Scouting question...

[Mossberg90MN]

As I've mentioned before, I'm a fresh turkey hunter... just curious to this approach from some of you guys on here.

When "scouting" for birds... do you guys just listen for gobbles on ridges and log it down and call it done? Then go back opening day and go for it?

Or do you guys listen for the birds on ridges, then hit those ridges and look for sign to try to find a spot there hanging out at, or to try and pattern that bird and give yourself some more intel for the season?

I've been doing the second. I approach it cautiously as I don't want to get spotted.

Just wondering whats the correct way to go about as a turkey hunter.

Thanks OG

[rakkin6]

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.

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[Bowguy]

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

[MK M GOBL]

I'll scout/locate around 25 birds a spring, this starts around 3 weeks before season start. These are farms that I have hunted for years and in most cases turkeys have patterns, birds are using same areas during this time of year after winter breakup (Yup in Wisconsin) We have a mix of hardwoods and Ag/Dairy/Beef farms. Here is kind of a rundown of that.

There is a lot of visual scouting as birds access the fields, I use binoculars a lot as from high points / ridge tops I can see these openings. Then there is the general Listening / Roosting / Locating. Pretty much just all mental notes as to what I am seeing and stage birds are in breeding phases. I also take mote of bird(s) that stay together doubles and triples and such. Also is finding toms with large harems of hens "alphas" the more hens he has the more I'm after him. These tend to be the old long spurred birds and scouting these through season till it's the right time to go after him. I have some known roost sites that birds use, I never get close on these as I don't spook birds of them. Once your boots are on the ground then it's time to put those "woodsmanship" skills to use. I look for commonalities in these locations, such as we have a number of "field roads" that connect field to field through the timber, these end up being strut zones and birds use to move on. I have a number of other terrain features I look at for roosting, movement and strutting areas. Also have a number of food plots to keep tabs on.

I do scout early and often all the way through season start to season end, I keep tabs on these birds and if birds go "missing" yup moved off property or were killed. I also plan my hunts to the bird/flock and what they are doing on the property as well as what bird we take from the Alpha/Beta/Omega of social structure. All plays in to how I hunt and set.

I would guess this all varies to the property you hunt and private to public. Things are looking good, a lot of jakes last year / good gobbler number this year. For me "scouting" never ends, I watch birds through the entire year to see what poult production looks like, fall bird number, then winter flocks and right back through to spring again.


MK M GOBL

[g8rvet]

I hunt mostly southern creek and river bottoms on public.  Not much visual scouting possible.  If I know a general area, honestly the thing that saves more birds from me (beside my lack of skill) is terrain mess ups.  A creek they prefer not to cross, an old fence, etc.  I have found for me and my family that our success rate soars as we learn the lay of the land.  The hidden features and such.  Some of the places we hunt we ave been for years.  But sometimes we find them in new areas.  Mid day scouting quietly helps us learn those areas or better yet get in there after the season. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bbcoach]

In Eastern NC. I hunt planted pines.  These parcels of planted pines can be a couple hundred acres or a few thousand.  Each parcel has roads running through them, so the tree company can get into the areas to farm these trees.  I will normally drive and walk these roads, this time of the year, listening and looking for birds, especially at dawn.  A good pair of binos are a must.  I normally listen first for gobbling, get a general area for future intel and follow up on foot.  When I am on foot, I scout with my eyes, put eyes on birds with binos, look for wing drag marks on the roads (strut zones), tracks and droppings.  Once I find several places that show promise, I will get to those areas at daybreak, listen for gobbles and flydowns and try to pattern the movement of the birds, from a distance.  Binos and no calling is a must.  Don't educate the birds.  As the season opener approaches, you can move in a little closer, before first light, to your selected areas to locate actual roost areas and travel routes but at a safe distance.  Again DO NOT call and use those binos, so you don't educate the birds.  Once our opener is here, then move into their bedroom well before daylight and ENJOY the show.  Good Luck to ALL.  3 more weeks!!!!

[Tom007]

Great thread here. I have been hunting these guys since 1984. It took me a while to gather all the spots I have in my arsenal now. I hunt a few states, mostly big woods ridge runners, but I do have a few farm area spots. I use decoys in my open field, farm spots. I run-n-gun my big woods birds. As for scouting, yes, no calling, look, and stay out of their area once you find them. The good news in my experience is that once you find a spot with birds, they will be there year after year as long as you or others do not "burn" the spot out. It seems like once turkeys inhabit a peice of property, they are there year after year pending no changes in their terrain or food supply. I find that during good acorn crop years in my big woods spots, the birds are more plentiful those years...  good luck, and make sure you document all your spots. Over the years, you can forget some of them... be safe....

