Just have to share my last 2 days of scouting.

[sugarray]

Yesterday morning 4/9
So I went home for 1 last day of scouting.  I was pleased that I pushed my wife to go and to stay for 2 days.

Went out yesterday and got sat down about 615 and he gobbled at 630.  This is a tom I knew was there from last week and now have him pin pointed.  Hope things don't change in the next 2 weeks.  About 1 min after he gobbled a hen started.  Now, I just can't help myself but to call, so I started calling to her.  She answered a little, but never got mad.  I heard and saw them fly down at 650 and went away from me.  I sat until about 730 just wanting to see if they came through. I stood up and did some business and was getting ready to leave when I hear a yelp.  I plunk down and hear kee kee and lost yelping.  So I yelp back and kee kee.  Here they come.  First I see is a full fan.  The gobbler is in the lead.  He heads out to the field to my right and 3 hens follow.  Then 2 more big white heads and a hen come.  I kee kee and they come to 15 yds looking.  Only 2 jakes, and they and the hen head to the field.  I continue to hear a hen about 75 yds away up the hill.  The gobbler continues to gobble intermittently but is still going away.  What is funny, is I think they got lost in the fog.  The fog lifted up from the valley shortly after fly down.  It would come and they'd get all excited and then lift and they'd settle down.  When the gobbler couldn't find them he would gobble and the boss hen would yelp.  It was a great morning and a good learning experience.

Yesterday late morning 4/9
So came home and refueled and went to scout the new farm I showed a little while back.  So I walked around the farm.  Nothing, then went across the road to another piece they own.  Walking around and not seeing any sign, but calling and getting aggressive to try to hear a gobble.  Well, I'm just getting ready to take a step after waiting about 15 min after my last calling and one hammers at 100 yds.  I sit down and give some soft yelps and purrs.  Scratch in the leaves a little too.  I see 2 long beards coming.  They finally stroll over and 3 hens leading the way and make it to 20 yds.  The 2 long beards come to about 30 yds and gobble at a passing wood pecker.  I let them walk off and get up and leave.  It is now 1130, has been a great morning.

This Morning 4/10
Well, after the day I had yesterday I sweet talked the wife and we stayed another day for me to scout a different area today.  This was the area that got me hooked on turkey hunting 2 yrs ago.  One day we had 5 different gobblers responding to us within about 400 yd area.  Last year it was a bust as I didn't see a turkey and only heard 2 gobble all season.

I make it, about 45 mins to get there, at 600 and I am happy.  Not a turkey sound and I get up at 700 and start to walk around to look for sign.  I finally see 1, very old hen track.  I decided to make a loop and go up the high wall to get some elevation.  The wind is blowing fairly good and I get out off the wind by going to the back of the hill.  I am walking an old logging road and look down to the bottom of the hill I am on and see a big ole strutter.  I get a good look through the binocs and he looks to be 100 yrs old.  His beard hangs straight down, thick.  Face just looks old, marked up.  I have no hard evidence, just a feeling.  I call lightly and he pulls that head back tighter and those wings down farther.  I then see another white head and a couple hens.  They start up the hill my way.  I was only trying to get a gobble.  I had to move about 5 feet to a larger tree to hide myself and my right knee hits my coat with my calls and makes some big noise.  I never see the turkeys, but I think I found the one I am going to hunt opening day.  I did hear a gobble a long ways away shocking to my crow call.

I have found 4 long beards for sure, 1 I think is an old fella, 2 maybe 3 jakes and a few hens.  I sure to feel a lot better about my WV season.  Just hope it works out like my dreams.

[TRKYHTR]

Sounds like your on um Ray. Thats 2 good days of scouting. You better be careful calling to those turkeys before season you might get busted.

TRKYHTR

[Jay]

Looks like you have it all set

[OLE RASPY]

Youve done made them call shy now.They knew it was u.
Sounds like u gotem pin pointed good luck.

[cannonball]

Good luck with that old tom!

[guesswho]

Yep!  Henned up and call shy.  I think you should throw some firecrackers at them next time

Good luck when your season opens, I hope you get the one you say may be an old fella.

[sugarray]

Man me too!!   I won't be back until the evening before opening day, if I am lucky.  We leave Friday 4/15 for SD and won't be back until Sunday 4/24.  If we get back in time, I'll go try to roost him, if not, then opening morning I'll be there.  This is public land so I don't know what will happen between now and then.  The big one I found early last year, disappeared when the season came in.  Hopefully this guy won't.

[turkey slayer]

  sounds like you got em down pat!!

[870supermagnum]

   now get out there and kill that gobbler....

[Hognutz]

Good luck with the hunt, Ray. It is always nice when a plan comes together. Sounds like you have done your homework..Mike

[sugarray]

sounds like you have several birds around, i dont know about calling to them before season comes in like that but thats your call.

The way I look at is this, as long as I don't spook them, then I'm just a lonely hen out by herself that has wandered off after some calling.  This is common in the day of turkeys.  Another silent gobbler could have come and taken her off as well.  As long as the birds stay calm, I don't see it as a problem.  I do have to quit though, I'm going to push it a little too far.

[hobbes]

It sounds like you have the WV birds nailed down fairly well. 

Good Luck in SD and with WV.  Take lots of photos in SD.