1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,879 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, presented by first Light, 3 00:00:09,240 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: creating proven versatile hunting apparel for the stand, saddle or blind. 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: First Light Go Farther, Stay Longer, and now your host 5 00:00:19,000 --> 00:00:19,919 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. 6 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,920 Speaker 2: Hey everyone, welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundation's podcast. 7 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 2: I'm your host Tony Peterson, and today's episode is all 8 00:00:25,280 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 2: about scouting turkeys and how if you do it right, 9 00:00:27,720 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 2: it can make turkey hunting almost almost too easy. This 10 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:36,479 Speaker 2: is an extra drop. In fact, you might get a 11 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,879 Speaker 2: couple of these this week since we are celebrating turkeys 12 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 2: here at meat Eater, which you can check out by 13 00:00:41,200 --> 00:00:44,200 Speaker 2: heading over to the meadeater dot com. While you're there, 14 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 2: you might want to pick up a new decoy from 15 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 2: Dave Smith, or may be some calls from Phelps, or 16 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,919 Speaker 2: you might want to vote in our turkey calling contest. Now, 17 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 2: I don't really care if I win, even though I 18 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,320 Speaker 2: kind of think I should, But I do really want 19 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 2: to beat Mark Kenyon, so I'll take every vote you 20 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:01,440 Speaker 2: guys can give me. All right, Well, I'll be talking 21 00:01:01,520 --> 00:01:05,440 Speaker 2: hunting pressure white tails tomorrow in our regularly scheduled episode 22 00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 2: today is all about scouting turkeys, particularly early season turkeys, 23 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 2: and how it can make your limited time in the 24 00:01:10,920 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 2: field to spring but super productive. This is almost a 25 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 2: must if you bowhunt birds or you take newbies and 26 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 2: kids out, but it's also just a good idea for 27 00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 2: anyone who just likes to run and gun with a shotgun. 28 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 2: So listen up, because it's time to talk turkeys. It 29 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 2: wasn't that long ago that I thought scouting turkeys was 30 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:36,000 Speaker 2: pretty stupid. Well, you know what, that's not true. I 31 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 2: didn't really think about it at all. Growing up. We 32 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 2: didn't really intentionally scout turkeys, but we would go out 33 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:44,040 Speaker 2: look for birds on places we could hunt before the season. 34 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:46,520 Speaker 2: If we saw Tom's in a certain field, we were 35 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 2: pretty likely to set up there, So I guess we 36 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 2: scouted without acknowledging it. But we were also just running 37 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 2: and gunning with shotguns. So even the limited scouting time 38 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 2: that we did spend, you know, it really didn't play 39 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 2: into a lot of our hunts, because as soon as 40 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 2: that first gobble setounded off from somewhere, all bets were off. 41 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:05,880 Speaker 2: It wasn't until I really got into bow hunting turkeys 42 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 2: that I discovered the value in scouting turkeys with intention 43 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 2: much more like we approached the whole deer thing. Then, 44 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:16,120 Speaker 2: when my daughter started hunting when they were eight, I 45 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: really ramped things up because I knew they would have 46 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 2: limited time for the blind and limited patients when we 47 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 2: were in the blind, I wanted more than anything to 48 00:02:24,919 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 2: make sure that they had productive hunts with lots of action. 49 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 2: It's kind of like if you choose to take kids 50 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 2: on a fishing trip to someplace where the panfish are 51 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 2: thick and the large mouth are everywhere, versus trying to 52 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,959 Speaker 2: toss oversized bucktails for pressured muskies. Now, if you want 53 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 2: them to catch the fishing bug, you don't want there 54 00:02:41,760 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 2: to be hours and hours of nothing. But you know, 55 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: monotony bow hunting birds and bringing little girls into the 56 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 2: Turkey woods shaped how I scout turkeys, and now it's 57 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 2: one of my favorite things to do. This is probably 58 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,120 Speaker 2: at least partially due to the fact that the prime 59 00:02:58,160 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 2: scouting time is right now where in my neck of 60 00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 2: the woods, the winter has been long and it's really 61 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 2: nice to get out, but also because I know it 62 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:09,800 Speaker 2: just works really well. In fact, it's almost like cheating 63 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 2: if you have the time to really dial in the birds. This, 64 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 2: in my experience, is especially true for early season birds. 