How to Scout for Turkeys

Turkey hunting requires effective scouting to increase your chances of success. However, many hunters, including experienced ones, lack knowledge on how to properly scout for turkeys. While finding turkey tracks, observing strutting longbeards, and hearing gobbles are helpful, they alone won’t enable you to kill a turkey. To improve your scouting skills and increase your chances of success, here are some tips I’ve learned from hunting alongside some of the best turkey hunters.

When to Scout for Turkeys

Scouting for turkeys can be done during winter, just before the season, or during the season itself. Each period is equally important.

Winter Scouting

Turkeys typically gather in large flocks during winter. They roost in areas that provide protection from the cold and wind, such as large evergreen stands or cozy hollows. On warmer winter days, they can be found feeding in agricultural fields with less snow. Although winter flocks disperses before the opening day of the season, scouting winter turkeys gives you an idea of where they might be located during spring. For states with early openers, wintering grounds could be the same as hunting grounds.

Scouting Before the Season

The week leading up to the season is an advantageous time to scout. Ideally, you want to roost a gobbler a few days before the opener and observe his likely patterns. This helps you plan for a successful opening morning hunt. As other hunters will also be scouting, prioritize roosted birds in secluded areas on public land. Avoid popular spots close to parking lots or hiking trails.

Scouting During the Turkey Season

If your pre-season scouting doesn’t provide the desired results, continue scouting during the season. Many hunters make the mistake of sacrificing scouting time for hunting. However, it’s more beneficial to locate birds and hunt in productive areas rather than stay in the same spot for days hoping a tom will show up.

How to Scout for Turkeys Online

Start your turkey scouting mission by using a digital mapping app like onX or HuntStand. These apps help you identify potential hunting areas. If you’re planning to hunt on public land, use the app to locate all public parcels in your desired hunting area. Rank each property on a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being the highest value and 3 the lowest value. Factors to consider when ranking include mixed farmland and woods, diverse topography and habitat, large overall area with multiple entry points, and sections that are hard to access. Begin scouting the highest value properties and work your way down.

For private-land hunters, e-scouting is still valuable. Use your mapping app to identify neighboring properties in search of potential roosting and feeding areas. Look for travel corridors between these properties and your hunting location. Additionally, consider seeking hunting permission from nearby private landowners.

Interpreting Turkey Sign

Understanding turkey sign is crucial in scouting. Signs can indicate the presence of turkeys in the area. Here are the key types of turkey sign to look for:

Tracks: Turkeys leave large and distinct tracks. These tracks are most visible in mud, sand, or snow. On sandy or dusty ground, you may even see imprints from a tom’s wing feathers.

Scat: Turkey droppings can be found wherever turkeys frequent. Tom droppings are typically J-shaped, while hen droppings are often curled.

Scratching: Turkeys scratch in leaves while foraging for acorns and insects. Heavy scratching near roost sites and turkey droppings near scratching sites are good indicators that turkeys have been active in the area.

Dusting Sites: Turkeys take dust baths, creating depressions in the ground. Repeated dusting in the same spot suggests regular turkey activity.

Locating Turkey Roosts

Knowing where turkeys roost is critical for successful hunting. Early morning and dusk are the best times to hear gobbling and identify roosting sites.

These are common turkey roost sites:

• Ridges or hills with mature oaks
• River bottoms with large cottonwoods, especially in open country
• Stands of old white pine near mixed hardwoods, especially in winter
• Large cypress trees near water, in southern regions

Avoid getting too close to the roost, as spooking turkeys can ruin your chances of a successful hunt. Use locator calls like owl hoots or coyote calls to prompt gobblers to gobble and help you locate their exact positions.

Understanding Roost Dynamics

Gaining insight into roost dynamics helps you formulate effective hunting strategies. Smaller, less aggressive decoy setups are suitable for subdominant toms, while more aggressive setups work better for dominant birds, especially early in the season.

Identifying Turkey Feeding Areas

Locating major feeding areas is essential in scouting for turkeys. Turkeys often feed in agricultural fields and areas with new, green spring shoots. They also feed in hardwoods, where you can find signs of heavy scratching, and fallow fields, where they pick bugs out of the grass. Driving country roads mid-morning or glassing from high spots are effective ways to locate feeding areas. Setting up trail cameras can provide additional insight. However, be aware that turkeys experiencing hunting pressure are more challenging to predict.

Pinpointing Turkey Travel Routes

When traveling, turkeys, like deer, prefer the path of least resistance. Identifying reliable travel routes between roost sites and feeding areas can increase your chances of encountering turkeys. Common turkey travel routes include deer trails, old logging roads, ridgetops, oak flats, river bottoms, and funnels or pinch points between waterways. Track-covered areas are excellent for placing trail cameras.

Additional Turkey Scouting Tips

Here are some additional tips to improve your turkey scouting:

• Avoid relying solely on techniques like crow calling to locate turkeys, as these may be ineffective in areas with hunting pressure. Instead, practice listening for real owl hoots or crow calls to get turkeys to gobble.
• Remain stealthy during scouting missions by wearing camouflaged or earth-toned clothing, walking slowly and quietly, and positioning yourself against a tree when stopping.
• Be mindful not to scare turkeys off their roosts during scouting, as this can disrupt their behavior and make them harder to hunt.

Keep in mind that spending more time in the turkey woods improves your hunting skills. Treat scouting as seriously as you would an actual hunt. By avoiding common scouting mistakes and being thorough in your efforts, you’ll increase your chances of a successful turkey hunting season.

Scouting for Turkeys on Public Land

If you’re scouting exclusively on public land, it’s important to consider other hunters. Look for gobblers in areas less frequented by hunters, such as those separated by natural barriers like streams or marshes. Avoid areas with excessive foot traffic and signs of other hunters. If you encounter fellow hunters while scouting, maintain a friendly attitude and discuss your plans. Collaboration can be more beneficial than competition.

When scouting on public land, it’s worth seeking permission from private landowners to access public land through their property. This can give you a strategic advantage over other hunters starting from common parking lots and trailheads.

Final Thoughts

Scouting for turkeys is a vital aspect of a successful hunt. Invest time in learning how turkeys use the landscape, and practice important skills like glassing, calling, and moving quietly through the woods. Treat scouting missions with the same focus and respect as actual hunts, ensuring you don’t spook turkeys from potential hunting areas. By honing your scouting skills, you’ll improve your overall turkey hunting abilities and increase your chances of a successful hunt.