Above post was me . . .
didn't log in I guess
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| How would you approach this?? http://vaturkey.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1373 |
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| Author: | TK582 [ Wed Apr 05, 2006 1:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | How would you approach this?? |
Lets say you wanted to hunt an area that you have not had a chance to scout. Like a WMA. What are some concerns that all of us may have to think of. There are a lot acres out there that people probably do not touch. Just something to ponder? ------I would look at Topo maps of the area ------Get in there early ------If there are hills get to the top to listen in the AM ------Put your walking shoes on Any suggestions may help any of us out.. Dont be shy!!! Hope everyone has a great 06' season Tom |
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| Author: | Freddy [ Wed Apr 05, 2006 1:42 pm ] |
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Sometimes when hunting public land it is more important to pattern the people than the turkeys! Find where the people aren't and you're likely to find where the turkeys are! |
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| Author: | Gobblenow [ Wed Apr 05, 2006 1:49 pm ] |
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if it is national forest try to get an inventory map of the timber, by age and species....lots of big old oaks on an north side might mean a turkey could live there ,at least, I have heard that. Find a low gap in a mountian where you have mature timber on each side of it and a turkey might cross that area frequently...these are all rumors. If you wantto get back in there you need to search out he fellow Tburt who usedto be here a lot but is bad to ddisappaear on us now...follow him about half way back in to the wilderness he goes in to...there is bound to be birds there too since he goes back five times further than anybody else I know... |
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| Author: | gobbstopper1946 [ Wed Apr 05, 2006 7:35 pm ] |
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The most handiest thing I've used in strange country is a GPS. I use mine to label and store new locations that I want to be able to find later. Or maybe find a shorter route to an already known location. GS... |
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| Author: | T.W. [ Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:13 pm ] |
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I hunt public land often my only rules are not to be there on opening weekend, try to be there on the weekdays, and wear an orange cap while walking, other than that I look at the maps and just hunt (scout as you hunt) eventually you find your little honeyholes that you can go back to year after year. I usually find the most turkeys right on the edge where it meets private property, farms mean food, this might mean a long walk and unproductive days, but you cant kill a turkey every day and it wouldn't be much fun if it were that easy all the time anyway. If you can hunt all day its good too, you would be suprised how many folks leave the turkeys when they get with the hens, you can kill em between 2 and 5. Public land is hard but unfortunately that is the way it's going for the average hunter (at least average income hunter) but there is a greater sense of satisfaction in taking a bird off public land too. |
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| Author: | Guest [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:36 am ] |
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Gobblenow wrote: if it is national forest try to get an inventory map of the timber, by age and species....lots of big old oaks on an north side might mean a turkey could live there ,at least, I have heard that. This is really interesting info. I haven't heard that before. Do you know why that might be true? I know that south-facing slopes hold many game animals in colder weather just because they get more sunlight. I've actually steered away from north-facing slopes in the spring--maybe that's just a useless holdover from the days when deer was all I hunted. Perhaps birds like north-facing slopes when it's warm because they're not as hot?? When I hunt public land (and I almost exclusively do), I find that getting in early is important, sure. Having numerous birds located is crucial. If I show up somewhere and a truck is already there, I've got 5 or 6 other located birds nearby I can go to. Of course, that requires some scouting which you said you haven't done. Creeks are never bad places to try. I had a great unscouted hunt along a creek near a tiny greened-up clearing last year. Being friendly & gracious with other hunters you encounter at parking areas is important. The guys I've met have always been friendly and willing to share the woods while keeping clear of each other. I f you haven't scouted, then running & gunning is probably your best bet until you find some good sign to set up in. But, be careful running all over the woods early in the season--visibility is very good with the naked trees and you run a high risk of bumping birds, sometimes without even being aware of it. Oh yeah, and do wear some orange while you're walking around. |
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| Author: | peacemaker [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:38 am ] |
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Above post was me . . . didn't log in I guess
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| Author: | Limbhanger [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:39 am ] |
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Hey Tom, I'm assuming you can't scout before season. I hunt a number of states (all public land) and often these places are too far for a pre-season scouting trip. Here is what has worked for me when I go into a new area. First and foremost make sure the area you plan to hunt has a decent turkey population. That seems obvious but many people assume there will be birds around when in reality there may have been 2 or 3 bad hatches in a row in that area or the turkey population just may not be good in that area for other reasons...if so I don't go there; pick a different location! Given limited time its hard to make something happen when there are very few birds because you can't kill em if they aren't there. You can determine if there are birds in the area by doing some research on the internet or by contacting the state turkey biologist and asking questions. Assuming there are birds in the area, my goal when I hunt a new place is to cover as much ground as possible in as little time possible so that I can find where the turkeys might be right now. Don't get me wrong, I hunt during legal hours but my primary focus is to find 2 or 3 areas that currently have turkeys. This involves listening from good (high) listening spots early and then covering a lot of ground by foot always watching for fresh turkey sign. Also, if you can't hunt all day use the non-hunting hours to scout. For example, during the early VA season you can only hunt until noon so I scout all afternoon/evening the first day or two. If possible don't be afraid to use your vehicle for scouting. This might sound crazy but the more ground you can cover the better. If you drive gravel/dirt roads and check mud puddles for tracks and watch for scratching you can often find fresh turkey sign. I try to find 2 or 3 good areas simply because you don't know where the hunting pressure might be, and if you find someone parked in your parking spot before daylight you then have options. On a 3 day trip I'd rather scout hard day 1 and then hunt hard days 2 and 3 than wing it all 3 days. Just my opinion. -Eric |
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| Author: | TK582 [ Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:13 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Lets just say I would like to get out much more than I do. I thought it may be a good post or a post that some people are to shy to ask. I am not a shy person and I have gain some good knowledge rom this forum and post. Thanks Again, Tom |
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