Scouting question...

[Mossberg90MN]

If youre trying to scout imo you should listen only. Least at first. Locate as many as possible not just one. If your bird doesn't pan out you can move to the next. I scout multiple states and parts of states.
Once located if you can use binoculars to see the birds from the truck or across a field, etc great. I see no reason to go look for scratchings. Why tip them off. You're not good enough, no one is eyesight wise to see them before they see us.
Once you notice which birds are consistently in the same area perhaps you have done actually patterned from seeing them long range. You know where they are and where they're going. Get in the middle but not real far from em.
The night before if you can roost one audibly or visibly great. You know have really current scouting info and most likely know right where a bird is come tomo morn. You can start the morning in the game. Try to position yourself in front of the bird come morn.
On the way out that night n in come morning fo not be seen. No light walking in. I'd get close so a step or two at a time. You break a branch stop. If a bird pops it's head wait til it retucks to move again.
Go early, this will all be easier. Guys like to walk in just as the sun breaks. I'm typically there hours to more than that earlier. This allows going real slow.
Early season and sometimes later you can see them in tree at night.
Good luck

This is actually what I thought of the other day. I'm gonna use binos from the truck to get a visual on the bird and watch.

The ridges are bare enough right now to hopefully locate from the truck.

[Mossberg90MN]

Just my opinion here but I find it hard to "pattern" turkey except for maybe their roost tree. Let's say you have a bird roosted on top of a ridge next to a field and below him is a creek, 3 days in a row he pitches into the field the 2 days in a row he will pitch into the creek bottom for no apparent reason it is just a turkey being a turkey. What I like to do is try to do d a roost tree they like and see if I can't roost them the night before. If I can't do that then I will go back to known roost sites ( I hunt public land so not guaranteed the same spot everytime). If you are able to locate a good strut zone these have been very productive for me, obviously finding scratching, feathers, droppings is always good but to tell you exactly when they will be in there again I haven't figured that out yet.

  Has far has tracking all your scouting notes try one of the apps for you phone there are several that are free. I use Huntstand but there are several others like Huntwise, OnxHunt and Scoutlook. You can add markers on these apps for stand locations, sightings, harvests and sign for several different species. And even if you lose your phone you just download the app again and everything is saved. You mentioned writing it down that is a method also if you just like to do it that way.

  Like I said this is just my experience and I am sure there are some guys/gals on here that are much better at this then I am that will be able to give you some sound advice. Lots of experience and quality people on here. Stay safe and good luck.

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Yea I have OnX and HuntStand. I love onX. I wish the pins had more turkey stuff which huntstand does... but I prefer the onX platform. I'll use both though.

[rakkin6]

Yeah and has far has my initial reply, I forgot to mention that I hunt on Fort Campbell which is an Army base. So it is public land and you can't just hunt anywhere on it. You get assigned certain spots. So tht may be why it is harder to realistically pattern a turkey for me.

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[GobbleNut]

Which leads me to this question... do I choose to go after the 1 single turkey I find off by himself? Or do I go set up on a ridge where I'm able to get 2-3 birds gobbling.
Don't want to go and roost a henned up bird if there's a sub dominate nearby.

From my experience, the easiest birds to call in are those in a group of two-year-old's.  When on the roost, those birds will generally be very close together.  They will also often gobble as a group,...that is, when one sounds off, all of them will.  Often, those gobblers will come to your calling as a group and without much hesitation. 

If you want to have your best shot at killing a gobbler, go to those birds when you hear them on the roost.  There may be only a couple of them together,...or there may be several,...but if they gobble in unison and the gobbling is coming from the same location, it's a good chance those are some gullible two-year-old's. 

Hearing gobbles from a single bird on the roost is always going to be a crapshoot to some extent.  Those gobblers often have hens and will be more difficult to call, generally speaking.  Of course, there are exceptions.  A single gobbler without hens can be anything from a lonely two-year-old to an old hermit gobbler that has seen it all and will never come to calling under any circumstance.  If you go to those single birds, as opposed to the first groups mentioned, in my opinion you are decreasing your odds of success,....again, generally speaking.

In summary, if you have a choice between going to the grouped-up two-year-olds and going to a single bird,...and you want to have the best odds of walking out of the woods with a gobbler over your shoulder,...go to the roost where there are multiple gobblers gobbling. 

[bbcoach]

Gobblenut is spot on.  Once you have them located, this is when woodsmanship, calling, daily scouting and some luck come into play.  You and only you can decide what to do.  Do you take off after that one you hear gobbling or set tight?  Here is where your scouting will help you.  You need to know if birds are staying in the area you are setup in or moving to fields or nearby roads to feed.  Travel routes are just as important as hearing gobbling on the limb and on the ground.  Knowing what the birds have a tendency to do will help make that decision easier.  If a gobbler is lonely and alone, you'll have a better than average chance of calling him to the gun.  If he has a harem of hens, the lead hen will dictate where they go.  This is a GREAT sport and interacting with these birds is a Wonderful experience.  You will be taught something everyday you hunt, so take it ALL in, learn from your mistakes and HAVE FUN!

[Mossberg90MN]

Awesome thanks for all the responses!!!