Please Help Me Plan Out My First Hunt (Map attached)

[thunderbirder]

Hope everyone is having a great weekend,
Opening day is just around the corner and after lots of readings, videos, calling practice, etc., I am almost feeling ready for my first hunt.
I was lucky to be allowed to hunt on my friend's private property; mostly farmland with a small river flowing between open farm fields and patches of woods.
Since this is going to be my first turkey hunt, I was hoping you could help me with the hunting strategy via the attached satellite image of where I will hunt. I have separated the various hunting landmarks with different colors to make it easier for us to point out different things.
My friend confirmed that he heard the hens calling from the woods but wasn't sure where they were coming from exactly.
I will be walking into the area where it points to "Start" at no later than 4:30 am.
At that point, my plan is to eventually cover the areas leading to the massive blue outline of the woods (unless I get lucky beforehand of course).
My question is: since you can see the entire area I plan to hunt in, how fast do I move from one place to another if I'm not hearing any calls? Do I just walk right into the red - circled area and just find a tree and start calling once ever 15-20 minutes? I'm just trying to get a feel of how to move around on this hunt.
Thank you and have a great weekend!
Al

[guesswho]

I'd hunt he bottom right corner of your picture.    Moving North and again South calling at different locations.  I'd also keep and checking the fields to the left.  Chances are good they will let you know where they're at, but if not that bittom right looks promising.

Most well thought out plans fall apart after the first gobble.  A good starting point is all you really need.

[thunderbirder]

Oh yeah, that definitely looks like a good spot to call them. An open field surrounded by a forest would definitely maximize my chances. Good call, thanks!
Al

[Ericbrooks]

Cannot "plan out" a turkey hunt on a map. 
The best method would be to go roost them in the evening, then you with know where you are headed the next morning.
Once you have hunted the property a few times a know where they roost, the next step is finding out their preferred direction of flydown and hunt accordingly.
Just to go into the timber at daybreak without knowing where they are roosted isn't a great idea.


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[thunderbirder]

Well given this will be the first time I'll be hunting on that particular land, how will I know where they roost? I'll probably go there a few times before the season's opening day to scout the area and hopefully by sundown I would be able to locate their roosting area.
Gobbles and yelps have been confirmed in the area by my friend who owns that private land, he just wasn't able to pinpoint their location.

[guesswho]

I'd just hit a tree line at sun up and listen.  Then move from there.   The good thing is you don't have to kill him in the first 30 minutes.    Good luck.

[Ericbrooks]

They will normally gobble a few times at dusk after they fly up.
Pinpoint that, and scout accordingly.


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[catman529]

I would think they would like to roost between those two green fields and the creek. But they could roost anywhere. The best way to find out is to go out and listen at daybreak and see what you hear gobbling on the roost. Then you can close in on them and try to set up. I wouldn't call to them till they hit the ground. They usually go pretty quiet after they hit the ground. If you have a bird that keeps gobbling on the ground then often your odds are better at calling him in. If it's really quiet, you may want to keep an eye on the fields to see if anything comes and goes, to get an idea of what the birds do. Good luck

[Bowguy]

Cannot "plan out" a turkey hunt on a map. 
The best method would be to go roost them in the evening, then you with know where you are headed the next morning.
Once you have hunted the property a few times a know where they roost, the next step is finding out their preferred direction of flydown and hunt accordingly.
Just to go into the timber at daybreak without knowing where they are roosted isn't a great idea.


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Pretty much exactly what I woulda said. Maps can help find places to listen but way too many variables on a farm that could change things. Listen to where they are pre season than go set up

[Disney]

Go to your area the evening before and stay about 100 yards or so away. Right at dusk and first darkness, use a gobble call, or even blow your car horn. The gobbler will usually gobble back, called a "shock gobble". We call this puttin'him to bed. Now you know where he's roosted. But don't try to get real close in the morning, you'll get busted. Stay about 100 yards away. There are Long boxes for cutting and other calls you can use, but this is probably best and least expensive for a beginner to do.

[Disney]

BTW just a short blast on the car horn and no lengthy gobbles. As with all locator calls you don't want to drown out the sound of the bird gobbling back. Hunters use crow calls, owl hooters and other calls too. These locator calls can be used during the daytime too.

[WNCTracker]

I think you're just gonna have to burn a few hunting days listening early morning and watching those fields mid to late morning too...then you'll figure it out and go get you one.  Good Luck

[thunderbirder]

Managed to spot a flock of 15 hens and 5 big toms four days ago at about 6:30 pm, about 175 yards out on one of the adjacent fields (to the area shown in the map). Went back this morning, stayed at the same spot from about 3:30 am to 7:30 am and didn't hear a single peep.
Here are the pics I captured 4 days ago of the flock: