Preseason tips for scouting public land

[South17]

I will be hunting most of the same public land I do each year. Besides just stopping and listening in the morning or looking for sign, any other tips you guys could share for preseason scouting that others may not think to do or look for!

[GobbleNut]

I think the early morning and late evening listening sessions are pretty standard for a lot of us.  Same for looking for sign as well as vocal activity during the day.  I hunt large areas of public land myself.  I know places that will always hold birds so I don't bother scouting them.  I also know places that have lots of birds, but are too well known and will get hammered during the season.  I avoid those, too.

Anymore, my scouting is strictly looking for those out-of-the-way places that MIGHT have gobblers and MIGHT NOT get as much hunting pressure due to being marginal.  I also try to confirm the presence of gobblers in those places that I know are really difficult to get to,  If I find turkeys in places that fit both of those parameters, I am in business and know that's where I will focus my hunting efforts.  If all goes well with my scouting, I will have two or three of those types of places pinpointed when the season rolls around.

If, for some reason, I can't find a place or two like that, I can always fall back on those "stand-by" traditional spots that I know I can find gobblers without ever scouting for them.   

[eggshell]

I have discovered there is a distinct pattern and predictable way public lands are hunted and I am keeping the formula to myself. Other than that, way back when I was young an old timer told me he'd rather find one tom with only him after then a dozen with 10 guys after them. Find those out way spots, here's a hint....they're not where you think they are.

[jbrown]

I hunt on public most of the time. I also look for out of the way places, away from roads, sometimes close to the outer edge of the wma. Most
People want to go in as far back as they can. What's y'alls strategy on WMA Turkey hunting?

[Happy]

First and foremost I hunt where there are turkeys. It makes no sense to "go deep" if there is nothing there.

[TRG3]

Some 20 years ago when I was much younger, I hunted the hilly public hunting areas of Pope County in Southern Illinois. While there were several other hunters in the area, none seemed willing to walk 20-30 minutes from the road to hunt. My favorite places were those ridge tops that offered level terrain, allowing easy but lengthy hiking. I never ran across another hunter after I'd walked a good distance from the road. Taking a gobbler way back in the woods meant a long, but memorable, hike back to the truck.

[Marc]

I look at private property near public and see where the birds are....  What type of terrain and habitat is appealing to them, and what they are doing at what time of day.

Any dusty road, or gravel roads with a soft side, I look for prints or poop.  I look for areas with scratching....  I look at every puddle that holds water, and carefully investigate for prints or poop.

When birds are pressured, they will behave differently, and I look at areas I might not look if it were private.  I might go out after a fresh rain, and pay attention for prints I might not otherwise see.  I look for steep draws that other hunters are not stupid enough to hunt.

Also, I might go into areas that I actually recently saw turkeys (generally areas I cannot hunt), and look at the sign they left behind, so I know what sign to look for when I can hunt them.

[Kylongspur88]

I'll target areas that are hard to access. Hills and/or water crossings really separate the men from the boys.

[Tom007]

I'll target areas that are hard to access. Hills and/or water crossings really separate the men from the boys.

X2 here. Find birds as far from your parking site in the toughest terrain that most won't venture to. This will increase your chances of interacting with a bird with minimal interference. Good luck.....