How about a thread dedicated to our scouting reports? Let's add to it as things evolve and heat up.
I drove south yesterday (to Jacksonville NC) and today (to Beaufort NC), both are eastern NC towns on the Atlantic coast. In Jones County, about 45 miles due south of my home in Pitt County, I saw a flock that has lived near a hog farm for at least the last five years. They use a field bordered by two blocks of pinewoods and the highway is about 300 yards away. I saw a couple of the Tom's strutting yesterday at about 0945. Today I was on another road about 15 miles south of my home, at about 4:00pm. Looking about 100 yards off the road was a flock of maybe 17 turkeys, with Toms strutting mixed in. I pulled over and at one time five Tom's were strutting in lock-step together, all moving in a perfect file in the same direction! It was fun to watch. I keep an eye on several flocks that have been in the same location for years - helps me know what is going on in the woods that I cannot see. I took a picture from the window of my Chevy, but the my digital zoom is not the best and the sun was coming in the wrong direction - I put the image in normal and big, hoping you can see some strutter's in this shot (if this is too aggravating tell me and I will pull the large picture out.)
Ps 3/3/11 - I played with the image resizer that was in Gobblestopper's thread - hope this is less troublesome.
(http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/P10100465.JPG)
I like the big picture. Looks like the are still flocked up. With warmimg weather coming they will be working out the pecking order and brake up soon. Thamks for the picture. I am going hopfully Friday to do some scouting. Thanks for the pic. See ya, Mike
Well, here in Indiana its been so flip-floppy on the weather, I havent made it out much. I did go and done some shed hunting the other day. Im going tomorrow and meet the land owner and look at a new farm to hunt. My buddy's dad is finally gonna let hunt on his farm, Ive been working on this for 3 years and the place is full of turkey. My buddy doesn't hunt and his dad doesn't let anyone in on his ground so it should be a very low, if any at all pressured place to hunt. Its a 200 acre area gem and it should be all mine lol. He was also telling me about the newly divorced women that owns the ajoining property that has also been private for years because of her ex-husband. My buddy said " That should be easy to get in on(the ground not the lady lol)" and we'll stop by and talk to her too. I will be gettin out and scouting here. I just don't know where to start.LOL. Good Luck, Brad
Start in the creek bottomd. that is the firdt place that greens up. Find the hens and you will find the Toms. Look for strut marks on the dirt roads, Plus ask around about to folks if they have seen any turkeys. The mail dwlivery guys are a big help. Cause they go everywhere. I would start in the creek bottoms. Good Luck, Mike
I went out to one of my properties this morning. Didn't see as much sign as I was hoping for. I'm gonna keep at it pretty hard over the next couple weeks.
Well Boyz, I got it! My buddy called and said that his dad said "Its OK!" but I only get the back 100 acres so he said we'll go from there. Still thats better than a flat "No". Im going Tuesday evening to take alook and see the property lines. My buddy couldn't believe he said yes, my buddy said he wouldn't even let family hunt it LOL. I guess there's turkey there every evening so I'll let ya'll know what I find out. Brad
Here's my scouting report..... Ya'll might as well start practicing a little VooDoo
Muskie03
You must be really worried about us Head Hunters Team. Just go back to your Voo Doo Land or the smack talk section and talk your Jack.
I went scouting Friday March 4 on my Hunt Club in SC. I found plenty of fresh turkey tracks. I built a few natural ground blinds in all the good locations. They seemed to be using the power line right of way alot this year. I found some big gobbler tracks in a food plot I plain on hunting on opening day. Next weekend I plain on scouting some of my NC hunting areas. It was ral windy today. I did not here or see any turkeys. The turkeys go into the pines on these big windy days. I could have wwent in there and found them built I wanted to let them be and not spook the up. Even though I did not see or hear any turkeys today. I know they are here. There are some manys tracks. There must have been a really good hatch this year on the club. Til next scouting trip. See ya, Mike
Quote from: ncturkey on March 06, 2011, 11:41:50 AM
Muskie03
You must be really worried about us Head Hunters Team. Just go back to your Voo Doo Land or the smack talk section and talk your Jack.
I think he just wants to be on the Head Hunter's team, I think its a deep rooted insecurity thing, Whata say Guys, we got room for one more...........I didnt think so LOL!!!!!!!
I am starting to see gobblers strutting in fields. I saw three nice long beards today.
I've seen strutters in fields this past week too - biologist buddy says hens have been breeding for about two weeks now - slow at first, now picking up.
Does your biologist buddy work for the NCWRC. Ya they are breeding up a storm now. Hope there still looking for a little love come April 9. When I hunt in South Carolina April1 - 7 they were henned up the whole time I hunted that week. In 2009 at the same place in SC there were more longbeards with out hen the first week. Which is the way I like it. I have a few good spots to hunt in SC and NC this year. I am ready. My daughter and i are going to shoot our shotguns this afternoon. I will let ya'll know if we see any turkey today. See ya, Mike
He does, he is the senior (oldest) WRC Enforcement Officer in this area - we hunt together a few times each year.
Daughter decided not go shoot so I went scouting while they went to Sam's Club. I went to a place in SC where I hunted last year for the first time. I scouted a new area of that place. I found a good place with a little sign of scratching. I built a good ground blind in that area. The main reason I built a blind was cause I seen two gobblers in that area when I drove up to my parking spot. I scouted this new area also because there were cows in the main area I hunted last year. The guy that lets me hunt there said he is going to move the cows from the main area to the area I built the blind. So if he does not move them back before the season starts I will have hunt the main area I hunt last year. I saw a gobbler last in the main area. So both area have some turkey on them. So it should be a pretty good spot this year. Well that is it until my next scouting trip. See ya, Mike
The weather has warmed back up some so I'm gonna make it out a morning or two this week to listen and look.
