Turkey habits

[hunter1]

I'm kinda a newbie to turkey hunting, 4 yrs = 1 turkey. I hunt public land, about 3,500 acres. Were i huntb has little pressure from hunting,  Thing is when i deer hunt and hunt other game, I have turkeys all around. They will walk no more than 20 yrds from me even when i hunt small game. How do i go about scouting them for this season, I never run into them when i'm hunting them.Please educate me.  

[Fan Club]

Steve-

You'll probably having better luck getting reponses by putting this in the "General Discussion" ot "Strategies" forums. This forum is primarily for T&TH magazine admin news releases.

[swpatrkyhunter]

The turkeys in my area have a certain radius they travel throughout the year. In the winter they are flocked up pretty good. So at that time their routes differ from what they are when the flocks break up just before spring. Some do tend to stick to the same areas they ran in the winter but when the warmer weather kicks in the available food sources increases for them and they will adjust their routes to where the food is. That is what you need to look for. Water sources, food sources, etc... Find where they are roosting now, then keep a record of where they go after fly down. As the weather changes watch for what directions they are moving in end scout those areas. Scouting on a regular basis is going to be the only way you find where they will be once Spring hits. Once you have an idea of how the birds in your hunting area travel you will have a good idea of where to be come opening day. Be careful not to disturb there patterns though. Keep a good distance from them and try not to spook them. Since the area you said had little hunting pressure they should probably stick to a pretty rutine pattern through the day. A good pair of feild glasses would do you good. Remember DO NOT use your calls before season starts! You can use locator calls sparingly but you do not want to educate them to the calls you will be using come Spring.
 
                                        Well! Hope that gives you a good place to start from. I'm sure you will get some good info from the others guys here that will serve you well.  Good Luck!

[hunter1]

sorry i hit the wrong forum. Thanks for the advice, I'll start hittin the wood this week.

[longbeard.386]

You hunt deer in the fall and winter. You hunt turkeys in the spring (based on the date of your posting). The turkey inhabits different locales during the different times of the year. In fall and winter they are in the hard mast areas (acorns, beech, etc.) In the spring they are in the open fields (green shoots and bugs...grasshoppers). Hens nest in fields and field edges and need the protien of instects for egg development and poult development. If you hunt the hard mast areas in the spring you'll see few turkeys because they are now in the open field areas and the areas adjoining these fields. They will move to soft mast in the summer and fall as berries and soft fruits ripen and fall. By spring the hard mast areas are picked over and are like mini-deserts. Like life, it's a circle and the turkeys follow their circle. You just have to intercept them at the right time within their circle.