall and winter.
Sometimes they will seek cover in bad wet weather on the ground under some thick dense foilage.
It's real easy to spot an feeding area in the woods, when your walking around and you seealot of round bare spots of loose leaves on the ground but it is harder in the fields.
When trying to find out where there roosting at night, try using a crowor owl call at dusk and listen for their gobbling.
Hope this information helps, the other members here are more than welcome to either aggree or criticize me on this but when it come to scouting for these birds, I know what I'm talking about.
Well ... I'm sure theres others on here that will add there 2 cents in later on but in the mean time let me share some of my advice.
First of all if youhave seen turkeys ina plot of woods or even farm fields , take time to do a little leg work and take a walk though those woods and fields.
Look for tracks,loose feathers, dust bowls and scat, dust bowls will look like little round impressions in the ground in loose soil or sandy like dirt.
Their scat looks like little cigar butts, dark green in color with just touch of white at one end, a toms scat is diffrent from a hens, it willhave a little curl like the letter ( J ).
Turkeys like to roost in big trees such as oaks in the spring and summer, pines in the fall and winter.
Sometimes they will seek cover in bad wet weather on the ground under some thick dense foilage.
It's real easy to spot an feeding area in the woods, when your walking around and you seealot of round bare spots of loose leaves on the ground but it is harder in the fields.
When trying to find out where there roosting at night, try using a crowor owl call at dusk and listen for their gobbling.
Hope this information helps, the other members here are more than welcome to either aggree or criticize me on this but when it come to scouting for these birds, I know what I'm talking about.
02-17-2009, 06:23 AM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 2,820
RE: scouting for turkeys
ORIGINAL: Siman08/OH
I think a really good thing to do is in the week or so before the season, go into the woods and just listen for where the turkeys are gobbling from. Then as mentioned before, listen to where they go. If you can get a good pattern (a consistent roosting location and direction of travel) then you will be one up on the turkeys. On opening morning, try to get in the woods without spooking anything off the roost, and set up about 100-150 yards from the roosting location (maybe farther), in their normal direction of travel. Wait for them to start gobbling, and fly down, then wait for them to come on your direction. Once they get close, start calling very lightly.
Another method if you cannot get into the woods before the season is get in early, use a locator call or wait for them to gobble on their own. Once they star gbbling, get within 100-150 yards and set up VERY quietly. Put out a few decoys, and get against a good tree that breaks up your outline. Start calling sparingly, and hopefully the gobblers will call back. Then wait for the turkeys to fly down and start calling again but sparingly. Be ready for gobblers to appear out of nowhere.
Thier is many methods you can use but these are my favorite 2 for morning hunts.
I think a really good thing to do is in the week or so before the season, go into the woods and just listen for where the turkeys are gobbling from. Then as mentioned before, listen to where they go. If you can get a good pattern (a consistent roosting location and direction of travel) then you will be one up on the turkeys. On opening morning, try to get in the woods without spooking anything off the roost, and set up about 100-150 yards from the roosting location (maybe farther), in their normal direction of travel. Wait for them to start gobbling, and fly down, then wait for them to come on your direction. Once they get close, start calling very lightly.
Another method if you cannot get into the woods before the season is get in early, use a locator call or wait for them to gobble on their own. Once they star gbbling, get within 100-150 yards and set up VERY quietly. Put out a few decoys, and get against a good tree that breaks up your outline. Start calling sparingly, and hopefully the gobblers will call back. Then wait for the turkeys to fly down and start calling again but sparingly. Be ready for gobblers to appear out of nowhere.
Thier is many methods you can use but these are my favorite 2 for morning hunts.
Ditto!!!
02-17-2009, 09:40 AM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: every where wild
Posts: 80
RE: scouting for turkeys
watch, hike, listen, watch, hike, listen, the biggest part for scouting is to be out in the woods and the easiest way to find them is look into fields,, talk to farmers and land owners you would be supprised at how many people that don't hunt for turkeys still watch them and look for them.. my best turkey informant is my mail man Y?? he drives the roads and fields that I hunt every day rain sleet or snow he drives them early to late and if you ask him/her they might even start to pay attention to when and where the birds are hanging out..
