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Wild Turkey Scouting Tips
By Clifford Herring Jr of Field & Water
While scouting for spring turkeys to hunt, you may see tracks, droppings, feathers and dusting bowls. All these signs help to determine whether birds have been in the area, what they were doing, and how recently. But while scouting, carry a topographical map or aerial photo of the area, and a notebook. mark the areas where you see sign. When you hear or see birds, note the time, weather, the number, sex and location of the birds. Then mark the area on the map or photo. If you can, watch the birds several times before you hunt them. Try to determine where they normally roost and feed. Watch more than one flock if you can, so that you have backup birds to work if you can’t locate your first choice. Try to find out where the birds fly down when they leave their roost trees, where they feed, and the route they usually take when going to the feeding area. You also want to know where they go after they leave the early morning feeding area. Turkey scratchings in wooded areas look like someone raked the area up. This is a sure sign of a travel route. The birds are feeding on leftover acorns and other mast crops, To do this they will scratch up an entire area. Generally, the birds stay in open feeding and strutting areas a half-hour or more before moving to new areas. They may move through woods, feeding as they go, and arrive at another open feeding area. Or they may stay in the woods. Knowing where they go when they leave the early morning site gives you a chance to hunt the birds later in the day. Look for birds going to roost the night before you hunt, so you know where to find them the next morning. If you see birds feeding in open areas within a half- hour of sunset, they probably roost nearby, and they may return to feed in the same area the next morning. Turkeys prefer to roost out of the wind, in areas that are open to the morning sun. Turkeys often roost on east and south-facing slopes, or on the east and south sides of wooded areas. The trees selected for roosting are usually taller than the surrounding trees, with large, horizontal limbs. Mature oaks, elms, maples and box elders are used in the Midwest, cottonwoods and aspens are often used in the prairie states; pines are favored wherever they may be available. If you don’t see any birds, drive around to likely roosting areas and try to get the birds to shock gobble in response to a crow call, owl hoot, pileated wood pecker call, or gobble. Once you locate a roosting area, figure out where the birds are likely to feed the next morning, and the travel route they most likely will take. The next morning, try to set up along that travel route or in that feeding area. If the weather is nice, expect the birds to feed in unprotected areas. If it’s windy, cold or rainy, key on sheltered areas. Expect the birds to call less, call later than normal, and to move later in the day than they might on a warm sunny day. On cold, windy days, try to get close to the birds, set up in small openings out of the wind, put out two or three decoys, call frequently, and be patient. Turkey hunting can fun and challenging. By far it is rated right up on top along with deer hunting. If you have not hunted turkeys in the spring, it is time to start. Remember be safe and hunt smart. |
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