1st year turkey hunting help

[sagDE]

This will be my first season hunting for turkeys and I have drawn an area that is composed of many separate tracts of land. I have never set foot on the area before. I was wondering if there is a way that I can use google maps to narrow down possible areas like I do for deer hunting? thanks

[brancher147]

Absolutely. I typically look for habitat diversity including water and roosting points. What is the habitat/terrain/topography?

[greenhorndave]

Thinking of it just like you would for deer habitat is a good way to start. Think sight advantage as opposed to scent: points, tall trees near openings, swampy stuff. Start going out now to find concentrations of birds. They’ll shift a bit, but not radically so.

[PK_]

What type of terrain???

[Moose]

I've never scouted for turkeys like I do for deer. Looking at the terrain on Google maps or onx will help you know what terrain to expect and possible roosting areas. But I would roost them the night before so I know the area I need to go to the next morning. If you don't get a gobble at roosting time or in the morning I wouldn't hunt the area. Turkey hunting is a blast, you will love it.

[mipubbucks24]

Go to the areas you want to hunt here in March, walk out there before daylight and find out where they are roosting. I have been doing this the last 2/3 years and it has got us on so many turkeys. They may change their roost some but it’s normally not too far away. At least that is my experience here in Michigan. Right now have have about 15 spots that are perennial roosting locations. Once the season starts it’s game on. I went from having 2 private land spots to now I have a ton of spots on public land.

[Jdw]

Typically through winter and early spring the turkeys will be in groups.
If you are looking to start scouting early I would look for areas with a mixture of openings, mature hardwoods, water and nesting cover.
Walk those areas and look for scratching, feathers droppings and turkeys.

Glassing fields and open woods can be a good way to see what is going on without disrupting the turkeys.
I try to keep my scouting as low key as possible and still learn what I need to know.

As the season gets closer listening for gobbles is one of my favorite things to do. I usually try to let them gobble on their own but will employ a locator call at times.

After I find a roosting area I try to get close enough to the roost to figure out how they are leaving the roost area as well as looking for places I can sneak in and set up close to where they will fly down.

Early season can be challenging getting in and setting up with the flock getting on to you.
Sometimes you can find a Tom mid day that is alone and will to work with you.

As the spring progresses and the hens start nesting, the flocks disperse and the toms more actively search for hens, at times it’s kind of like a buck searching for does.

A Tom that showed no interest in your calls can be more willing to cover ground and come in.
So setting up somewhere where they can hear you from a distance might be a good tactic at that time.

[sagDE]

I appreciate the tips. The land is flat. Very flat. It's a state forest that is primarily loblolly pine with a few mixed hardwoods... according to the DNR's website. It's tough to pick a place to start scouting. There are numerous tracts of land with a total area of over 12,000 acres. I'll keep an eye out for water I suppose