Scouting

[woodsman2230]

I havent really got into turkey hunting until recently. What is the best way to scout and when is the best time to do it?

[Covehnter]

Re: Scouting

If you're on new land i'd try finding a game warden or someone familar with the land and speaking with them, often they can give you a general direction to start. Just getting in the woods and finding good habitat and looking for scratching, feathers, etc. Once it gets closer to season, i like getting out early and listening for gobbling birds.

[AdrianJHare]

Re: Scouting

Scouting is a key role in turkey hunting.

Taking the time to learn the area is what a turkey hunter needs to do. There are a number of factor one needs to look for and that is, all the elements that a hunter faces in the woods while he is trying to setup on birds. This is something you should try to do well before the season, as walking turkey hunting areas tend to apply pressure to the birds you intend to hunt in the season.

This is a problem that a lot of turkey hunters make for themselves. If you are limited to only certain areas and hunt them every season, most of your scouting is done, as you all ready know the lay of the land.

Scouting begins in the early season.

If you have an area that you intend to hunt spend some time before the season looking for birds in and around the area. Once you have found where a population of birds is spending time, you should take note of any fields that these birds are feeding in and this will follow other parts of scouting like hunting areas to strutting areas and roosting sites.

Scouting is not over yet. By obtaining permission to hunt the areas by the local landowners it is time to walk the areas and find a little more detail

Scouting inside the woods is one more step in understanding what the birds you hunt maybe doing.

Looking for Tracks, strut marks on the ground, dustings, feathers, scat, scratches and water locations in the woods can all tell you different things that the birds in the area are doing. This type of sign will tell you hens from gobblers, where turkeys are frequenting and where they spend time in the woods you are going to hunt. Another thing that your scouting trip is going to tell you is, how the lay of the land is. Roads, trails, ridges, creeks, swamps, died falls all play a role in a turkey hunt. These type of obstructions can stop an in coming gobbler from making it to your setup and makes the game a little more clear to you at the time of the hunt. It can also help with deciding where to setup if you hear gobbling birds.

You will notice more sign in scratches in the woods in some places over others. This will tell you travel routes the birds like to use. These type of routes most often are used on normal bases and can become a get place to setup for birds heading to feed, to birds that maybe coming back to roost in afternoon hunts if your place allows all day hunting.

Fields or clearings are another place that a hunter could find sign. Tracks and strutting marks in the dirt, dusting areas can all tell you that the birds in the area are using these such clearing on a normal bases. This is another place that a turkey hunter can setup and call birds that maybe coming to feed or strut for hens.

Understanding the terrain is another part of scouting.

By walking field edges and not in the middle of them, and using such terrain layout to your advantage it will help the success in your hunt.

With taking the time to study the land terrain layout, you will see the places that you should travel in and out of your setup locations. This is something I notice a lot of turkey hunters tend to ignore or miss understand about being able to come and go or move on a traveling flock without being spotted by the birds. By traveling and using the terrain layout for cover can help hide your presents and keep you close to cover if it is needed.

Land study will also help the hunter understand where turkeys like to spend most of their free time. Understanding the terrain you plan on hunting is important.

The higher elevation is where turkeys like to travel. These places are where a turkey can see and hear the best. If they needed they can take to the air in a fast mode to get away. So some of us turkey hunters will call this their safe zone.

Most times Roosting takes place off of these such areas, because the bird can fly high up and when they come down from the roost they can fly into the side of a hill to stop the landing and keep their balance. Wood roads or logging trails, are another place the hunter should know about, as turkeys will travel these as well. These routes make for fast take offs if needed for danger and turkey use them all the time for strutting and travel routes. These places will make great setup areas for morning and afternoon hunts as well.

By understanding what your hunting areas have to offer, you will gain the woodsman ship you need to have and will be able to moves towards setup locations with out being spotted by the birds in your hunting area and as well understand what is happening in a hunt that you can not see but can hear a gobbler at the time of calling and working the bird on your hunt.

When you scout your areas, leave your calls at home. This is a big must! Most hunters can't help themselves from calling to the birds they intend to hunt and only add pressure to the birds before the season. If a call is a must on a scouting trip, locators are a better choice. Tracks and strut marks, dusting areas and all the other type of sign will tell you the turkeys are in the area and you don't need to make these birds any smarter then they all ready are.

Hope this helps you with the scouting skills you need to know,

Adrian J Hare

[Hoyt03]

Re: Scouting

Well said Adrian, thanks