When do you start scouting?

[arintime]

I have an area I would like to scout for turkey for the spring hunting season in western WA. I am going to try to make it there today (12/16) but I don't know if it is too early for the 2010 season. I am going anyway, but I am wondering when I should expect to see signs of turkey? It was June(09) when I last saw what I believe were turkey prints/poop in the area.

[PA BEN]

Mid February, I've seen toms breeding hens March 9th before.

[turkey slayer]

I am not sure about the wet side, but the east side I start scouting for birds in mid march (  depending on snow). I watch them come off the winter area and work to the spring areas.

[yelp]

Two kinds of scouting.  One is to find birds and get permission on private land and the other is just locating birds.  I have already started getting permission. 

When scouting wild turkeys..the other thing to think about is winter length.  Longer the winter will delay breeding and therefore birds will be in traditional wintering areas.  Winter length is also different in different parts of the state.  Break up of flocks after breeding takes place in March/April may occur earlier or later depending on where you are and how long winter persists.  I talk to lots of hunters who are successful killing birds during the transition.  Birds are on winter patterns, pecking order is established, breeding is in full swing and it is easy to kill birds. 
The down side to hunting winter sites prior to break up.  Hunting pressure will limit the hunt to where birds will be forced to move out.  Habitually they will stick around and guys will kill birds, but it will end soon and the birds will leave.  The other downside is there are a lot of birds. lots of eyes, etc.. Most two year old birds are killed during this period due to the fact that the dominant toms have a pile of hens and it is hard to call him away from them. 

Once these toms leave traditional wintering areas they will follow hens to nesting areas, some maybe within a 1/4 mile while others maybe 10 miles aways or up a drainage or a mountian, etc.  So scouting too early may lead to where you think birds are and when April 15th rolls around you don't see that many. 

The NE part of the state has Merriams and these birds are all over.  You can find them down by the Lake or up in the mountains come April 15th.  Rio grande birds in parts of the state same thing.  The Republic area is notorious late starter.  It seems to lose winter last.  You can kill birds opening day, but I have better hunting later.

My favorite method is to drive and shock call locate birds.  I can find birds away from lots of hunters by being the first one above birds in a particular drainage.  It takes time to learn habits of certain flocks to.  Some flocks have consistent travel patterns from year to year and that is nice to have knowledge of come opening week.

Also check out last years threads on here we discuss turkey stuff a lot.

[turkey slayer]

Well said yelp, you always go in depth

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

If you are hunting western washington for these birds...Get out there as soon and as often as you can !
Turkey densities are extremely low on the "wet-side" and your largest challenge will be just locating them.
My best spot last year came about because a coyote/bobcat hunter saw them several times and told me....I found them in a different spot, in the same drainage, but still close to where he told me to go.
I am no expert, but If we dont have that rough a winter on this side "winter range" should not be an issue..
Shoot some coyotes and scout for turkeys! sounds like fun to me !

[turkeydancer]

 

It doesn't hurt to scout any time of the year as you can ... just remember that they can move with weather, pressure, etc. as Yelp said.  I have been out there on a mountain bike in Dec/Jan snows.  As the season gets closer, I'll scout a little more to pinpoint their location even to the point of putting them to "bed" the night before season opens.

 

[arintime]

I did go to the area I want to scout, although my main intention is to walk my dog looking for grouse with a side trip of looking for turkey sign, but we did not get out of the car. It was dumping heavy rain and I didn't have that kind of rain gear. The area I want to scout is Natl forest so permission is not an issue. My goal is to just locate birds and the area is behind elk closure gates so I am hoping there will be less chance of them being disturbed. I do not know if there are turkeys around, but I have been told there are turkey 4-5 miles away. I think it is worth looking into. Thanks for the great info.

[yelp]

I did go to the area I want to scout, although my main intention is to walk my dog looking for grouse with a side trip of looking for turkey sign, but we did not get out of the car. It was dumping heavy rain and I didn't have that kind of rain gear. The area I want to scout is Natl forest so permission is not an issue. My goal is to just locate birds and the area is behind elk closure gates so I am hoping there will be less chance of them being disturbed. I do not know if there are turkeys around, but I have been told there are turkey 4-5 miles away. I think it is worth looking into. Thanks for the great info.

Eastside or westside?

[arintime]

Westside, Olympic National Forest area. This is my second year hunting turkey, and my first year trying it on my own. Right now I am hoping to see some reasonably fresh prints/poop, not necessarily a turkey but I wouldn't mind if I did. Come Jan, Feb, Mar, I will scout with more stealth and leave the dog at home.

[yelp]

Scouting on the Coast is totally different than the eastside.  There are some similarities. One problem is nothing really dries out over there.  So turkey turds look fresh all the time.  Do you know if there are birds in the areas you are looking or are you just hoping to find some? 

[arintime]

I don't know if there are turkey there, but it is within reason they could be. I did see what I thought were prints/poop last june. I guess I am hoping to find some. Any suggestions how to scout other than keeping my eyes open and being quiet?

[Bofire]

 :)already, saw two big flocks in my area, with loads of younguns!
Carl

[arintime]

I went out near the area I wanted to scout and I didn't see any sign at all. It was more like a dog walk and it was late in the day. The ground was covered in frost and everything was pretty crunchy, so? I will keep trying.

[Dustin07]

Westside, Olympic National Forest area. This is my second year hunting turkey, and my first year trying it on my own. Right now I am hoping to see some reasonably fresh prints/poop, not necessarily a turkey but I wouldn't mind if I did. Come Jan, Feb, Mar, I will scout with more stealth and leave the dog at home.

:)already, saw two big flocks in my area, with loads of younguns!
Carl

I don't know if there are turkey there, but it is within reason they could be. I did see what I thought were prints/poop last june. I guess I am hoping to find some. Any suggestions how to scout other than keeping my eyes open and being quiet?

Scouting on the Coast is totally different than the eastside.  There are some similarities. One problem is nothing really dries out over there.  So turkey turds look fresh all the time.  Do you know if there are birds in the areas you are looking or are you just hoping to find some? 

There are some in that there forest. There's a road that is even dedicated to them. I have spoke with locals who know the exact place the turkey's were originally unloaded. I have yet to see or hear a live one, but on 6 scouting missions last year the only place I found sign (scat) was that forest. I know of a couple other places where people have reported to me seeing them alive, or hearing them.

shoot me a PM if you're real serious about west side turkey's and we can share scouting reports. I've love to get a wet one next year and would be happy to swap info.