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| Some ideas on scouting. | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 22 2008, 09:04 PM (162 Views) | |
| Renegade | Jan 22 2008, 09:04 PM Post #1 |
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Atikokan, Ontario
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Scouting Without a doubt, the sole reason for my success that very first day of my turkey hunting career was scouting. In a turkey hunters bag of tricks, scouting is the best trick, bar none .Each spring I spend several weeks looking for and watching turkey. Miles are put down looking at tracks, determining travel areas, strut zones, feeding and loafing areas. My thoroughness usually determines how many times I can share the gift of turkey hunting with a new hunter or old seasoned turkey hunting friend. Understanding why a turkey picks a certain area over the other to spend his spring is the key to staying on birds throughout the season. Staying with the birds throughout the season is a sure way to increase the opportunity to take a tom or bring a tom to the gun for a shakey hunter. Turkeys have survival needs and these needs change several times during the year. Some needs are consistant, roosting sites, feeding areas, water, and predator safe terrain, however, how these needs relate to one and other and their priority level is subject to the seasons. Likewise the locations of these needs are subject to change dramatically, sometimes overnight. Annual range shifts One of the most common misconceptions I run into year after year is the thought that wild turkeys live year round in the same areas. Not true! I cannot count the amount of times I have heard a hunter say, “during deer season I saw birds every day, and lot’s of them, flocks of 30-50 birds at a time, we ought to have a ton of birds to hunt this spring”. My interest usually slackens immensely at that point. A fall turkey and spring turkey are just two entirely different animals when it comes to habitat needs and wants. This holds especially true in areas with a wide variety of land features such as swamps, river and creek bottoms, ridges, rotated agriculture fields, and annually changing mast drop locations. Throughout the winter two major differences occur that make spring ranges and wintering ranges shift. Flock up, or the habit turkeys have of grouping in large numbers, occurs late summer into the early fall. Hens and their offspring congregate on sheltered roosts near the most ample food sources. In North America this generally means turkeys will be assosciating heavily to the falls mast crop .Energy stores have to be maintained and traveling long distances daily is out if a young turkey is to conserve and grow. Region can dictate the prime fall areas, agriculture, mast, and even orientation to the suns warm morning rays all influence the congregation areas. In the heavily populated northern states where fall can be early and winter quick to cover the ground with snow, warm southern facing hardwood slopes are popular fall range areas. Add a good mast drop on the roosting ridge, with an agricultural field bordering a creek below filled with last years leftover corn crop and it is nearly a sure bet that fall flocks will be there in mass. However come spring, you may be lucky to see a dozen birds there once or twice a week if any at all. Why the changes? The answer lies with the hen. As springtime approaches a hen considers several new needs. Nesting becomes priority, winter is losing its grip, new food sources are becoming available, while at the same time old food sources are heavily diminished from an entire winter of utilization. As the length of daylight increases, and the day’s warm, hens begin to seek out preferred nesting areas within their range. Nesting areas generally combine several needs in close proximity .Looking back at the main needs turkeys have (roosting sites, feeding areas, water, loafing areas, and predator safe terrain.) and adding the newest needs of nesting , substantial acreage can be eliminated quickly. Hens will spend the majority of spring traveling short distances each day. Simply put if a hen is going to raise a woodlot full of young turkeys, she will have to be close to home to have rearing success. Micro habitats , where all these needs mesh together in a small acreage make for the best nesting sites and draw the hens. Make no mistake about it, nature may dictate that a tom turkey calls the hen to him, but tom knows where the hens are to begin with! Gobblers follow the the hens to their spring nesting areas, not the other way around. "John Coit" From another forum......thought this would be good read here. |
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buckstop
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Jan 23 2008, 12:58 AM Post #2 |
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buckstop northern wisconsin
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From past experience I agree with this article and comments. Hens definately have annual nesting areas and the toms follow to those same areas. Wintering areas and nesting areas can be miles apart and after spring breakup they are heading to the breeding/ nesting areas. It is very similar to watching those big trophy bucks in those clover fields in August but come November they can relocate miles away for the rut and then also relocate to wintering areas miles away from thier breeding areas. Very informative article!!!!!!!! |
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Chris Kittleson
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Jan 23 2008, 01:20 AM Post #3 |
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Advanced Hunter
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Rene I see you visit AO forums..........John has been a turkey guide for years.......if you want to learn something about turkeys that is the place to look. |
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Bowhunter4ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Host/producer Waiting for the Fall Owner/Videographer | |
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| Renegade | Jan 23 2008, 10:55 AM Post #4 |
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Atikokan, Ontario
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Yes he sure knows what he is talking about and I've read snippits of his stuff for quite awhile now!
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dobber
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Feb 14 2008, 11:23 AM Post #5 |
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Team Ontario Trophy Bucks
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bump |
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condescending twat Someone who looks down on other people and is beyond arrogant | |
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