Deer & Turkey Hunting Tips

An important factor with turkey hunting is for the hunter to know the area to be hunted. This knowledge will allow the hunter to make better decisions when it comes to finding good hunting spots.

Layout Of Terrain

The hunter should be familiar with the layout of the hunting area. This can be gathered through viewing maps or photographs but it is also important to walk the terrain on foot to get a better understanding of each section of the property. This also allows for scouting of turkey sign.

Learn how each ridge, hill, trail, and road connects with each other. Find the boundary areas of the property and make a mental note. Look for any land changes such as fields to woods, pines to hardwoods, open areas to thickets, and so on. This will help with understanding turkey travel habits.

Feeding Areas

Learn what and where the turkeys are eating. This may be from filed crops, food plots, or inside wooded areas. Turkeys eat a wide variety of foods. This will obviously change throughout the seasons depending upon what is available. Look for turkey scratchings that indicate selected feeding areas.

Water Areas

As with food, turkeys will need to have a watering area. For the most part, anywhere that water can be found on the property may be an area used by the turkeys. This may include ditches, ponds, creeks, swamps, rivers, and other areas that hold standing water. Keep an eye out for large number of turkey tracks that indicate regular use.

Turkey Hang Outs

There will also be other areas of the property that the turkeys will spend time at. These areas include roosting trees, strutting areas, and dusting areas. The turkeys will visit these areas daily. The hunter should locate these areas and make note of findings. Look for an abundance of tracks, feathers, droppings, and strut marks to indicate use.

Scouting And Patterning

The hunter can scout the hunting property to find the areas in which the turkeys spend the most time. In doing so, the hunter may be able to some degree pattern part of the daily turkey movements. This can be beneficial for locating good setup areas for hunting the turkeys.

Cover

Another advantage of knowing the land relates to cover. As the season progresses, the plant vegetation will increase. This growth will provide cover for the hunter as well as the turkey. The hunter will be able to use this cover when moving from one area to another. The hunter can also become aware of the best routes to take to avoid being detected by the turkeys.

Obstacles

The hunter that learns the land will be aware of any obstacles which may create hunting issues. These may include thickets, fence lines, waterways, and other areas that turkeys are less likely to cross. By knowing where the obstacles are located, the hunter can use these obstacles to his advantage for better setups.

Always make an effort to learn as much as possible about the area to be hunted. Keep good field notes of turkey sign. In doing so, the hunter will be more prepared and improve the chances for better results.

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Turkey Hunting Tips