Idaho Turkey

[dadams41]

Hey guys, very new to Turkey hunting. Most of my focus has been on big game and waterfowl but would really like to learn and try my luck at Turkey. With that said, me and a buddy plan to see what we can do north of Boise this year.

As far as scouting goes, what is the best way to scout for Turkey? What should I be looking for in an area? What signs will let me know there are turkey in that area?

Thanks for any help.

 

[Fink]

Right now, the birds are going to be in their big winter flocks, find one, and you'll pretty much find them all.. Glassing fields and pastures in the mornings and afternoons will be your best bet to get your eyes on birds. If you're walking the timber, you can look for scratchings in the woods, as big flocks move through the woods, they'll scratch up the leaves looking for food underneath.
By mid March, the big flocks will begin breaking up, and the toms will start gobbling pretty good. When they start gobbling, you can really start to get a feel for how many toms may be in the area.
Late winter/early spring is a pretty dynamic time for turkeys, as they come out of their huge winter flocks, and begin to break apart and establish dominance. Places that have all the birds in February may only have a few in April, and places that have no birds in February may be loaded up come April. By hunting season, the toms will be where the hens are, and the hens will be in high quality food sources, as they gear up for egg production.

 

[tim]

look for houses, they freakin are a nightmare for home owners. kill them all!

 

[johnsd16]

look for houses, they freakin are a nightmare for home owners. kill them all!

More houses = more turkeys around here for sure. They can be tough to track down in areas where food is not dense (most of the West compared to Midwest), but they will not uncommonly have several favorite roost trees, which depends a lot on terrain and tree availability. I’d wait to scout until about 2-3 weeks before hunting for the highest yield.