Pre-season scouting is one of the keys to having success turkey hunting. Time and time again I find the more I scout, the more encounters I seem to have with mature gobblers each spring. Scouting is critical for just about any type of hunting in my opinion. Turkey hunting is no different, in this post I will share seven tips I use for scouting turkeys each spring.
Before we dive into the tips and tricks shared in this post, let me explain why you need to scout before season opens.
Getting an edge on the other turkey hunters
If some of you guys are public land turkey hunters, you know how critical it is to gain an edge on the other hunters in your area. I have found a vast majority of public land hunters tend to fly by the seat of their pants on the opening weekend of turkey season. This can be frustrating for hunters that have dedicated time to scouting and patterning gobblers on a public land section. However, if you can preserver through the frustration of other hunters, you can still be successful if you know turkey travel patterns. Scouting will give you an understanding of turkey travel patterns and where they tend to hang out throughout the different times of the day. By knowing this, you can simply work around other hunters and position yourself to for the best chance at a shot.
Learning travel patterns
Like mentioned in the previous paragraph, pre-season scouting will allow hunters to gain valuable knowledge of a gobbler’s travel patterns. Contrary to popular belief, knowing where a gobbler is most likely to travel at a given time in the day is way more important than being a world champion turkey caller. Sure there are cases where exceptional turkey callers can call turkeys away from hens early in the season. However, I have found through the years that knowing which direction a gobbler wants to go will increase your chances of getting a shot if you can get set up along his desired route. An obvious example of this scenario is, a gobbler traveling to a group of hens. If you can get between a gobbler and a group of hens, you can have great success.
Know where the hens are hanging out
Finding out where the hens like to hang out will greatly increase your results. Knowing roost trees and knowing where hens roost as well as which trees gobblers roost in can dramatically improve your success turkey hunting. Scouting during the break of day and late in the evening can reveal where the gobblers and hens like to roost. Again, by knowing roost trees for hens and gobblers, can give a hunter the possible opportunity to intercept the gobbler before he gets to his hens.
These are just a few reasons you should always scout before a turkey hunt. I could think of countless more reasons but we will save that for another post. I cannot emphasize the importance of scouting when it comes to turkey hunting public land. You can check my guide to turkey hunting public land here if you want to learn more valuable tips. But for now, let me share 7 tips you can use for scouting turkeys before opening day.
Tip #1 Locate the food
Like any wild animal, turkeys will typically be found where the food is. Early in the year, turkey can be found around food plots and other green areas. Green grasses and clovers found in food plots and open fields provide fresh green sprouts of grass and the occasional insects during warm sunny days. Hardwood bottoms and draws will also attract turkeys early in the year. Hardwood bottom contain acorns and grubs for turkeys to feed on during the early spring.
Tip #2 Use your trail cameras
Trial cams are not only great for deer hunting, they are just as effective for turkey hunting. I love using trail cams on food plots, fields, and pipeline right-of-ways. I cannot tell you how many times I have captured pictures of turkeys passing through with my trail cameras during deer season. You can take advantage of trail cameras for patterning turkeys as well. Trail cameras will reveal which direction turkeys travel and the what time in the day they travel through an area. They will also give you an idea of how many gobblers, jakes, and hens frequent an area.
Tip #3 Use binoculars to save time and prevent spooking birds
One of the biggest mistakes a turkey hunter can make while scouting turkeys is, spooking birds while scouting. Binoculars can allow hunters to look from a distance instead of getting too close to a group of birds. Binoculars also allow hunters to cover more ground without having to walk all over the woods. Being stealthy while scouting is key, use binoculars whenever possible.
Tip #4 Listen like you were hunting
Listening for sounds made in the woods is always critical when hunting big game. You should also be constantly listening while scouting as well. Often, you can hear hens scratching from a distance when they are in hardwoods. Of course listening early in the morning and late in the evening for gobblers to sound off, are great ways to locate which tree they are roosting in.
Tip #5 Read the tracks
Turkey tracks are conformation there has been a turkey in the area. I love finding tracks and seeing which direction a turkey traveled. If you find multiple tracks going in multiple directions, you can assume turkeys are in the area and you have found a travel route.
Tip #6 Find the fresh droppings in feeding areas
Finding droppings in a field will often indicate turkeys are using the field as a food source. Typically, fresh droppings mixed in with old droppings indicate turkey are routinely using the area on a daily basis. You can use a trail camera to verify if the turkeys are routinely using an area filled with fresh droppings.
Tip #7 Find fresh droppings in wooded areas
If you can find fresh droppings in wooded areas pay close attention. If there are multiple droppings congregated around a tree, chances are you have possible located a roost tree. If you have ever owned chickens, you know how the bottom of the roost will be full of droppings. Roost trees, will often have a large amount of droppings at the base.
What to do if you cannot find turkeys or sign in your area?
If you use the tips mentioned in this post, you can increase you success of locating and hunting turkeys. Of course, you can scout and scout but if there are no turkeys in the area you hunt then you will have to find another area to hunt. I have encountered this problem time and time again hunting in Louisiana. I have found at times the best thing to do is go hunt in a different state containing a larger population of turkeys. You might want to consider doing the same if you are having trouble finding any turkeys to hunt.
I highly recommend turkey hunting in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. Missouri and Kentucky have some great public land with large numbers of wild turkeys. If you choose to hunt with an outfitter, please check out a previous post I wrote about how to choose the right turkey hunting outfitter. Trust me, choosing a good turkey hunting outfitter can make or break a hunt!
Summary
I hope you guys found some useful information in this post. The tips shared in this post are tips I learned over the years of turkey hunting. I share these tips because, I know how difficult it is for new hunters to find success turkey hunting. I you use the tips in this post, you can increase you success this spring.
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