How to scout for Turkeys?

[ChrisM]

I have a small but huntable population of turkey near my home on about 24000+ acres of public land and I intend to hunt them with my bow this year.  I have been out 3 times and haven't found any sign.  So you experts how would you go about finding them?  What do you look for and how do you stay with a flock once found?
Thanks

[dragonheart]

PM sent

[BrianfromTulsa]

That big an area requires drive time.  Glass open areas mid day and listen at dawn and dusk.  

Don't know when the season starts but they will undoubtedly start gobbling before it opens and your best scouting opportunities will be just before your hunt.  Drive 500 yards- listen, drive 500 more- listen.... Owl hoot or get a coyote howler and use it.  They aren't that hard to find, just remember if you can find them by a road- so can everyone else.  

I do my turkey scouting by boat as I most always hunt near water.  Nothing better than fishing in April while listening for turkeys.

Public land means you have to get up earlier and walk farther than the next guy.

[redpepper49]

Find the water and you find the birds .

[Robhood23]

I do my scouting at night. I will throw out some yelps and listen for the gobbles! It helps to know the woods you are hunting! You can then sneak in and be set up close to where they are in the morning!

[Steelhead]

I agree the besy way to know exactly where the birds are is get up early and get to some high listening posts just before 1st light.The quietest calmest mornings are best.You can use a crow call or owl call etc. to get some shock gobbles or just get them to perk up.It can be illegal to use a turkey call in the woods before the season opens in some states

I would find the high spots throughout your area and be thier when the gobbllers start to set up the pecking order before the season even starts.I would concentrate more on areas with good roosting trees near food and water.South faacing slopes can be good early in the Spring or late winter as they thaw out faster.They can and will start gobbling as soon as the weather starts to get warmer to establish dominance.

[ChrisM]

Will the owl calls get a response this early?

[killinstuff]

No need for an owl call. Heck, honk your truck horn and they will answer you.

[stabow]

Just be careful bow hunting turkeys on public land I have had gun hunters sneak in and shoot them out from under me.....stabow

[Cobie33]

I always get to a high point where I can hear the best, well before dawn.  I don't try to illicit a response but let the birds do there thing.  If I can then get to within 200 to 100 yards of a gobbling bird I do that.  If I can't, the next morning I'll get in the general area where I heard the birds. Then when they flydown I maintain that distance if the wind allows, following using my ears, I don't have to see them and undisturbed flock makes lots of noise, so I understand there travel routes to feeding areas once off the roost. Off course I am doing this once the gobblers start to hang around the groups of hens. I also go out midmorning and late afternoon and glass openings/open fields to varify birds in feeding areas.  I do my utmost best to not let the birds know I am there and I try to understand how a typical turkey hunter would hunt and set up on the birds so I can do the opposite.  See below.  

A killer tactic on public ground or heavily hunted private ground, is, as you know, most hunters come off the road/parking area and go directly to the birds.  Use the terrain to your advantage and come from the opposite direction and set up, and/or set up in the direction they like to go to feed and wait patiently.  Call quietly, sparingly, like you too feel the pressure of the other hunters.  

I have killed many birds that way on heavily hunted property, carefully working the ground "backwords". It works extremely well.  Of course this is but one tactic for off the roost, there are so many tactics to use depending upon the phase the birds are in, the weather, time of day, etc.