Locating birds in national forest

[cahaba]

Find the highest points of land on a topo and listen from the high spots.

[Panhandle_strutter]

I hunt a lot of public land in my home state of Florida including large parcels like a national forest. One of the first things is like everyone has pointed out and get a topo map and study it and figure out areas that may hold turkeys. Studying the map mentally also helps you mentally process where you are once you are out scouting. I'll actually deer hunt areas during deer season (if legal) and be looking and noting places I observed turkeys or found substantial turkey sign. This is actually a very effective way to scout. Other than that, and your schedule allows, get out a few mornings and listen early and try to get far enough from easily accessible areas that you can get away from people and possibly call shy gobblers.

[Red Huck]

NF I hunt is pine forest with hard wood creek and river bottoms, cutovers. I find google earth helpful along with hunt zone maps from the state.

[El Pavo Grande]

If I am able to physically scout, I'll do as others have mentioned and spend time listening from roads (high vantage points).  If mountainous terrain, look for saddles and wide legs as a starter.  Walk log roads if possible, just try not to bump turkeys if you know they are in the area.  The biggest advantage to me is knowing the lay of the land....it can sometimes make or break a hunt.

If going to an area blind hunting with no time to physically scout, I'll study a map of the area and lean towards a larger chunk of ground preferably not cut up by roads or multiple access points.  My thought is might be less turkeys, but you usually find less people which is a plus.

[WyoHunter]

 

Get you a map and study the terrain features.  Mark you some access points.  I would look for areas that just look like turkey areas (fields, long ridges, points, flats)  and start there.  Try and find areas that are going to be away from other hunters.  Places where you can hike back into a mile or so and get away from people and be to yourself. 

I like to start by just going out and walking some good looking areas and looking for turkey sign (scratching, strut marks in road, roosting trees, tracks) then going from there.  Those turkeys wont be far from the sign.   Find the sign, find the turkeys.  I usually like to get on big ridges above where I think turkeys will be roosting and just listen in the morning or evening, they will tell you where they are. 

Great advice!