Scouting for turkeys

[Starkman]

Fellas,
I've never hunted turkeys but always wanted too...it seems like a blast!  My experience in locating turkeys has been while I was  deer hunting, or finding scat, and other sign while walking around the woods.  Well recently I've acquired a new hunting lease that is full of deer, squirrels, foxes etc. but have not seen any sign of turkeys, but I do know there are a few in the surrounding area.  For you experienced hunters, what is the best way to scout or determine if turkeys are in the area?
Thanks,
Bob

[Deadsmple]

Where I live all I do to find out where the local turkeys are is go out back in the evening and bang a few garbage can lids together. All the local turkeys then just tell where they are.    :D

     Disclaimer- I'm not a turkey hunter I just like messin' with them.

[Stone Knife]

Sightings and the presence of sign are good clues that you have turkeys in the area, But fear not if there isn't any yet they are still in there winter flocks soon they will begin to spread out some. Just when the sky begins to break in the morning is when they usually will begin to gobble and give away there location. There are a few different way to coax them into gobbling before dawn, owl hooting is one way the sound of a barred owl will make a gobbler sound off in the dark as will most any shocking or piercing noise. A crow call works good also at dawn or all day as far as that goes, then there is hen calling or even a gobble of your own some use coyote howls well you get the idea. But if you just stand quiet and listen before dawn you will hear them gobbling, some days they gobble some days they don't sometimes a lot sometimes a little. I like to go to as many places that i can hunt and listen  then as season approches i key into one or two areas then spend some time there to see what they do on there own. I don't call to them or make any calls of any kind i just want to see were they go and what they do. When you do this you want to get in the woods and setup long before daylight learn to navigate your area in the dark some use flashlights i don't. Set up and watch them try to find out their favorite route then setup there the first day it's a heck of a lot easier to call a bird the way it wants to go. There is a lot more techniques than this but you will learn as you go some years you cant do anything wrong and some there is no right way. If you call to a gobbler on the right day he will come in. Sitting still is a must sometimes the don't even make a peep but all of a sudden here they are. You must wait till there head is behind a tree before you try to draw or move or if there strutting you can move when there head is behind the fan if you an see there eye they can see you they also have a 270 degree field of view so you can't get away with much. If you don't pressure them hard and take your time they will set up in an area and for the most part stick around this will give you many opportunities at a shot. Good luck they are a lot of fun to hunt.

[Starkman]

Thanks James, the info is much aprreciated.

Dead, my neighbors would through a fit if I started banging garbage can lids.
 
Bob

[Starkman]

Sorry, through should be throw.