Pre-season scouting

[Ol Copper]

Its that time again.
We normally do not put much faith into what we see or hear prior to mid month, usually around March 15th, but things seem different this year to me.

I have had an extreme amount of windshield time over the past month, and I have just not seen the turkeys that I normally do.
The past 2-3 weeks have been perfect to catch those winter flocks in their traditional spots under wildly prime conditions and they just are not there.
I am not saying that they are gone, they are just not where they usually are at this time of year, and I believe it is because of the hurricane.
The woods just arent the same now. I know for fact that the deer arent using the woods the same way, same for the turkeys I believe....
Some places we frequent are just torn all to hail and there will have to be adjustments made.

Heading out to the upstate of SC in the a.m. with my buddy TF to kick this thing off. Walk some public ground and check out our private spots.
If you hunt a spot that was affected by Helene it might not be a bad idea to get going.

Main thing is to have fun and make plans to kill some. Never too early to lay a trap
Excited to get it started and not stop until
its over when I leave Ohio in mid May.
Giddy-up

** Feel free to post up what you're seeing and hearing while you are out scouting. General info, no hot-spotting

 

[Helium]

So the hurricane blew them all a way? Or are they bred out already… poults hatching?

Had to beat the naysayers to it

Hope y’all get into em.. a few more weeks and I’m scouting/listening

 

[Ol Copper]

So the hurricane blew them all a way? Or are they bred out already… poults hatching?

Had to beat the naysayers to it

Hope y’all get into em.. a few more weeks and I’m scouting/listening

I know they are struttin' hard in Lincoln Co, so yeah, Im gonna go ahead and say its all over, its done

 

[ScottyB]

Ain’t no turkeys anymore…. No need to burn the gas…extinct

 

[oldest school]

I hope SC is kind to you
Pretty much y’all are breaking new ground in your circumstances up there post hurricane.
No one alive has seen such habitat change. Hugo cut a swathe in its passing for sure but this deal is past that.
Good Luck.

 

[Brad_Colvin]

I went the other day, just to check if I could even access my normal places I like to hunt. Good news is they are all accessible but didn't lay eyes on any turkeys. Definitely might have to make some adjustments on where I hunt.

 

[Ol Copper]

Today was a good day
Got to catch up with TF
Made final plans for road tripping
Cold as all get out
Walked some public. Very nice. Mucho potential
Zero gobbles
Laid eyes on club land strutters, tons of hens
Home safe. A good day.

 

[turkeyfoot]

I hope SC is kind to you
Pretty much y’all are breaking new ground in your circumstances up there post hurricane.
No one alive has seen such habitat change. Hugo cut a swathe in its passing for sure but this deal is past that.
Good Luck.

It's definitely gonna be interesting I went check one spot out couple weeks ago that's now better for the bears than the birds. Just gotta adjust and hope mist the roads get reopened they few them is looong walks if not wh8ch could be good in some cases not so much in others

 

[turkeyfoot]

Today was a good day
Got to catch up with TF
Made final plans for road tripping
Cold as all get out
Walked some public. Very nice. Mucho potential
Zero gobbles
Laid eyes on club land strutters, tons of hens
Home safe. A good day.

Not sure where you seen any turkey all I seen was buzzards the turkey are all extinct down there

 

[turkeyfoot]

I went the other day, just to check if I could even access my normal places I like to hunt. Good news is they are all accessible but didn't lay eyes on any turkeys. Definitely might have to make some adjustments on where I hunt.

Hopefully when the split starts up in couple weeks it'll change ones I've seen in last week still hard in winter flocks.

 

[woodmoose]

 

[nccatfisher]

View attachment 170785

Did he ask for co-ordinates?

 

[Clark]

Spot I'm planning to be at the opener is 4 hours away - but I happened to to be in that county and stopped by. Cold, blowing and mid-morning so only a little disappointed to not see/hear anything. Got back to the car and a couple miles down the road there were about 8 standing out in a field. Feel OK about that spot!!

 

[Silverback3]

Checked out a few spots yesterday. Helene really messed up some of my places that I hunt.

 

[NCbowjunkie]

Checked out a few spots yesterday. Helene really messed up some of my places that I hunt.

All you need to do is get permission to hunt across the creek from your work plenty in the big bottom over there

 

[TobyScreams]

Went somewhere new today. Heard stuff. Saw stuff. Good times. Except that ol Pete got a broken window, we had a great time and logged 11+ miles. The window was as actually while driving, for clarity.

