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scouting?
Topic Started: Jan 21 2008, 03:46 PM (175 Views)
Posted Image TomA
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Advanced Hunter
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what do you guys usually do when it comes to scouting, are you looking in the winter for areas that birds are hanging around, or when in relation to the season are you doing your scouting?

I have a few properties to hunt in the orangeville/owen sound area, and the horseshoe valley area, but I don't be down in the area until the hunt. I have a friend down that way I'll be hunting with, so I think he'll be doing it in my place for the both of us.
www.tomarmstrongoutdoors.com
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Posted Image carew
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Fenelon Falls

The way that i scout is to watch the feilds and you will see a bird that constantly shows up. The birds flock up in the winter and then disperce come spring. A good way is to use binoculars when its getting close to dark casue you can hear them going up into the trees and you can locate a bird that way.

Most of my scouting is done when im putting in the crop cause the birds arent afraid of the tractor. I also go for walks around the property that im hunting before the season to see what is there. I usally start scouting as soon as the snow leaves and then every night during the hunt but you have to be careful not to spook the birds.

Whatever you do dont try to locate birds with calling. This will put them on the lookout and blow your chances of a bird on that property. When scouting the roosts use a locater call and the chances they will reply to it.

Whatever you do remeber that they have really good eyesight.
There is no such thing as bad venison, its just some is better then others.
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Posted Image Paul Beasley


Winter time scouting really doesn't tell you much. For the most part, if you see them in the Winter, they'll also be there in the spring, but if they're not there in the Winter, there's still a great chance you'll see them in the spring. Thus, I never put much effort or confidence in Winter sightings.

Most of my best properties are ones that I never step foot on until a week before the season opens. I scout hard the week before the opener and always have a couple birds patterned and then you have some options come opening morning.

If your buddy is able to do some scouting in the spring before you come down then that'll be your ticket.

You can still kill birds without scouting in advance.
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Posted Image MJewell
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Central Ontario

I have scouted the last couple of years early on in April and by the time the hunt is there the turkeys are no where to be found and it isn't because they know that I'm there. I do most of my scouting from long disances with field glasses, but I do believe that there are pthers that were on the property that might have bumped the birds. As for calling to the birds and calling them in before the season, I've done this with mixed success over the last couple of years. Usaully have a couple of birds that I know where they will be long before the hunt arrives. All ready have a good idea where I'll be on opening morning again this year (seen alot of toms hanging around there early in the Fall and know they were there all last spring.)

Matt
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Posted Image buckstop
buckstop northern wisconsin

In my experience Paul Beasley is right. Every year in my shop hunters will come in and tell me how easy their turkey hunt is going to be because there are hundreds of birds wintering on a certain farm or area. Then after spring breakup they are very disappointed when there are little if any birds left around that area. Sometimes they will hang around but from my experience most will disperse out into a mile or two radius of that area. Do your scouting as close to the hunt as possible. Preferably a few days or less before the day you hunt. Especially if spring comes late as things will change fast. GOOD LUCK!!!!!
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