public land for turkey hunting

[Killdeer]

Hey all, I am new to this forum and was wondering if anyone out there knows of any public hunting land in or around Minneapolis, Minnesota. I have hunted whitetail deer all my life and want to get into turkey hunting so any info would be great.

Thanks

P.S. I'm not looking for you favorite spot just somewere to start.

[Hotspotter]

Killdeer:

In MN, the place you'll keep hearing of the the Whitewater WMA. It's a huge chunk of land, loaded with turkeys. But be prepared for some pressure, and plan on hiking back there aways to get away from the crowd. Depending on your season, really scale back your approach and be as subtle as you can. That's a start. Otherwise, a PRIM map should get you rolling with some other WMA's and public lands to check out.

Good luck!!!

Joel

[Killdeer]

Thanks for the info and I have one more question. when should I start scouting? I will be hunting the last 2 weeks of the season for archery and don't want to scout to early.

thanks

[TomBow]

I would say start scouting now. Southern MN areas starting with the SE corner of the state and heading toward the cities are good bets. Steep ravines and river bottoms should hold birds. If you find a place to go, get there an hour before sunrise, walk in, sit down and listen. You should be able to hear birds. Or drive around near sunrise and see if you can spot birds. As a bowhunter, you might be able to secure some permission to hunt on private land but get goin', man! The farmers are going to be getting busy pretty soon so now is the time to catch them before they are too busy to talk for a minute or two. As far as public near to the twin cities, Carlos Avery is on the north end of things and has some turkeys, but gets hit pretty hard from what I have heard. St. Croix, Mississippi and Minnesota River valleys south of the cities will be good places to start looking.

[Killdeer]

Thanks for the info and I will get scouting as soon as posible. I will make the most out of this season and see what I can come up with...even if I don't get anything at least I'm outdoors right?

hope you all fill out and happy hunting

[Borch]

Your scouting now will just give you ideas as too the lay of the land. In particular look for barriers that can hang a tom up like fences, creeks, heavy brush and steep draws. Also look for private areas to hunt. It's usually easier to gain permission for turkey than it is for whitetails.

Turkeys now are in their winter flocks and any patterns you find now will be useless for you later season. The best scouting will be the week or so prior to your season. Even then a lot can change as these birds do move around due to pressure, food and of course hen location.

Good Luck!