You can be the best shot in the world and have your turkey calls down to a science, but if you don’t end up in the right place at the right time, it will all be for nothing. Rule number one of turkey hunting – or any kind of hunting, for that matter – is to know where to find your prey and to understand its habits. You can get lucky by heading out to a place turkeys are known to live and sitting around for ages waiting for one to come by, or you can improve your odds of a successful hunt considerably by doing your homework and doing a little scouting before the season begins. A little time investment in turkey scouting before hunting season kicks off can mean a more fulfilling season for you all around.

When it comes to turkey scouting, there two parts to the process. The first part is the actual scouting, which involves familiarizing yourself with the hunting ground, and the second part is observing the turkeys in the environment to get to know the behavior of the birds you’ll be seeing when the season kicks off. For both parts of the scouting, you should arm yourself with a journal, a pen and a map of the area if possible, so you can record all of your information.

To scout the land, you simply have to walk it several times, from several different angles, making notes of the special features of the area. Pay close attention to where all of the streams, ravines, fences and so on are located – these things act as natural barriers and may stop a turkey dead in its tracks when it is responding to your calls. Also take careful note of where the high ground and low ground is located. Turkeys like to come uphill to answer a call instead of down, so scope out a few places on elevated ground that might also offer you good cover. In general, look for places that you can easily sit out of sight that also allow you to keep a good eye on your surroundings.

Knowing the area of course is only half the battle. You have to also observe how the turkeys interact with the area. Where do they tend to congregate? Where is the roosting area? Where do they go to feed? Having some idea of these things before you head out for the hunt will give you a head start on the hunters who haven’t done their work and are going into the situation blind. Also, get to know the birds in the area a little bit. How many males and how many females do there seem to be? Are the birds social or skittish? Are there many young birds in the pack or is a mature group? Simply observing the personality of the group will give you clues on how to handle them.

Ideally, the information you need should be gathered over several trips to your planned hunting grounds, but make sure not to do your work too far in advance. Groups of birds can move on, especially as the seasons change, and environmental factors can alter the landscape. You can space out your scouting missions a little bit, but your final pre-hunt visit should happen the week before you start hunting. This will give you the most up to date information so you are ready for the first day of hunting season. Note that if you start prepping for your hunt after the season has started that you should dress appropriately so that other hunters can clearly tell the difference between you skulking around on the grounds and a gobble in their crosshairs.

Do you need to get your turkey set up for that perfect shot, but you are not sure how? When it comes to successful turkey hunting skills, finding the perfect turkey set-up is key to being a successful hunter. There are many small considerations when it comes to finding and maintaining the perfect turkey set-up. Here are some important tips for improving your turkey set-up so that you can improve your success in the woods.

Tips on Preparing for the Perfect Turkey Set-Up

Part of establishing the perfect turkey set-up is doing your homework. In fact, if you take the time to research and scout before the big day of the hunt, you will find that this small bit of preparation can make all the difference. The day before the big hunt, take the time to scout out of the location where you will be hunting and shooting. Spend the afternoon before you go hunting to check out the location. Late afternoon is the best time to go scouting.

What You Should Look For When Scouting

What exactly are you looking for during your turkey location scouting expedition? You will want to look for signs of turkey activity. The biggest and most obvious clues you will ever come across are turkey sounds. If you hear turkeys, or what you think are turkeys, somewhere in the vicinity, there are probably gobblers in the area. Almost everyone can recognize the distinctive gobble of a turkey, but there are other sounds that you will learn as you become more familiar with turkey hunting. During your scouting expedition, you will want to scout in late afternoon, at least until nightfall. Your goal is to be around when the birds are flying up to the trees to roost for the night. Thus, you will want to be in the woods in evening, at nightfall. If you suspect that there are turkeys in the area, but you aren’t sure, there are some things you can do to make sure. In general, the best way to determine if there are any turkeys in the area is to call to them. You don’t have to make any complicated calls, as you just want to verify the turkey’s presence in the area. Thus, you can elicit a response simply by hooting like an owl, or just crowing. If you don’t hear anything, this doesn’t mean automatically mean that there are no turkeys in the area. However, if you do hear a response, you know you have found the perfect location for a turkey-hunting set-up. Make a note of the area where the turkeys are roosting for a fruitful day of hunting.

Creating a Good Set-Up for Taking Aim

One of the most important parts of setting yourself up for turkey hunting is use effective calling techniques in a the right location. Practice and cultivate a good box call or slate call. During mating season, a good yelp works well for attracting male turkeys. As for creating the ideal set-up, you should place yourself in the best possible position when taking aim. The best position should ideally find you on equal elevation between you and the turkey. Always avoid calling a turkey downhill or uphill. Both of these positions are not known to be very productive.

Aiming Tips for the Perfect Set-UP

Here are some tips that will help you approximate the best possible set-up during turkey hunting. Using a tightly choked 12 gauge with a number 6 premium has been known to be very effective. Load about a 2-¾ inch of shot. For clean kills under 50 yards, these are your best bets.