Setterman... question

[catman529]

sorry if you have been asked this before but I don't remember seeing it. How many hours on average do you hunt during the spring turkey season and how many hours do you spend scouting?

 

[Setterman]

Zero hours scouting.

I usually spend roughly 40 days in the woods, when you combine my early spring trips down south. I count a morning as a full day.

 

[BowGuy84]

Zero hours scouting.

I usually spend roughly 40 days in the woods, when you combine my early spring trips down south. I count a morning as a full day.

Lets clarify Setterman. Based on previous posts I would bet you are reffereing to scouting as trips to the woods to listen and look for turkeys as your sole purpose.

However, this does this account for the times you spend deer hunting the same areas you turkey hunt, grouse hunting and various other activities.

I say this because being in the woods even when you aren't focused on a certain quarry will give you information about that quarry that you can reference in the future.

I don't count my turkey hunting time as time scouting for deer but I certianly have killed deer because of time spent in the woods chasing turkeys.

not calling you a liar just saying for some new to hunting, your comments might deminish and mislead them on the importance of just spending time in the woods.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

The places I turkey hunt and have turkey hunted in the past you never see a turkey during deer season. Therefore, I can't even fathom how you scout for turkeys during deer season. The birds I hunt have completely different fall and spring ranges.

Its funny...I can vouch for that. The only time I have ever seen turkeys during deer season is during bow season. On our place in Hickman in the past 11 years, I bet I have only seen turkeys ONE time during rifle season! Though during the spring, they are all over our place. When the turkeys arent doing squat, I go deer scouting

 

[ImThere]

The places I turkey hunt and have turkey hunted in the past you never see a turkey during deer season. Therefore, I can't even fathom how you scout for turkeys during deer season. The birds I hunt have completely different fall and spring ranges.

Its funny...I can vouch for that. The only time I have ever seen turkeys during deer season is during bow season. On our place in Hickman in the past 11 years, I bet I have only seen turkeys ONE time during rifle season! Though during the spring, they are all over our place. When the turkeys arent doing squat, I go deer scouting

And those bowhunting encounters don't help out in turkey season? And you scout deer in turkey season? I think you proved the point that was trying to be made

 

[Setterman]

Zero hours scouting.

I usually spend roughly 40 days in the woods, when you combine my early spring trips down south. I count a morning as a full day.

Lets clarify Setterman. Based on previous posts I would bet you are reffereing to scouting as trips to the woods to listen and look for turkeys as your sole purpose.

However, this does this account for the times you spend deer hunting the same areas you turkey hunt, grouse hunting and various other activities.

I say this because being in the woods even when you aren't focused on a certain quarry will give you information about that quarry that you can reference in the future.

I don't count my turkey hunting time as time scouting for deer but I certianly have killed deer because of time spent in the woods chasing turkeys.

not calling you a liar just saying for some new to hunting, your comments might deminish and mislead them on the importance of just spending time in the woods.

I don't deer hunt anywhere near the areas I turkey hunt here in TN. In Miss sure we see turkeys during deer season, however I have hunted that piece of property for turkeys since I was a teenager, and know where the birds are likely to be. In GA, I don't deer hunt the same properties I turkey hunt. In KY I don't deer hunt the same ground I turkey hunt. And in Bama I deer hunt the same property I turkey hunt, but it is the identical situation to Miss.

I don't what types of cover most folks Grouse hunt, but the areas I hunt a turkey would be found in on a bet, I have never seen much if any turkey sign in the areas I Grouse hunt.

The places I turkey hunt and have hunted here in TN for the past 6 years were located by simply going to places during the spring season which should have birds based on location, habitat, and proximity to various food sources, nesting cover, etc etc.

I was in a place this morning that I have never once set foot in, and had no clue what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised even with the whiteout fog crap.

Personally I feel that turkey scouting for most folks will cost them birds, and do not advocate it at all. Unless it consists of long range glassing of field birds, or pre-season listening sessions on new ground from a place where the chances of bumping birds is near 0%.

Far too many people mess up their lands IMO by "scouting". They bump birds more times than they realize, go listen and resort to either calling or locator calls when nothing gobbles on it's own, and generally make the wildlife nervous because of the human intrusion. That is just my opinion, and others are free to make their own choices.

 

[catman529]

Personally I feel that turkey scouting for most folks will cost them birds, and do not advocate it at all. Unless it consists of long range glassing of field birds, or pre-season listening sessions on new ground from a place where the chances of bumping birds is near 0%.

