Phantoms of the forest.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Any Eastern Wild Turkey hunters need to take note.
.
Now is the time to scout.
.
Because the days are shorter, their home range is smaller.
.
It is easier to find roosting trees when daylight is only 6-6...
.
They are birds, daylight to dark.
.
If you are walking in before daylight, before the robins start singing, you might hear tree cackles, and even gobbles..
.
Locate a flock..
.
Good place to start..
.
Scout now, because they make less noise in March.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

In April, if your not the first on at the gate at 4 am..
There is somebody else that got there ahead of you.
.
They probably scouted also..

[jstone]

So they will be in the same area on the opener as now?

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Well, they are not very migratory.
Sure they might change habits and be in a different spot, but that is mostly food related.
.
Finding them is the hard part.
.
This time of year food is #1.
Days are shorter, so getting their crop full is what they are doing.
.
That, and not getting eaten.
.
You wont find them easy.
Small scattered flocks.
.
Lots of miles behind gates.
.
You will swear there isn't a turkey around, then find some sign.
Or hear one..
.
It's often surprising, just when you figure it's time to quit.
.
Then you find sign..
.
Next thing you know, there is sign everywhere.
.
But only in this one spot, you think you found turkey nirvana.
.
Season opener and there us 6 trucks parked at gate...
.
Spend all day walking logging roads and talking to other hunters..
Feels like elk season.
.
Probably should have just gone to Eastern Washington and shot a Jake, or two...
.
But if your the only truck at the gate on opening day..
.
Or if your first.
Have scouted.
Possibly have a blind..
Have an idea of where you are going....

[dilleytech]

So they will be in the same area on the opener as now?

Probably not. But maybe same general area.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

So they will be in the same area on the opener as now?

Probably not. But maybe same general area.

.
 
.
You need a starting place.
You could wander roads all over prime area, and swear they don't exist.
But when you do locate a flock, you have a starting point.
.
Those flocks are established, they won't be far...
.
I have a flock that has been roosting in the same trees for 6 years.
Until they get bumped.
Then they move to some trees about 1/2 mile away..
Then they move to private property...
.
I get to see the same 4 guys, and the warden, every year.
.
Enough people know about this flock, it seems the first one drops, and the main flock moves to private land, and the Jake's scatter..
.
Amazing how many times I get a lone Jake just wandering down a road..
Catches both of us by surprise.
.
Calling seems to bring in coyote..
I see a lot of raccoons...
(I often end up in swampy creek bottoms)

[ThurstonCokid]

I’ve always been interested in trying to hunt Easterns in Washington.. i really think it’s one of the hardest things this state has to offer. I’ve actually seen solo hens while elk hunting on the Westside. The guys that can do it, or do it consistently blow my mind.


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[hunter399]

Scouting is great this time of year,throw in some shed hunting- sweet.
With that said-i don't really scout.
I will hit gates or hunting areas put a mile or two on the boots at day break locate calling.
If I hit some gobles ,I will keep calling and make a decision ,is that Turkey getting closer or not .
Stay put,or put a stalk on and close some distance looking for good places to set up calling set.
If I don't hear any Turkey action in an hour or two,I move on somewhere .
If you don't hear turkeys at day break ,one of two things.
Just not active breeding or that area sucks.
Everybody has got different ways of Turkey hunting 

[aservice]

I'm gonna go out scouting here pretty soon. I haven't read anything about their behavior during rain, does the rain shut them up? or make them more vocal? I suppose I should be focusing on finding sign more than anything.

[teanawayslayer]

Well, they are not very migratory.
Sure they might change habits and be in a different spot, but that is mostly food related.
.
Finding them is the hard part.
.
This time of year food is #1.
Days are shorter, so getting their crop full is what they are doing.
.
That, and not getting eaten.
.
You wont find them easy.
Small scattered flocks.
.
Lots of miles behind gates.
.
You will swear there isn't a turkey around, then find some sign.
Or hear one..
.
It's often surprising, just when you figure it's time to quit.
.
Then you find sign..
.
Next thing you know, there is sign everywhere.
.
But only in this one spot, you think you found turkey nirvana.
.
Season opener and there us 6 trucks parked at gate...
.
Spend all day walking logging roads and talking to other hunters..
Feels like elk season.
.
Probably should have just gone to Eastern Washington and shot a Jake, or two...
.
But if your the only truck at the gate on opening day..
.
Or if your first.
Have scouted.
Possibly have a blind..
Have an idea of where you are going....

im going to disagree with the statement of them not migrating. Well at least mountain birds. See it all the time. Turkeys loaded in an area this time of year. Come April they have move up and out. Long gone.

[Smokepole]

   We have concentrations of birds low down right now because of mountain snow.  They follow the snow up higher and higher during the spring thaw, looking for new food.  One day they will roost in some trees, and the next day, they will be way up the canyon roosting somewhere else.  Ours are Merriam’s.  In spring, they seem to be on the move, so I just move with them.

I'm still gonna scout some.  It's good exercise. 

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

When I said they don't migrate, I was referring to easterns in western Washington.
Not much elevation change in these hills.