Scouting Reports

[Odessa]

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.

[ncturkey]

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

[Crappiepro]

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

[ncturkey]

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

[ShotgunDave]

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.

[Crappiepro]

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

[Muskie03]

Here's my scouting report..... Ya'll might as well start practicing a little VooDoo

[ncturkey]

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.

[ncturkey]

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

[Crappiepro]

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!!!!!!!

[ncturkey]

I am starting to see gobblers strutting in fields. I saw three nice long beards today.

[Odessa]

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.

[ncturkey]

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

[Odessa]

He does, he is the senior (oldest) WRC Enforcement Officer in this area - we hunt together a few times each year.

[ncturkey]

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