Pydpiper

I watched them all winter, most of the spring and now I lost track of them.. My hunting property has a big river, a small creek, railroad tracks and a decent sized bush (it runs along the river). The property is huge, mostly plowed fields divided up by thick treelines.
I am thinking of setting up in the corner of the property where the creek is, and the bush meets the railroad tracks, setting my decoys in the Field and doing my thing..
Would I be better off in the bush? I am taking the day off so I will have the whole day to mess around, but I would like to be somewhere where I at least have a chance of seeing something..

Rebel Hog

David, you need to do some scouting and find to what location they have moved to. Scout for tracks, droppings and feathers. Check around trees for feathers and droppings from their roost.

Unless you have feeders out, you're going to have to do the scouting and find them. Don't go scouting for good spots to set-up, do some scouting for turkeys!

Bigg~BirddVA

Find roosting areas, feeding areas and travel routes. Same areas for extended periods that change with the food source. Wet areas green up first in spring and they usually feed along creeks or swamp bottoms. Here they roost over the water in the huge areas of swamps we have. As spring progresses and fields and other areas green up they shift to them. This may also bring a change in roosting areas too and travel routes as well. Be prepared for them to go through changes just as you figure out their present pattern. But watch the seasons and next year you'll be ahead of the game and know where they'll be early and later on. Once you get their pattern down it's like shooting fish in a barrel, well a small fish in a really big barrel, but if you're seeing them then the biggest half of the battle is over. And if you can plant a food plot they will destroy sprouts as fast as you can plant them. I plant sunflower seeds and plain old wild bird seed. They dig it up and spend hours in a food plot feeding. The hens head there and the gobblers will follow them. Baiting here is illegal but food plots are legal so I plant and hunt over it. Here's several killing my food plot from last year. Just planted it this weekend. Should be hot in a few days. Those light and dark patches are scratched over dirt from turkeys.

Dnk

The best form of legal baiting is fresh manure! I've seen then in cattle yards and barn yards pickin' away. You can bet that if they find a field that was freshly fertilized they will be back over and over until someone boots them out.

Pydpiper

Thanks guys.
None of the areas I can hunt have manure, and the spot I have been scouting has been turned over in the past day or two, covering any signs I had been watching. Hopefully that doesn't hinder the turkeys schedule or pattern too much.
I think I am getting anxious.

Rebel Hog

Very true! Even dried cow patties. Theypick out all undigested grain. Hey, hogs do it to!

Dnk

But not the Rebel Hogs right? Hehehehe

Rebel Hog

Even frozen butt Canadian hogs do it!

Pydpiper

So I spent the morning looking around, I found some turkey droppings.. So now another question:
How long would turkey droppings stay identifiable? They looked fairly fresh but are in a terribly awkward area to hunt.. I am going to get close tomorrow morning and wait them out, see whats happening.

After I put my kid on the bus I went over and talked to my neighbour, the one who owns the land I hunt on, told him I would be huntingthe seasonon his land and he and his wife are invited to come for turkey dinner should I succeed. He said on Sunday morning there were 6 turkeys in my garden beside my camper.. Go figure.. When I first approached him about his land (when I bought my bow at Christmas) he told me he wont let people hunt there but made an exception for my son and I, only if we used bows. This morning he gave me permission to hunt with whatever means I chose with whomever I chose.. That made for a pretty cool start to the day. I still think I want my first bird to fall to a bow though.
What an elusive bird.
Do they frequent sharp inclines? The bush I found the droppings in has a very steep drop off down to a large river, it looks ideal, but I can't seem to get a response from the turkeys, they just have to be there..

Planter

Set up where my kids get the school bus.. When they start having to swing their book bags at birds with ten inch beards you whack em.. I'm gonna pretend to go to school with them in the morning and take a brush axe. >>>>>>>>>>>Whack! !