Anybody doing any scouting for turkeys yet?

[dixieguns]

I went out and did a little scouting and calling today. No luck yet I thing it was just too windy.

[Doghunter]

Dixie,

Please tell me you are joking about the calling part? Calling birds before the season is a cardinal sin!

[dmax2500hd]

I was out today. Good day to be in the woods.

[Doghunter]

was out at my range for a while..it was a pretty day.

[dixieguns]

Dixie,

Please tell me you are joking about the calling part? Calling birds before the season is a cardinal sin!

I wasn't calling them in. I was just using my crow and owl locator calls to see if I could get a gobble. Is this just as bad?

[manxxcatt]

Can be. Don't make it a habit. I did a bit on my secret spot back in late Dec. I haven't made a peep since.

[Doghunter]

I wasn't calling them in. I was just using my crow and owl locator calls to see if I could get a gobble. Is this just as bad?

Turkeys around this neck of the woods are so molested that it's hard enough to shock gobble one with an owl call in April when you are trying to roost them. The big problem with owling is that there are usually no owls, especially barred owls in open woods and pine plantations like you saw on my lease. Barred owls are the best locators but they are typically found around creek bottoms and swamps. Turkeys on high ground are not used to hearing them so it is not an appropriate locator. Also, the whole thing behind a 'shock" call is just that. It is to shock a turkey into gobbling. Repeated use causes them to grow used to hearing it and turns out not to be such a "shock"! As far as turkey calls before season go, they are an absolute violation of sensible turkey hunting rules. You can educate a turkey in a hurry by calling to them, even if you don't call them all the way in. Once a gobbler starts coming during pre-season, he will likely show up after you are long gone and not find the hen he thought was there. He won't forget it!

[dmax2500hd]

drive out to the woods and hit the horn on your truck for about 3 seconds

[manxxcatt]

everyone getting anxious for Turkeys yet? I swear March drags on slow....

[newhornet]

I don't bird hunt, but I was coming in from calling Tuesday morning @9:30 or so and saw 7 in a field about 150 yards off the road. I thought at first they were buzzards and then saw the bronze glimmering.....Didn't even turn around to use the binoculars. Just don't have interest, plus any around here are on private land that is posted..it'd be like pulling teeth. I didn't know if the time would help any of you with your scouting......

[Doghunter]

I don't do any scouting. I have birds on my lease year round and make it a point not to fool with the birds until season opens. I go out a couple of mornings during the week before opening day to pinpoint where the birds are roosting and that's it. Any unnecessary rambling around or calling to birds prior to that time is subject to cause the birds to move to another area. I attribute this practice to my opening day success for the last 7 years running! Our season is timed so that most of the hens have been bred by the time the season opens. From about next week till April 11th, the birds will be gobbling and strutting as well as breeding hens.

[fmrleatherneck]

I have a flock of 20 birds or so that I've seen several mornings right here around me; usually 600 yards or so out of my office window, but I've also seen them (I suspect it's the same bunch) once a half mile North and a couple of times a half mile South of me, right off of 41. Haven't noticed any gobblers, but I haven't had much glass on them either. All of my sightings have been in the mornings.

Found a roost tree on my land here, right out by my deer stand, but it doesn't seem to be being used too regularly.

[carldonova84]

Just wondering what everyone is finding out there with our early spring. I'm going out tomorrow scouting and shed hunting. I've heard reports of James's strutting for almost a month now. Hopefully I'll have something to post after tomorrows stomp.