[fallhnt]

Jump in your truck and follow La  around.

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[GobbleNut]

Lots of good points already made here.  Here's my two-cents worth...

Mossberg, you have already indicated that you will be hunting relatively large parcels of public land (in another thread).  That, in itself, is a primary consideration in your approach.  The same scouting tactics do not apply for small parcels of land,...but these are based on the information you have already provided.

Your goal on large pieces of public land is to find as many gobblers as you can by covering as much of the country you plan to hunt as efficiently as you can.  Why?....Because you will likely have competition.  Knowing where several/many/lots of gobblers are increases your odds of being able to have at least a couple of them to yourself once the season starts.

The very best way to find those gobblers efficiently is to LISTEN for them while they are on the roost.  Gobblers wherever they exist are genetically programmed to gobble at that time.  Roost gobbling occurs primarily, and most reliably, at first light in the mornings until the turkeys fly down.  IN SOME PARTS OF THE COUNTRY*, gobbling also occurs pretty reliably at last light in the evening after the turkeys fly up to roost.  (*you have to determine this for yourself where you hunt).

Bottom line is be in the woods at first light (and last light, if applicable) in the mornings whenever you can and cover as much country as you can listening for gobbling (until approximately sun-up).
There is nothing wrong with mid-day scouting, as well, but your very best approach to finding birds to hunt is listening for them on the roost. 

Finally, there are some "nuances" to roost-locating gobblers that you should know and use religiously.  PM me if you want to hear more about those.

[Tom007]

Great info...thx

[Gobble!]

Hearing them on the roost is a good start but I like to know where they want to go after fly down.

[Happy]

I have been cruising gravel roads since 6:30 this morning. Had a good 2 mile hike and have inventory of lots of spots. It only 28 degrees here in the mountains so gobbling didnt happen this morning. However I am primarily looking at the habitat and lay of the land. That and I am critiquing Pedro's offroad driving skills. The next few weeks will be spent in these potential spots just listening.  I already have a pretty good inventory of spots I know pretty well but I enjoy exploring and killing birds in new spots. You can eliminate a lot of ground before they really start gobbling good and that makes the few weeks before season way more productive.

[GobbleNut]

I have been cruising gravel roads since 6:30 this morning. Had a good 2 mile hike and have inventory of lots of spots. It only 28 degrees here in the mountains so gobbling didnt happen this morning.

Happy's comment brings up a great,...and very important,...point about relying on roost gobbling to find turkeys.  That is, you have to start doing it after the breeding "urge" has set in so that gobblers are "ready". 

Starting to listen for roost gobbling before gobblers have reliably starting doing it not only can be a waste of time, but it can also be counter-productive in that you may discount areas where there are gobblers because they have not started gobbling on the roost yet. 

Generally speaking, if you start your roost-listening routine within a couple of weeks of the start of your turkey season, your gobblers should be ready and sounding off on the roost.  This is another element that you have to learn about the turkeys in the area where you hunt.  That is, when can you reliably expect them to start gobbling on the roost due to the onset of the breeding season?
Prior to that time, you are much better off relying on visually looking for birds and sign.

[Mossberg90MN]

Hearing them on the roost is a good start but I like to know where they want to go after fly down.

That's where I'm having trouble at the moment. They seem to vanish haha

[Mossberg90MN]

I have been cruising gravel roads since 6:30 this morning. Had a good 2 mile hike and have inventory of lots of spots. It only 28 degrees here in the mountains so gobbling didnt happen this morning.

Happy's comment brings up a great,...and very important,...point about relying on roost gobbling to find turkeys.  That is, you have to start doing it after the breeding "urge" has set in so that gobblers are "ready". 

Starting to listen for roost gobbling before gobblers have reliably starting doing it not only can be a waste of time, but it can also be counter-productive in that you may discount areas where there are gobblers because they have not started gobbling on the roost yet. 

Generally speaking, if you start your roost-listening routine within a couple of weeks of the start of your turkey season, your gobblers should be ready and sounding off on the roost.  This is another element that you have to learn about the turkeys in the area where you hunt.  That is, when can you reliably expect them to start gobbling on the roost due to the onset of the breeding season?
Prior to that time, you are much better off relying on visually looking for birds and sign.

Yes! I am aware of this, I got started a little early doing this so i figured that it was going to be the hotter birds that gobbled. Everytime I go to do this closer to season start I hear more birds. I figure the 2 weeks before season will be the real hot spot.

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.