Early Scouting, Preparation, Final Strategy

[Tom007]

I have been scouting several mornings the last few weeks. I really enjoy looking for my opening day targets, and all the preparation and strategizing that goes with it. I hunt different properties with different terrain, from hardwoods ridges, to farmland. Love all the different landscapes. The other day, I located a bird in the same roost site I had success in the past. He was definitely with hens, He gobbled pretty good until he hit the ground. I stayed away at a very safe distance, they fed off in a familiar direction others in the past have taken. After about an hour, I went and found the scratches that led to their roost trees. The terrain is not level, has dips and valleys making it tough to cover their possible escape routes. I finally found a nice blow-down in a spot that covers the best area, a safe distance from the roost site. I cleared the leaves, sat for a few minutes and pictured my opening day moves in my head. I also took time to plot my entrance in to my set-up knowing I will be walking in very quietly well before sun-up. I picked out large rocks that will be easy to see in the dark. I look forward to opening day. I really love preparing a plan, we all know that they sometimes "fall apart" real fast. The last bird I took from this exact spot was 2 years ago, it took me 3 days, and 3 different sets within 200 yards to get him. I'll be set up about 70 yards from this spot. I love this part of our sport just as much as the actual harvest. This is what Turkey hunting is all about in my opinion, the chess match between me and him, and all that goes along with it. Good luck to all!

[Ranman]

I also enjoy the early morning scout. Being there when the woods wake up is truly amazing. I see things that some people don't even know exist. Good luck on your opening day.

[ScottTaulbee]

Good luck to you my friend. Our youth season is tomorrow and we have some pretty nasty weather blowing through. The kids are chomping at the bit and I reckon we will be sitting in a blind where we scouted and heard a couple. I know we are looking forward to it. Spring is here!.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[zelmo1]

Good Luck to all the youth hunters. Z

[GobbleNut]

A few decades ago, I always made time to scout prior to the season. Unfortunately, the closest areas with turkeys are a minimum two-hour's drive. On the other hand, those places are really big areas of public land with turkeys scattered throughout...and are relatively easy to locate. In addition, over the decades, we have found that they pretty much stick to the same places year after year.

The problem here is we never know when someone else is going to show up at any spot we have decided to hunt on any given day. So, our tactic is to move quickly from one spot to the next until we find birds that nobody is on already...and more importantly, are in a location that we think other hunters probably would not have made the effort to get to. I suppose it is the common public-land-hunting dilemma that a lot of us face.

Because of the above, I rarely end up hunting the same place twice during the season...and often have no clue as to any sort of pattern or movement habits a bird I might be hunting might have. I almost invariably have to sort that out "on the fly".

Most public land hunters around here are very adept at boogering gobblers up to the point they are scared out of their wits very quickly. I usually can tell pretty pronto if a gobbler I am on has reached that point when I am hunting him, and I don't waste much time on him.

My personal theory is that there is a gobbler somewhere out there that wants to play the game the way I want him to. I will spend most of my hunting time trying to find that gobbler rather than trying to outsmart any single bird that has shown me he doesn't want to play the game "right".

Of course, I understand that there are lots of hunters that don't have those same options to just keep looking for those responsive birds and must match wits with one or two gobblers over a season. I am happy to say that ain't me. 

[Lcmacd 58]

A few decades ago, I always made time to scout prior to the season. Unfortunately, the closest areas with turkeys are a minimum two-hour's drive. On the other hand, those places are really big areas of public land with turkeys scattered throughout...and are relatively easy to locate. In addition, over the decades, we have found that they pretty much stick to the same places year after year.

The problem here is we never know when someone else is going to show up at any spot we have decided to hunt on any given day. So, our tactic is to move quickly from one spot to the next until we find birds that nobody is on already...and more importantly, are in a location that we think other hunters probably would not have made the effort to get to. I suppose it is the common public-land-hunting dilemma that a lot of us face.

Because of the above, I rarely end up hunting the same place twice during the season...and often have no clue as the any sort of pattern or movement habits a bird I might be hunting might have. I almost invariably have to sort that out "on the fly".

Most public land hunters around here are very adept at boogering gobblers up to the point they are scared out of their wits very quickly. I usually can tell pretty pronto if a gobbler I am on has reached that point when I am hunting him, and I don't waste much time on him.

My personal theory is that there is a gobbler somewhere out there that wants to play the game the way I want him to. I will spend most of my hunting time trying to find that gobbler rather than trying to outsmart any single bird that has shown me he doesn't want to play the game "right".

Of course, I understand that there are lots of hunters that don't have those same options to just keep looking for those responsive birds and must match wits with one or two gobblers over a season. I am happy to say that ain't me. 

Everything in this post is exactly right concerning public land. I also hunt public land but it's only a few minutes away. I'm am somewhere on that ground every morning for 2 weeks before season. EXCEPT!!! the 2 weekends before opening day .. those are the youth seasons and I won't go out and potentially mess up 1 of our up and coming turkey hunters....oh yea.. i don't want them shooting me either.
Good luck to everyone....April 7th is the day .

[Tail Feathers]

I haven't scouted locally yet.  April 22 opener, so I have some time.  We have had some weather this week, plenty of rain and more to come thru the weekend.  Next week looks fantastic weatherwise and I will be out scouting then.  I love hearing the woods wake up in the spring.

[Greg Massey]

I'm fortunate to be able to hunt the same area each year, but I still enjoy going out and listening before the season for any gobbling activity and seeing what I see ...

In reading these posts you come to realize how different our ways of scouting / tactics and hunting terrain we deal with in chasing these gobblers and how we all have different strategies.

I was out last week early listening and gathering entail and it never gets old listening for those first gobbles of the new spring season. Excitement is in the air for sure ...

I did hear some gobbling and I saw a bunch of deer, so we didn't hurt the number of deer we took off the farm at all this past season... LOL ....

[Tom007]

All great thoughts here, thank you. Good points on not interfering with our youth hunters. Our youth day is 2 days before our opener, I quit scouting at least a week before opening day. Once I locate a bird, I do not return to him until I can hunt him. Be safe.....

[Bowguy]

I like it myself and since prob early 90s I've always started scouting/filming about Feb. That's typically when gobbling starts getting consistent.
Got some decent video so far

[JeffC]

Will be starting the travel on the 18th, youth day, I go to a remote parking spot and just listen. Have never had any youth hunters hunt this area. It's a great listing spot. Fought with a Super Jake there last year, waisted half a day on him, he owes me. Don't look forward to the 2AM wake up and driving 1 1/2hr to go and just listen but always helps get the season started.
Good luck Scott, hope you all have a safe and successful hunt! Look forward to the pictures!!

[Dougas]

I have been scouting from a safe distance with ears and binoculars every morning and evening. I saw a group of toms and hens 2 weeks ago for a couple of days and then nothing since.

[CALLM2U]

A few decades ago, I always made time to scout prior to the season. Unfortunately, the closest areas with turkeys are a minimum two-hour's drive. On the other hand, those places are really big areas of public land with turkeys scattered throughout...and are relatively easy to locate. In addition, over the decades, we have found that they pretty much stick to the same places year after year.

The problem here is we never know when someone else is going to show up at any spot we have decided to hunt on any given day. So, our tactic is to move quickly from one spot to the next until we find birds that nobody is on already...and more importantly, are in a location that we think other hunters probably would not have made the effort to get to. I suppose it is the common public-land-hunting dilemma that a lot of us face...

Even though I'm a long ways from you in the East, this is exactly my scenario.  I would love to be able to scout before work each day but it's too far to do so.  When I retire though...