 

[Petewm]

Went somewhere new today. Heard stuff. Saw stuff. Good times. Except that ol Pete got a broken window, we had a great time and logged 11+ miles. The window was as actually while driving, for clarity.

Well, now that I think about it the reason my window shattered was because of the comment I made about the eerie / off putting restaurant we ate at…

 

[turkeyfoot]

Checked out a few spots yesterday. Helene really messed up some of my places that I hunt.

It's been mixed bag for me some spots barely any then some just ain't happening

 

[Ol Copper]

Back down to SC tomorrow after Lil Copper gets out of school.
She's up to bat 1st on March 29th
Maybe we'll hear a few roost gobbles with the nice weather Saturday morning. Maybe not

Either way, Im working on teaching her how to find them for herself, how they act, and how to process that info and turn it into a kill 3 weeks from now.

 

[Ol Copper]

Successful trip I'd say...
Worked on finding the most recent gobbler sign, gun safety and hung a few cams.
Tested a new load of straight 10's for her gun.
Let her shoot and ride a bit.
Even heard a few pop off this morning.
Twas a good weekend
3 weeks from now we'll be killing

 

[Hevi 13. Anson]

Successful trip I'd say...
Worked on finding the most recent gobbler sign, gun safety and hung a few cams.
Tested a new load of straight 10's for her gun.
Let her shoot and ride a bit.
Even heard a few pop off this morning.
Twas a good weekend
3 weeks from now we'll be killing

View attachment 171152View attachment 171153View attachment 171154

We can't wait to see pics and hear the story.

 

[YanceyGreenhorn]

Successful trip I'd say...
Worked on finding the most recent gobbler sign, gun safety and hung a few cams.
Tested a new load of straight 10's for her gun.
Let her shoot and ride a bit.
Even heard a few pop off this morning.
Twas a good weekend
3 weeks from now we'll be killing

View attachment 171152View attachment 171153View attachment 171154

Yep. Gobbler gonna die

 

[turkeyfoot]

Successful trip I'd say...
Worked on finding the most recent gobbler sign, gun safety and hung a few cams.
Tested a new load of straight 10's for her gun.
Let her shoot and ride a bit.
Even heard a few pop off this morning.
Twas a good weekend
3 weeks from now we'll be killing

View attachment 171152View attachment 171153View attachment 171154

Good stuff she all ready to go. hopefully next wknd weather cooperates I'm ready hear 1.

 

[Ol Copper]

Good stuff she all ready to go. hopefully next wknd weather cooperates I'm ready hear 1.

yeah.....Im gonna go ahead and publicly apologize for what she did when she found your trail cam

 

[turkeyfoot]

yeah.....Im gonna go ahead and publicly apologize for what she did when she found your trail cam

Teach em right young

 

[bartley082]

Successful trip I'd say...
Worked on finding the most recent gobbler sign, gun safety and hung a few cams.
Tested a new load of straight 10's for her gun.
Let her shoot and ride a bit.
Even heard a few pop off this morning.
Twas a good weekend
3 weeks from now we'll be killing

View attachment 171152View attachment 171153View attachment 171154

Tell little copper I miss her and hope to see her soon.

 

[Ol Copper]

Back at it again in the a.m.
Should be a great morning to listen and drop pins
T-minus 2 weeks

 

[Ol Copper]

Tell little copper I miss her and hope to see her soon.

She says Hey
She is Christy fan numero uno !

 

[oldest school]

Back in a creek where I had heard a gobbler two mornings tear it up in june
No gobbling this am. Forgot about hearing a turkey it was cool and very cloudy and the fishing was getting good

Then I hear one fly out of a tree only a few yds away soars over the creek and lands in a small shoreline clearing
He was so loud on his landing that I was embarrassed for him.

I swear it’s the June gobbler making fun of me. By the way he was still in the tree at 9:30. At least I didn’t give him the privelage of ignoring my calls. I forgot them this am.

 

[1stgenHunter]

Went out this AM to a spot a couple miles back to listen. Way too windy and overcast. Didn’t hear a thing but bumped 6 hens right next to the trail on my way out.

Then driving gravel roads I saw a strutter, four hens, and a Jake. Have yet to hear one but man seeing that tail fanned out got me going