65 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 2: And while I know some Southern folks are already hunting, 66 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 2: a lot of people aren't. And even if you are, 67 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 2: there is something to be said about scouting while you hunt, 68 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,440 Speaker 2: to form a loose plan in case you don't immediately 69 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 2: tag out. So let me say this, You might not 70 00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:32,679 Speaker 2: even need to do this. One of the greatest things 71 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 2: about some turkey hunting is that it's just a mystery 72 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 2: from start to finish. A few years ago I filmed 73 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 2: the show with Sam Soholt in Nebraska where we showed 74 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 2: up on a late season public land hunt where we 75 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:45,880 Speaker 2: had lots of land roam and very few birds to target. 76 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 2: It was hard, really hard, but it was also a 77 00:03:49,480 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 2: hunt filled entirely with mystery. We didn't really know where 78 00:03:52,800 --> 00:03:55,320 Speaker 2: the birds would be, what they'd be feeding on, and 79 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,080 Speaker 2: where they'd be most callable. The random tracks in the 80 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 2: sandy roads helped as well the open ground that allowed 81 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 2: for some good visibility, but mostly it was just a 82 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 2: blank slate kind of hunt and we got our asses kicked, 83 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 2: but man, it was fun. Now, if that's mostly your style, 84 00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 2: you might not want a scout, but you probably should anyway. 85 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,679 Speaker 2: And here's why. Knowing generally where birds might be throughout 86 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 2: the day is a good thing. When you're out there 87 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:21,960 Speaker 2: at two in the afternoon and having heard a goblin 88 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 2: four hours now, I know the thought of running and 89 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: gunning all day long until you run into that suicidal 90 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:30,719 Speaker 2: two year old is awesome. I also know that a 91 00:04:30,760 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 2: full day of running and gunning when the birds aren't 92 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 2: suicidal can be a lot to handle. Turkey onna can 93 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 2: be so easy, but can also feel damn near impossible, 94 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 2: and when it does, it's kind of like a steel 95 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 2: toed boot to the knackers, because well, it's supposed to 96 00:04:44,520 --> 00:04:47,320 Speaker 2: be fun. So let me start with something I like 97 00:04:47,400 --> 00:04:50,600 Speaker 2: to scout for a lot, which is rus. I've hunted 98 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,480 Speaker 2: places in Minnesota, Nebraska, and Texas and a few other 99 00:04:53,520 --> 00:04:57,799 Speaker 2: states where there were just generational roofs. There were always 100 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 2: birds sleeping in those spots, and it's pretty amazing when 101 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 2: you find one. The piles of turkey poot below those 102 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 2: trees are incredible, and just knowing where some birds will 103 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:11,279 Speaker 2: start and end their day is a huge advantage. But 104 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: generational roosts are kind of like big buck honey holes. 105 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 2: They don't exist on every property, and they aren't a 106 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 2: guarantee all season long. When you do find them, it's 107 00:05:22,440 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 2: usually several trees near some great flyoff point. But mostly 108 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,600 Speaker 2: the roosting spots I find when I'm scouting are less generational, 109 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 2: but maybe more important. Turkeys roost in certain spots for 110 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:37,559 Speaker 2: certain reasons. Sometimes, like with those generational roots, it's because 111 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 2: it's the only location around that allows them to get 112 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 2: on a big limb out of the wind and not 113 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 2: have to fly straight up to get there. In other places, 114 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 2: it's the right tree in the right spot for the 115 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 2: right conditions. Turkeys do not like roosting where the wind 116 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 2: can get to them all night long. Remember that, because 117 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 2: if you start out running and gunning on a windy morning, 118 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 2: especially in the early season where it might be cold, 119 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,480 Speaker 2: the birds are not going to be just anywhere. They'll 120 00:06:02,480 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 2: be tucked in and roosted somewhere out of the wind. 121 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 2: This is one of the most predictable things about turkey behavior, 122 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 2: and knowing how to use it is a huge advantage 123 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:13,200 Speaker 2: to us hunters. What I like to think about when 124 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:15,240 Speaker 2: I find a roost or even a single tree that 125 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 2: shows some usage is not what a lot of people 126 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,400 Speaker 2: typically think about sure, I like being close to a 127 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 2: roost when the sun rises, because well, I don't know 128 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,479 Speaker 2: everybody does. But Russ trees are often tough to get 129 00:06:27,520 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 2: super close to, and while birds like to sleep in 130 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 2: them for safety and comfort, they might fly three hundred 131 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 2: yards off the limb in the morning to go somewhere 132 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:38,320 Speaker 2: to catch the sun alone. Gobbler is a different story, 133 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 2: but good roos often don't just host one sleepy turkey 134 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: per night, and where the hens fly to, the gobblers 135 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,880 Speaker 2: usually follow. I like rus for morning hunting, but not 136 00:06:49,000 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 2: nearly as much as I like them for evening hunts. 