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Scouting?

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Boll Weevil

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When I was a kid/young man I walked countless miles in search of scratching, tracks, feathers, and poo. In hindsight think I probably did more harm than good bumping turkeys and increasinf pressure before the season even started. There's a place on my farm we call Big Hill Rd (for surely obvious reasons). These days I just start out there opening morning and pick a bird to go to.

Does anyone extensively preseason scout? Public or private land?
 
Some might call it cheating but I am letting 2 Tactacams do most of my scouting for me on 2 different places. My new property I have walked it twice over the last week mainly to see what my approach will be and how quiet I can be in different areas. In doing that I've found the turkeys seem to be walking my creek a lot. Hoping they keep doing it.
 
I scout like crazy, but it's very low impact. A little owling from high listening spots at daybreak. Prob 10 or 15 miles walking on the week before opening on national forest.

Birds are so scattered out down here its really imperative to have one located for the season opening. And it's HARD to even accomplish that with all my preseason scouting.

Now in TN I just go to my traditional spots without scouting. Birds will be roosted within earshot 90% of the time, so scouting beforehand is a waste. I always try to roost a bird in the afternoon for the next day, however
 
I do not pre-season scout like I once did, due to lack of available time and it not being a priority at this point in my life. With that said, I've been out to a few public and private land spots thus far. Seen a decent amount of scratching in places and heard my first gobble on the limb February 20. Fine clear crisp cold morning and he gobbled three times. I have also seen a few flocks with strutters from the road over the last few weeks.
 
I scout with my ears a few mornings before season if I have time and some spots I have trail cameras. Its amazing how birds will reappear to the same spots almost to the day..

Although with diesel prices reaching close to $5 a gallon around here I might just be arriving a few minutes early the day of the hunt...
 
Like a lot on here, my private spots I just scout from good listening spots. I'll start next week probably whatever morning I get a chance to get out at the right time. Definitely think you can do more harm than good if it's a place you're already familiar with by barreling in there. New ground or extensive tracts of public are a different story though
 
Long ago I would get up before the season opened and scout and listened to try to have a few located for the opening day but I don't do it much anymore.Gas has gotten so expensive I will wait until opening day to go to my usual spots!!
 
Good afternoon here... I covered around 1250 acres of my 2000 ac lease (cheated, used 4 wheeler to get around fast, hitting the hot spots and checking cameras).

I saw this bird in person... by far biggest Tom I've seen in south MS... gotta be over 20lbs. LONG beard as well. Found a couple more 2 yos that have been around a plot half mile away.

The other half of the lease was fairly unproductive, nothing on cameras, but I did find a fresh set of gobbler tracks.

Heading to national forest on the morning to listen, then hike a few miles to try to locate another bird or at least some fresh sign.
 

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megalomaniac said:
Lots of comments about gas prices affecting scouting... gonna be over $4 per gal next week.

When gas hits $4.50 per gallon by April, will it affect how much you actually hunt?

For me, not a bit. I'll just cut back on other areas.
Click to expand...
Luckily for me I'll walk out the back door and hunt Ky and walk out the front door and walk across the road and hunt TN. That helps a lot. My other spot in KY is 23 miles away so not too bad.
 
megalomaniac said:
When gas hits $4.50 per gallon by April, will it affect how much you actually hunt?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. Especially on the public land I hunt. Who wants to spend $40-50 to have to battle all the Elmer's for the few birds on this particular WMA? I would be miserable. Like most things, I eventually get priced out of the game.








(maybe that might convince at least one to back out of hunting public land)
 
Overcast here, humidity has increased, but no wind early. Hiked 3.5 miles in Natl Forest at 4 different spots I have killed birds in years past. Found one set of hen tracks, no scratching, no gobbles. Smelled then found a dead cow some slob dumped on off the side of one of the forest service roads. Oh, and an OLD box turtle.
 

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