scouting???

[eckum54]

With the weather warming up I was thinking of scouting out my turkey spot...is it to early to start looking where for they are or potential areas to set up? Also how much is going to change in there daytime behaviors between now and april 18th

[FBMH]

Im lookin to get out this weekend also and see if i can find some birds. Most in my area are on regular patterns from feeding to roosting areas. Also, check out your cameras if you have some out there. I found a large flock of birds on my camera yesterday where i was thinking of going to scout. Also, this is a good weekend to look for sheds. Hopefully you find some birds!

[DonBo]

I think most birds right now are spending a lot of time concentrated near standing corn fields and / or cattle feeding operations. With the winter we're having, I doubt that where you see turkeys now will have much to do with where they will be once the snow is gone. Not saying scouting now is a waste of time, but IMO time spent now would be best spent trying to sew up permission to all those spots you saw them last year.

[sticknstring]

In my area, they're still bunched up in a flock of about 80. Come April, these birds will break up and disperse over a few miles. You can scout now but it would be like scouting a group of bachelor bucks in Aug for a Nov rut hunt.

[Borch]

If you're looking for birds it's too early like the guys have already stated. If you have some new properties that you want to look over for potential barriers, (fences, creeks, etc) or funnels it can be done now.

[IlliniWalli]

right now, the birds are where the food is, which can be a long way from their home territory.

they are hitting the crop fields hard, obviously, down this way. and i have seen birds the last few weeks where i have never seen them before. several times big flocks were feeding within shooting distance of the road.

once things start greening up they head back to their traditional home range. then, for me, its time to listen just before sunup for gobbles to pin down their roost areas, which tend to be in the same spots every year.

i dont like to do a lot of "scouting" - that is walking around to check out my hunting spots. that just gives the turkeys a heads up that its time for those 2-legged predators to start returning to the woods.