City Slicker

With the youth hunt in New Yorka month away, I went out last night to scout for turkey.

Besides seeing them, I was looking for sign like tracks, scrapes on the ground and poop.

I wasn't sure if I should call or not. I was out for a couple of hours and was out of the woods 15 mins after sunset. Is it better to just sit or should I be moving.

Any advice on how to scout would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance for your help.

mohunter82

the main thing is to open your ears. listen for the fly up at sunset or alittle before. then when you fiond the roost comebackin the morning and see which way they go out of the roost. you could move around a little but be careful not to spook em too much.
i would not call.

RockyMtnGobblers

For me I have found getting on high groundafter fly-up at nightand using an owl call or coyote call to locate the roost is the most fruitful.
Then you can be in the area at first light and follow them( out of sight and higher than them)to their feeding area and strut zones.

Then you can make you plan for the hunt.

hillbilly archer

What ever you do, DON't try to call them

City Slicker

Sounds like I need to sit in a spot and wait in the evening and get there early in the am and listen as well.

Can I use a crow or owl hooter in the early evening once the birds are up???

mez

Yes, go ahead and use your locator calls when they are up in the trees. This doesn't seem to bother them in my experience.

As far as walking, I don't worry too much about spooking them on the ground pre season. If you go out a couple of days and walk through the woods to find the general area they are in you shouldn't bother them. Don't walk around early am and late evening. If you don't spook them around their roost they will continue to roost in the same trees. Spook them off the tree or when they are going up and coming down they will move to a different roosting area.

Hung Up

I like to find turkeys in a feild and watch them with binos, you cant get to close to them or there gone!!
Find out where they are roosting the night before you hunt them, then set up on them early in the am.

Adrian J Hare

To me it sounds as if you were trying to locate birds not scout them.

Turkey hunters tend to mix up the terms Locating and Scouting which are two different things.

Locating is using calls such as crow, Owl, Coyote, hawk screamer to try and get a respond in the evening or morning.

Scouting is what a turkey hunter does to understand the layout of the property that he or she maybe hunting and understanding things like the roosting areas - feeding areas-strutting areas and knowing where all creeks, fences, and objects that may hang up birds coming to the call. These are important things to know when setting up before you call that bird towards you. Property lines are another importance , so that you know where to stop your movements.

Just wanted to clear this...

Ihuntandfish

Definately do not call. I tried that one season, and they became very call shy during the season. When I scout and pattern turkeys, I just go to the place where I hunt before light, find a hidden spot, and just watch them. Sometimes I will use a locator call, but that is only if they are not gobbling on their own. Usually I will go to a field so I can watch where they come out, plus I get to watch the show of them strutting and gobbling out in the field.

City Slicker

recommendations for a decent crow call?