I seen three longbeards cross the road the other day. I climb the back of the road yesterday to see where they went. I took this picture of one of the gobbler track. (http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/Photo0421_A.JPG)
I been remodeling a room in the house, had to put in a new window today. Eric FireLt and I have been e-mailing back and forth about a line I got on some property. I did go and look a a new place to hunt, the property I talked about before and it looks good. Well I hope I get to get out soon!!
Cool. Good Luck guys.
Scouted the "honey hole" today. 2 Birds gobbling at each other at 6:15 am in the EXACT SAME TREE I left them in back in 2010.
My Dad called me yesterday to tell me he spotted 2 toms strutting in the field at his farm. He also said he heard a lot of gobbling this morning. Season opens in 2 weeks. Im stoked!
Well all the snow is finally melted and the temps have been getting higher so the flocks are starting to break up in my neck of the woods. I stopped at one property on my way home from work yesterday to listen. I didn't have my crow call so I let out a few yelps on my mouth call and one gobbled a couple hundred yards away. Hopefully they will stick around for another month until youth season opens up. I should be able to put some miles on the boots next weekend between scouting and looking for sheds.
Well yesterday evening, I was out in the back yard, across the pasture and in the back bean field I could see the turkey and could her the hens but ol tom wasnt saying nothin. It wont be long here and they'll be gobblin. I guess in the southern part of the state, Guys are saying the toms are starting to gobble. Thats about it for me, seems like the nice days we have Im at work lol. Go Team "Head Hunter's!!"
Scouted new 350 acres this morning. I don't know about ya'll but I have never come across a spot like this. It sounded like something out of a Primos video.
At about 6:15 am a coyote barked and I am not kidding, 8 or 9 different gobblers sounded off around this 10 acre field. Then the hens cut loose. It sounded like complete chaos!!!! Needless to say it was exciting.
I've scouted 3 different properties in the last 2 mornings and I've heard birds on every property I've walked, so far. I'm looking forward to Aprils 1st!!
Look what I saw yesterday.(http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/Photo0425_A.JPG)
Quote from: ncturkey on March 23, 2011, 12:29:35 PM
Look what I saw yesterday.(http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/Photo0425_A.JPG)
:fud:
I scouted my farm this morning and heard 3 different birds gobbling. In the last week I've walked 4 properties and heard multiple birds on each one. The season can't get here fast enough.
NC Turkey, looks like a traveling bird, walking down the median!
Quote from: ncturkey on March 23, 2011, 12:29:35 PM
Look what I saw yesterday.(http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/Photo0425_A.JPG)
Man look at all that green grass. Mine is all white. We got another 6-8 inches yesterday. Was looking forward to getting out in the woods this weekend but it looks like it is gonna stay pretty cold and not melt right away. Oh well, not bad for the first week of spring.
I'm pumped now. Was scouting on two farms today, nothing to report on the river farm, but the creek farm has one nice, big long beard on it! Must be a 21 or 22 lb tom, beard was thick and should be in excess of 10" - I will be looking for him very soon with a shotgun in hand!
Cloudy day in the Carolina's today. The median walker was seen again Friday. That road is not open to traffic yet.
My hunting partner neighbor was out at the farms we hunt today to "get a little wild under his feet" as he would say. Saw one really, really huge LB at our honey hole. Maybe it was the giant slob that eluded me on three separate mornings last year. I can only hope, but too damn bad my buddy hunts the week before me. He also saw two other groups of about 25 birds each with some LB's mixed in at two of the other farms we hunt. That is a good sign that the 86 inches of snow we have had this year didn't starve, bury and freeze them all to death.
Cool. When is your opening day?
Quote from: ncturkey on March 29, 2011, 01:48:27 PM
Cool. When is your opening day?
May 4th - 8th and I also scored a left over permit for the following May 11th - 15th season. Potential for 10 days of pure 1/2 hour before sunrise to sunset hell/fun. Hopefully I score early in both seasons this year.
Opening day eve, eve!!
Well, I got stuck in training all week at work. I did drive by 2 of my properties I hunt and seen toms and hens in the fields. I'm ready just waitin on the 27th! I'm really hurtin seeing the turkey kill post LOL. It sure dont help me with this waitin thing LOL
Just drove home from Ocracoke Island on the Outer Banks of NC. Saw plenty of turkeys in the fields (very windy and rainy today) and saw one nice Tom fanning/strutting about 50 yards off of US64 in a winter wheat field in Tyrrell County, hen right close by. Even my wife thought that was exciting.
Got out to one property I hunt this morning. I wanted to get out there before light to listen but that didn't happen so I just took an easy walk around. Found a bunch of manure and feathers and heard some gobbles pretty close so I am pretty excited. Still have to wait 3 weeks for the regular season to start though.
After another 3 inch snow on Saturday, I hit the farms I hunt yesterday for a quick late afternoon scouting mission after the melt off. Glassed one group with what appeared to be three 2nd year toms. They do look a little skinny this year though. Saw another group of four 2nd year toms at another location doing a little strutting for the ladies. Birds were feeding heavy on residual corn along the edges of stubble fields so maybe they will fatten up a little before I get to them. Also saw some single hens in a couple other spots so some breeding/ nesting action maybe underway inspite of the recent cold and snow.
While watching the second bunch, I heard some awful sounding calling coming from one of the adjacent properties ("Sacred Land" never to be trodden now that there is a new owner). Wouldn't ya know after about four rounds of calls I heard a half hearted gobble and about 2 minutes later Boom. Can only hope it wasn't the big boy my partner saw over that way a few weeks ago! Hmm, late in the day on the last day of 1st season hopefully it was a desperation jake for the new not so neighborly neighbor.