Maximizing my scouting time

[5footshotgroup]

Hi All,

I am coming from out of state and I will only be able to make one scouting trip so in the interim I am doing some desktop scouting and I have a few questions and a comments.

1. In general do Turkeys there prefer the oak and grassland, pines or the thick chaparral? Or are they found in any of those areas.
2. Comment - Holy smokes the public land is a patchwork nightmare! I admire the dedication to the sport there.
3. Anyone use a mountain bike to get to their spot?

Thanks

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

1. Oak and riparian habitats are where I have the most success, although they do frequent our limited pine forests (Palomar, the Lagunas). They will travel through the thick chaparral especially during the spring season, although hunting them in/around it will be tricky. I've seen them appear almost ghost-like out of the thick brush at places I wouldn't expect them to travel due to predators.

2. Yes, but if you can find decent public land that is adjacent to private land where the birds are, you might get lucky.

3. I don't but I've seen others do it. A mtn bike would be helpful to access some fire roads that might be closed or too narrow for 4x4 trucks to pass.

 

[ilovesprig]

Gobblers will follow hens wherever they go.....The habitat makes little difference to them......Once, they get where they want to go, they will like areas that are weather & sun related......Look under trees, especially oaks, where they're looking for acorns & bugs.

Public land & private can be very tricky.......Invest in Onx Maps.

I don't know a single guy that hunts with a bike.....As you're walking, you're hunting.

.

 

[Matagi]

Back in the day when I used to exclusively hunt public land, I use a mountain bike to get into some of the areas where it was a long walk. It can be a useful tool.

 

[ilovesprig]

Back in the day when I used to exclusively hunt public land, I use a mountain bike to get into some of the areas where it was a long walk. It can be a useful tool.

Now I know a single hunter, who's used a bike.......lol

 

[Matagi]

The worst ride was down into Barker valley and coming back up with a gobbler and all the gear. Took me nearly most of the day to hump it back while pushing that damn heavy bike.

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

About the turkeys coming out of thick chaparral.. saw this set of tracks today from a lone bird in a random area of sagebrush. I followed it up the narrow trail a bit and saw him pop up and take off into the brush. I tried to get a pic but he was booking it. Goes to show they're roaming!

 

[5footshotgroup]

Such is life, so my scouting trip got scratched and I am now in a pickle. I can only make it out for the closer in SoCal or stay home for the opener in AZ? I feel pretty confident I can fill my tag here without going out the first weekend, I can just dip out of work and have the forest to myself on a weekday. From what I gather the deck is stacked against me to begin with but how does the season typically play out in SoCal? Will the birds be done gobbling and gun shy by late April?

 

[ilovesprig]

They're always gun shy........Just sayin........lol


ps......Much later start this year.......Last year which was very very early, my daughter & SIL got their birds the last 3 days of the season.

 

[Matagi]

With the amount of hens that I'm seeing with these gobblers, we may have a decent full season. There's rain in the forecast so I have a feeling we'll have gobbling birds till the end. I called in a big tom for my son on the last week of the Youth/archery season. The tom had three hens with him but I managed to call the hens in which brought the big boy gobbling his head off.

 

[5footshotgroup]

Thanks all, this is what I was hoping to hear.