Turkeys are creatures of habit and follow the same patterns day in day out with minor changes. The key is learning what to look for and how to pattern the turkeys movement. This can be done by walking the woods and looking for sign, with the use of trail cameras, and just by sitting back and watching fields and open areas for turkey movement.
When looking scouting for signs. The major things that you will look for are scratchings, tracks, feathers, turkey droppings, strutting areas, and dusting bowls.
The scratchings are simply areas where turkey pull back the leaves and debris on the ground to locate food such as acorns, insects, and new growth. They are in a V shape and this makes it easy to tell the direction that the turkeys are traveling. The tip of the V is always pointing in the direction that the turkeys are moving. Also, pay close attention to turkey scratchings around the base of trees. This is a sure sign that a gobbler made the scratchings!
When looking for tracks, walk the roads after rainy periods. You can tell if it’s a gobbler and how big by it’s size. Tracks that are 2 1/4 inches or bigger are usually a tom. The bigger and the deeper the imprint the larger the bird. The track gives you definite direction in the movement of the birds as well.
When scouting, keep your eyes open for feathers. They will be located under roosting trees, in feeding areas, strut zones and in dust bowls. A way to identify the Gobbler’s feather is by looking at the tip. The tip of a gobblers feather is black and squared where the tips of a hens feather is rounded.
Be on the look out for turkey droppings. They also will allow you to positively identify whether it’s a gobbler or a hen. The dropping of a gobbler are long and j shaped and the droppings of a hen are more of round blob. The forest floor will be full of droppings below roosting trees and will also be found through out the birds travel routes. Turkey dropping disintegrate quickly so you know that you are in a spot that has been frequented by the birds recently.
Finding strutting areas are the easiest to find by watching fields from a distance. But, if you are on foot you can look for strutting areas by looking for drag marks on the ground. These marks are left by the gobblers wings as he is bowed up spinning, moving around, and showing out for the ladies.
Dusting bowls are where turkeys routinely visit to kick dust up on themselves to rid their skin of parasites. They are used often and many times during the middle of the day. They make a great ambush spot to set up and call sparingly. The turkeys over time will create a small dug out area that many times looks like a tiller has been run through it because the soil will be so loose.
Scouting with trail cameras makes it much easier. With todays technology the digital trail cameras really make it easy to determine how often and at what times turkeys visit an area. They are worth their weight in gold to any serious turkey hunter.
Get out there and and find those scratchings, tracks, feathers, turkey droppings, strutting areas,,dusting bowls, and hang those trail cameras. Pay attention to what each of these are telling you. Is this a tom or a hen, which direction is the bird moving, how far is the sign from the roosting area, what time of the day is the birds using this area, and where is he going? This will allow you to put together the pieces of the puzzle and pattern your bird making it much easier to be in the line of normal travel, which will make it much easier to call the bird because it is always easier to call a tom if you are close to the the general area he is headed anyway.
Happy hunting… have fun… be safe!
Jeremy Cromer