137 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 2: On a really nice day, birds often fly up after 138 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 2: shooting light has ended, but they will often stage up 139 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,279 Speaker 2: close to that tree before that. When you glass turkeys 140 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 2: a lot, which is something I do quite a bit, 141 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 2: you see them stage up in a major way, often 142 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 2: quite a ways away from the actual roost. They'll strut 143 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 2: and feed and do turkey stuff until someone, usually a hen, 144 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 2: decides it's bedtime, and then all of a sudden, the 145 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,040 Speaker 2: whole flock's demeanor will change. They'll all follow her lead, 146 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:22,200 Speaker 2: and when that happens, you might as well pack up 147 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 2: your calls. Because the game is over for the day, 148 00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 2: but before that moment, the birds are not only highly predictable, 149 00:07:27,960 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 2: but highly callable. Now, I'm filling in a lot of 150 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 2: blanks here because I can't actually ask turkeys why they 151 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,760 Speaker 2: do this, But it seems like early season birds, even 152 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 2: if they are in smaller flocks, seem like they are 153 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 2: really looking for the right hen before bedtime. They are 154 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 2: just prone to running in And I have far more 155 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 2: predictable results hunting afternoon and evening birds than I do 156 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 2: birds at first light. It's like they're just primed to look. Then. 157 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 2: They might have had to listen to a bunch of 158 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 2: hens chattering all day long while those same hens ignored them. 159 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 2: A new lady squawking away might just be all they 160 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 2: need to hear. I don't know. Maybe it's partially that, 161 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 2: but maybe they've just put in the work strutting and 162 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 2: putting on a show all day and suddenly seeing your 163 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,960 Speaker 2: jake decoy in a breeding posture just pisses them off. 164 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 2: I don't know. What I do know is if you're 165 00:08:15,360 --> 00:08:17,960 Speaker 2: in a state where you can hunt till sunset, scouting 166 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,400 Speaker 2: can put you on amazing turkey action as the afternoon 167 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:25,840 Speaker 2: gives way to evening, find the roost, find the staging area, 168 00:08:26,040 --> 00:08:29,200 Speaker 2: and get ready. This is such a good move for 169 00:08:29,240 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 2: bowhunting and for taking kids that don't want to get 170 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 2: up at three point thirty in the morning. But there's 171 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:38,000 Speaker 2: more to scouting turkeys than russ take feeding areas. We 172 00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 2: tend to think of fields as the ticket for turkeys. 173 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,640 Speaker 2: Why wouldn't we They are highly visible, and it seems 174 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,360 Speaker 2: like the solution to the problem is to get on 175 00:08:45,360 --> 00:08:47,880 Speaker 2: the edge of a field, put some decoys out, call 176 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 2: them in. This can absolutely work, because it does all 177 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,960 Speaker 2: the time, but I don't do that for early season 178 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 2: birds when I know they are likely to be glued 179 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,400 Speaker 2: to hens. I want to know where all of the 180 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 2: birds will naturally go. Again, glassing is a huge bonus 181 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 2: if you can do it. Where turkeys actually enter the 182 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 2: field and where they exit is huge, But so are 183 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 2: the spots along their feeding roads. I have a place 184 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 2: to hunt here in Minnesota that has one big field 185 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:28,120 Speaker 2: on it, and the birds might be anywhere in that 186 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:30,719 Speaker 2: field all winter long, but they tend to feed on 187 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 2: the stuff closest to the woods first. As the winter 188 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,599 Speaker 2: wears on, they end up feeding closer and closer and 189 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:39,679 Speaker 2: closer to the highway that serves as the western boundary. 190 00:09:39,840 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 2: This means that by the time the season is open, 191 00:09:42,080 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 2: the birds are often super visible, but they spend the 192 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 2: bulk of their time in a place that isn't really huntable, 193 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 2: So I have to know how they are going to 194 00:09:51,120 --> 00:09:53,640 Speaker 2: get there and where they are likely to go when 195 00:09:53,679 --> 00:09:57,000 Speaker 2: they leave. I also want to know what ambush spots 196 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 2: they are likely to feed by during their routes, because 197 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 2: they won't just sit in one location in the field. 