Just wondering...

[bigblueswami]

I can't resist getting in the woods whenever possible, so I start my turkey scouting way early. I'm usally out the last of Feb. and go pretty much every weekend right up to the season. Just wondering when most "normal" people start scouting. I put up a blind on a big field keeping my distance and get in before light and wait until the coast is clear before leaving so I make sure not to upset the patterns. I'm hoping to get some great pictures with my camera this year. I had some great chances last year, just didn't have a camera.[:I] If I get some good ones, I'll post em to get your blood flowing.

[schuyler olt]

I scout after the season closes, but I steer clear of likely nesting areas. For turkeys, scouting the terrain is probably more important than specifically looking for birds. You need to know the lay of the land. Where are the thick gullies they won't cross? Where are the fences and blow downs. What are the natural travel lanes from roost sites to feeding and strutting areas? If I have to get from this ridge to that ridge, how can I do it without getting busted? Where are the birds most likely to enter a field? Where are the areas that are open but out of the wind? I love to scout on windy days for just that type of area. We get a fair amount of wind in the spring, and knowing where the birds may go to get out of heavy wind can often turn the day for you. Also, where are the open areas closest to where they roost? You'll definitely want to know those areas for rainy days and mornings after it's rained through the night. Good luck!

[Ky Headhunter]

Schuyler brought up a great tip about wind protected areas. For my $$$, really windy days are the toughest conditions to turkey hunt. If you can find places that are well protected from the wind by hillsides, cedar/pine thickets, etc., while still having the things turkeys want/need like food source & openings to strut in, you've given a huge boost to your odds of scoring on such a day.