Looking to do some turkey hunting in the spring need help scouting.

[HoustonHutch12]

I'm going to be hunting "Cheatham," a wma in Tennessee in the spring, but I want to go ahead and start focusing on it so I don't regret hunting public land again. Any tips you guys have? This chunk of land is just hills after hills. Also has anyone even hunted this chunk of land before?

[Happy]

First thing I would do is be very vague about where you plan to hunt. Plenty of people cruising these forums that will be more than happy to flood the area. Wherever you plan to hunt nothing beats getting boots on the ground. Next best is Google Earth in my opinion. Could also ask for people to message you privately in regards to hunting in tennessee. Good luck.

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[Cut N Run]

You'll learn more about the terrain if you wait until after the end of deer season and cover ground where you intend to hunt.  Changes in terrain with no leaves on the trees will be much more obvious than when there's leaves on trees.  There's also no bugs or snakes out like this time of year.

A good topographic map or GPS can make returning to potential hot spots much easier.

You can't know the woods too well or where the turkeys like to travel through them. 

Also, pay attention to natural openings, ridges, and travel corridors in the woods.  Gobblers love to see and be seen in Spring.  Just because he's not using there now, doesn't mean he won't be in Spring.

Jim

[quavers59]

Now is a great time to hike the area and learn the lay of the land. Keep a journal and write down important facts like a unnamed trail that leads to a bottom area and turkeys. Try to hike once a week there or once every 2 weeks on a weekend day. You will be ready in the Spring!

[Bowguy]

Happy hit the nail on the head not advertising an area. The thing I would do once the woods got empty for the year is learn the land. There's different ways to go about it but it's important.

[southern_leo]

Unfortunately the over publicized turkey hunting on TN wmas has caused sever drops in the turkey population on most of the public land in TN. The area I try to hunt is called Yanahli because it is close to me, but so many out of state hunters go there now myself and many other locals are hesitant. It used to be pretty abundant but now your lucky to find a Jake most days and spring 2017 opening day I know most I saw leaving left empty handed. I can't speak for cheatham but it is very popular also. Only advise i can give is you better plan on hiking in deep and sharing the woods with other hunters. I wouldn't be surprised to see the limit lessened due to drop of population on public lands honestly. If your traveling to hunt try to find private land or hit another state and hope we get our population straightened out before you come here. Tennessee has very little public land vs the amount of local hunters and huge amount of out of state visitors.

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[Kylongspur88]

I would pick an area of a few hundred acres and really learn it. If your into birds I also wouldn't tell a soul. I'd even go as far as to park out of the way and have a longer walk versus turn folks on to the fact your hunting a particuar spot.

[Greg Massey]

Agree, boots on the ground, don't tell people what you hear or find and learn the area.. A good turkey hunter always has a plan A, B, sometimes C also for back up...good luck

[idgobble]

Now's a good time for scouting. Spend lots of time scouting points of ridges that gobblers might use for gobbling so they can be heard at maximum distances.  Imagine you were going to be yelling and want your voice to be heard as far as possible. Gobblers are thinking the same thing.

[LaLongbeard]

X10 what others have said about broadcasting WMAs on forums like this you'd be surprised how many lurk on the forums looking for information.

[FullChoke]

A trick I have used on WMAs is to drive to your spot in a car, park it right at the gate and go hunting. The local road warriors will sneer at you, mutter something derogatory under their breaths and head somewhere else. If you see them while you are at your car, act and talk like a rank azz, virgin doofus. Let them decide if you have actually stumbled onto a honey hole on public land that they would have to admit that they didn't know about. Just don't let them see the Boss Gobbler laying in the bushes on that other side of your wife's Elantra.

Cheers 

FullChoke

[3bailey3]

Full choke great reply but I think that will only work in our neck of the woods!

[Happy]

I let the lazy boys have at the birds close to the roads. Most of the time they don't kill them anyways. It don't take to much to out walk 75% of modern turkey hunters. Think most of them are scared of the dark on top of it all.

[BottomLand54]

After you find out what's best just post your gps coordinates on here and we will find out if it really is good and let you know.


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[rong]

I live just a few miles from there and will be hunting it for the first time this spring. Right now is a great time to walk it and get the lay of it. It won't be too hard to get away from the crowd. Most of the armchair guys can't make it past the first ravine, and there are a lot of those at Cheatham. Shoot me a pm if I can be of any help to ya.