Far too many people mess up their lands IMO by "scouting". They bump birds more times than they realize, go listen and resort to either calling or locator calls when nothing gobbles on it's own, and generally make the wildlife nervous because of the human intrusion. That is just my opinion, and others are free to make their own choices.

What about public land where there are people hunting at any time of year, people scouting, and turkeys used to the pressure? That's the case with me and I feel it's important to find some roosting areas and/or other turkey sign before the season, otherwise I feel lost. In new areas lately, I do tend to go toward creeks as I have learned they tend to roost near creeks often.

40 days is nuts.... couldn't make that happen here between work and gas prices, but I'm glad to hunt a couple days a week.

 

[Setterman]

Personally I feel that turkey scouting for most folks will cost them birds, and do not advocate it at all. Unless it consists of long range glassing of field birds, or pre-season listening sessions on new ground from a place where the chances of bumping birds is near 0%.

Far too many people mess up their lands IMO by "scouting". They bump birds more times than they realize, go listen and resort to either calling or locator calls when nothing gobbles on it's own, and generally make the wildlife nervous because of the human intrusion. That is just my opinion, and others are free to make their own choices.

What about public land where there are people hunting at any time of year, people scouting, and turkeys used to the pressure? That's the case with me and I feel it's important to find some roosting areas and/or other turkey sign before the season, otherwise I feel lost. In new areas lately, I do tend to go toward creeks as I have learned they tend to roost near creeks often.

40 days is nuts.... couldn't make that happen here between work and gas prices, but I'm glad to hunt a couple days a week.

I haven't hunted private land here in probably 5 years. I only hunt public land.

I can't control what other people do, but I can control what I do, and therefore I stay out of my turkey spots before spring season.

 

[catman529]

Personally I feel that turkey scouting for most folks will cost them birds, and do not advocate it at all. Unless it consists of long range glassing of field birds, or pre-season listening sessions on new ground from a place where the chances of bumping birds is near 0%.

Far too many people mess up their lands IMO by "scouting". They bump birds more times than they realize, go listen and resort to either calling or locator calls when nothing gobbles on it's own, and generally make the wildlife nervous because of the human intrusion. That is just my opinion, and others are free to make their own choices.

What about public land where there are people hunting at any time of year, people scouting, and turkeys used to the pressure? That's the case with me and I feel it's important to find some roosting areas and/or other turkey sign before the season, otherwise I feel lost. In new areas lately, I do tend to go toward creeks as I have learned they tend to roost near creeks often.

40 days is nuts.... couldn't make that happen here between work and gas prices, but I'm glad to hunt a couple days a week.

I haven't hunted private land here in probably 5 years. I only hunt public land.

I can't control what other people do, but I can control what I do, and therefore I stay out of my turkey spots before spring season.

so you are familiar with most of your spots and have an idea already of where the turkeys are, right? And for hunting new areas you seem to know enough about turkey behavior and habitat that you can figure it out pretty well?

 

[Setterman]

Personally I feel that turkey scouting for most folks will cost them birds, and do not advocate it at all. Unless it consists of long range glassing of field birds, or pre-season listening sessions on new ground from a place where the chances of bumping birds is near 0%.

Far too many people mess up their lands IMO by "scouting". They bump birds more times than they realize, go listen and resort to either calling or locator calls when nothing gobbles on it's own, and generally make the wildlife nervous because of the human intrusion. That is just my opinion, and others are free to make their own choices.

What about public land where there are people hunting at any time of year, people scouting, and turkeys used to the pressure? That's the case with me and I feel it's important to find some roosting areas and/or other turkey sign before the season, otherwise I feel lost. In new areas lately, I do tend to go toward creeks as I have learned they tend to roost near creeks often.

40 days is nuts.... couldn't make that happen here between work and gas prices, but I'm glad to hunt a couple days a week.

I haven't hunted private land here in probably 5 years. I only hunt public land.

I can't control what other people do, but I can control what I do, and therefore I stay out of my turkey spots before spring season.

so you are familiar with most of your spots and have an idea already of where the turkeys are, right? And for hunting new areas you seem to know enough about turkey behavior and habitat that you can figure it out pretty well?

You betcha, I learn the terrain while hunting and sure it has cost me birds over the years, but not scouting imo keeps my birds settled. I can look at an aerial photo and with a little knowledge of the general area can almost pin point where the birds will be. Aerial photos being accessable has changed the game.

 

[catman529]

you're so right, I have picked out roosting areas based on aerial images. I always carry a poster sized full color print of the WMA boundaries over aerial images whenever I scout or hunt.