SCOUTING QUESTIONS

[Murphy's Law]

I was just wondering when the best time to scout for turkeys? time of day/time of the year? and any hints on eqiptment to use while scouting...

[DMP]

I usually start scouting towards the end of Feb. It needs to start warming up for them to start in their spring habits. Go out and listen in the mornings for them to gobble and learn where they roost and where they go when they get down. Learn where they feed, their strut zones, and where the hens like to go. Dont get to close or push them around. Look for scratching in the timber and strutt marks in the dirt. Biggest thing is be patient.

[MC]

It's never too early to start learning the property you are going to hunt. Even if you've hunted the same ground for years, it's good to give it a thurough going over. Terrain is critical in setting up on a turkey and you want to have a good idea of what it is like where you hear birds and what is between you and them. Knowing the lay of the land and how the birds use it will serve you better than all the calls in the world.

For finding the birds themselves, just spending time in the woods will start to give you an idea this time of year. Look for tracks in dirt roads, birds in fields, scratching throughout the woods and scat. Towards the end of February and especially on into March you can start hearing birds sound off at dawn. By mid-March almost any morning you should hear multiple birds.

The biggest key to listening for and scouting turkeys before the season is to not let them get any idea you are in the woods. Under no circumstances do you want to call to them. Don't even hoot or crow call. Just listen and they will do their own thing. Calling a turkey with a turkey call before the season ought to be grounds for 30 lashings with a garden hose, all you are doing is educating them. If you listen to them enough mornings you will start to pick up on their patterns, where they typicaly go when they fly down and how many birds are in the area.

I really enjoy listening before the season comes in and I've had some of my best times with turkeys with no calls and no gun before the season even started. I keep a pair of coveralls and boots with me and will go listen before work as much as possible.

The biggest thing is to not call and I don't even try to "see" the birds. If you hear a gobble you know it is a mature gobbler, no need to actually see him. Just listen and you will know all you need to know to have the drop on him opening day.

[Green Heads Only]

Jakes will gobble too. The best scouting if you have pastures and/or fields is with good binoculars from a distance. Don't get in the woods until it is time to hunt. You'll just spook them off and make your hunting suck. I hear it every year "I don't know where they went, I was seeing them everywhere before the season." So if at all possible just your distance until it is time to whack them.

[M2Field]

I start immediately after deer season. Not so much to find turkey sign, but to learn the land more. I hunt the FM a good bit, as well as, private. Everyday I spend in the FM is a good day because I learn and find more every trip. Sunday I went on just a 1 hour scouting trip and walked up on 30 birds and found an awesome bottom full of sign.

In early March I'll revisit these spots and listen for gobblers

[Glenn]

For God's sake whatever you do, don't go out 2 weeks before the season practicing your calling in the woods and educate every flippin gobbler in SC.

Keep your calls in the house until game time.

[luv2hunt]

AMEN Glenn! I had a buddy that thought he had to call everytime he was walking around in the woods. Don't give them a hint of the call before the first time you hunt.

I agree about learning the lay of the land. You have to know hills or knolls or other things that may give you an advantage if you have to move. Know all the logging roads, etc if you have any.

We always start listening & walking in February in Allendale County. Cool air and no leaves on the trees allow you to hear further than later in the season.

[Sportin' Woodies]

saw a flock of 147 turkeys yestiddy.
13 stuntin

[CAMO SNOB]

April one with a call and a gun... just go to the turkey woods and they'll be there. It's where the live

[0islandson]

Since duck season is all but over, I scout around squirel hunting and like everyone else has said, learning the lay of the land where you hunt is probably the most important thing there is so bushy tailed rats give me one more excuse to take a walk in the woods!