The Hunting Beast

I was curious how many guys go out and scout turkeys before the season Also how do you go out and scout them? Besides roosting them

I wouldn't say I scout turkeys but when I'm out scouting deer I keep in mind all the turkey sign I see, I'll spot check the area looking for Turkey, till it's time to hunt them, that determines where I will be....

The land I hunt is a natural "draw" for turkeys and we typically have several groups in the fall moving between the woodlots I hunt. In the spring when they are more scattered out, we still see several birds that will stay in the area. Lots of roosting trees and plenty of food and water for them.
And I am constantly looking for deer and turkey sign when I'm shed hunting and mushroom hunting. So I would say scouting is a constant.

Scouting around my area involves jumping in the car and taking a drive to see what fields the birds are spending most of their time in.....well, kind of. My hunting partner and I have acquired many properties that generally hold birds in the spring, which is the first step. A lot of our scouting is low impact, meaning that we don't actually get out in the woods with the birds much to scout them. If you know the birds are there, glassing from a distance is the best way to scout them. Go out and listen first thing in the morning to hear where they are roosted, and from there you can move in a little closer to determine whether or not they have a flydown pattern.....in other words if they are heading the same direction every day after they hit the ground.

A lot of guys want to rush right in and try to hunt them close to the roost, but this can be very risky and backfire more times than it will work. If I can pattern these birds and figure out where they go after they hit the ground, THAT is where I am going to be set up. Once you determine where the birds want to go throughout the day, you can figure out spots in between their destination points and plan these spots for setting up.

Agriculture birds will usually fly down into fields first thing in the morning......hens will feed and toms will strut for the hens, then they will all filter back into the woods later in the morning. Mid-day and afternoons will find them heading for dusting areas....usually sandy areas that are littered with "dusting bowls." Later in the afternoon/evening birds will start feeding back towards their roost trees.

Big woods birds can be a bit tougher to pattern, simply because they can and will change their patterns from day to day, plus the glassing technique is not really applicable in the big woods. Roost sites can actually vary from day to day depending on how far the birds roam that day......I've seen birds roost in an area one day and not roost there again for several more days. Finding scratching and droppings are going to be your best bet for the big woods birds, as it tells you where they are feeding the most. It can literally take years to figure out these birds and all of their roosting and feeding areas.

I will add this in as well......don't be discouraged if your early morning hunts don't work out as planned. If you know the birds are around the area stick with them, but try to always be ahead of them. Chasing birds around the woods is tough unless you can get ahead of them. If you know the land you are hunting and know where they want to go, you'll be successful.......guaranteed!

I mostly scout by riding around the areas I hunt and figuring out which properties have the most and/or the biggest Tom's... I pattern them by watching where they come from and go to.

Just like deer, I scout for turkeys. Last year my 4th season hunt lasted about 3 minutes because I had scouted the river bottoms over Easter weekend and located a group of gobblers. The area was very close to my house so I would go out in the morning before work and listen for roosted birds. The first 4 or 5 trips produced nothing but then I finally hit paydirt and heard a few gobbles one morning. That afternoon I went back and heard a few more but was not able to pinpoint the roost. The morning I shot the bird, I didn't set-up until I heard them gobble on the roost. We had to race to cover but the set worked out perfectly.

I'm watching a group of gobblers right now. One morning they're roosted on the east rigde, next on the west ridge and the last time I was there they were spread out all over the place. This time of year is a major transition period for the birds. You've got green-up coming on, warmer weather and hens coming in and out of their breeding cycle. Shortly, we'll have hunting pressure changing the birds patterns. Your best bet with turkey hunting, like with any hunting, is to scout 3 x as much as you hunt. Ever hear that before ?

I like to ride up north and ride around trying to spot birds. Also I like to go up a couple times before the season and listen in the morning. Generally though the same areas hold birds by us year after year but I love scouting them too! I like to cover a lot of spots running and gunning once season opens. I also like to stay away from the four wheeler trails and the other crowds and commotion! So I cover many miles on foot usually on walking trails in where I deer hunt where the birds haven't been pressured.

I have been cruising the roads a bit and to a lesser extent pounding the dirt.

Went to one of my public spots this am to listen for gobbles before daylight.

What a worthwile trip. Gobbles everywhere. Saw a fellow stateland hunter, we chatted a bit and parted ways at sunup.

Thanks for all your replies.. I do a lot what you guys are talking about already. I think it is good to here other peoples styles of hunting. So that it helps me become a better turkey slayer.
Ken

Drove around yesterday and found two groups with big Toms where I can hunt.

Me too.....found several nice groups of birds, all with shooter toms harassing the hens!

i scout every spring for turkeys .....i start in march and watch and listen and see where there going ....i also roost them to see where there primary roosting spots are ......i drive around wasting a lot of gas but its fun and worth it i love waking up early and going out to listen for gobblers and then driving around all the fields and taking notes....i also like to walk through the woods as im scouting for buck beds and look for turkey droppings under roosting trees.... i usually have been watching the bird i kill a couple days before the season, so i know exactly what hes doing