198 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:05,640 Speaker 2: Watching them is huge here, and it can help you 199 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 2: put your blind in the right spot and help you 200 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,080 Speaker 2: understand when you should probably be there. This is one 201 00:10:11,120 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 2: of the things that I love about scouting food sources 202 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 2: for turkeys. They might use one cut cornfield all day, 203 00:10:17,760 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 2: or just in the morning before the bugs really get moving. Now. 204 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,280 Speaker 2: Trail cameras are crazy good at helping you dial down 205 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:25,720 Speaker 2: stuff like this on food sources too. But even if 206 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 2: you can't glass and you can't run cameras, you can 207 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:30,920 Speaker 2: just walk the field and look for the tracks. I 208 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:33,880 Speaker 2: love finding the spots that are not only beaten down 209 00:10:33,880 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 2: with turkey tracks and the telltale signs of wings dragging 210 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 2: as they strut, but also show me where they clearly 211 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:43,920 Speaker 2: came into the field or they clearly walked out of it. 212 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 2: If I'm going to put a blind anywhere, it's going 213 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:49,600 Speaker 2: to be near one of those spots. It's no different 214 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 2: from setting a deer stand up over a single trail 215 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 2: or on a spot where multiple trails converge. You're just 216 00:10:56,120 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 2: playing the odds now. Of course, turkey food sources go 217 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 2: way beyond the obvious fields. In the Upper Midwest. On 218 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:06,080 Speaker 2: mild winters, we often carry over red oak acorns until 219 00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 2: late in the winter and sometimes through the spring. Turkeys 220 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:10,720 Speaker 2: will eat the crap out of them when there isn't 221 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:12,720 Speaker 2: much else to eat. And if you can find a 222 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:15,640 Speaker 2: spot like this, you have found a spot where birds 223 00:11:15,679 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 2: are killable, but maybe only for a short window until 224 00:11:18,920 --> 00:11:21,640 Speaker 2: things green up and the multi legged and multi wing 225 00:11:21,720 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 2: food sources show up. Now I've talked about this a 226 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:26,720 Speaker 2: few times on here, but the thing that blew me 227 00:11:26,760 --> 00:11:29,199 Speaker 2: away when I started scouting late March birds up here 228 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 2: in central Minnesota was how much time they spend in 229 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 2: swamps scratching up whatever they're scratching up. I still really 230 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 2: kind of don't know there are some green bowlby type 231 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 2: of flants I find while I'm watching birds. But I 232 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:43,439 Speaker 2: also think they might be just rooting around for snails 233 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 2: or maybe even leeches or something. I don't really know. 234 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 2: I guess the main point is I have a lot 235 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 2: of faith in their willingness to get their feet wet 236 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:55,079 Speaker 2: to eat something. It has put me on quite a 237 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:58,680 Speaker 2: few early season birds with my daughters. Now, without glassing them, 238 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 2: I'd have never figured that out. I don't think they 239 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 2: just don't leave a lot of sign in the water 240 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:06,559 Speaker 2: to get my drift. So the question i'd ask you, 241 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 2: wherever you live is do you know about anything like 242 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 2: that with turkeys in your neighborhood? And if not, how 243 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:17,280 Speaker 2: could you figure it out? Those here today gone to 244 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 2: moral food sources can be the absolute ticket to great hunts, 245 00:12:21,280 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 2: but not if you don't know about them. This, to 246 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 2: me is kind of like how you get to be 247 00:12:25,280 --> 00:12:28,439 Speaker 2: a hell of a lot better at hunting deer. Anyone 248 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 2: can kill a buck on a soybean field, but not 249 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 2: everyone can kill a buck on a soft mass pattern 250 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,600 Speaker 2: that will only exist for a few days or a 251 00:12:35,640 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 2: few weeks. I know we generally don't take turkey hunting 252 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 2: as seriously as deer hunting, but learning about nature in 253 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:44,840 Speaker 2: a way that others won't is always a net benefit 254 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 2: to those of us who prefer wild game on our grills. 255 00:12:48,760 --> 00:12:52,760 Speaker 2: Rouss and food are always worth looking for, but the 256 00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,200 Speaker 2: thing that I probably kill more birds on now than 257 00:12:55,240 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 2: any other feature of the woods is just travel routes. Now. 258 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:02,280 Speaker 2: Turkeys sometimes stay around and do nothing, but that's mostly 259 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,880 Speaker 2: when they are wet or cold and waiting for some sunlight. Otherwise, 260 00:13:05,880 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 2: they are like six month old lab puppies. They just 261 00:13:08,400 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 2: seem to need to be doing something. What that something 262 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 2: is is often just walking from one place to another 263 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 2: in search of food. That's it. Hens that aren't nesting 264 00:13:19,400 --> 00:13:22,199 Speaker 2: do this all day long, and when they are nesting 265 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:24,920 Speaker 2: they still do this quite a bit. It's just their nature. 266 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 2: This is where boots on the ground scouting, along with 267 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 2: trail cameras can be onreal for figuring out exactly where 268 00:13:32,240 --> 00:13:34,839 Speaker 2: and when to hunt certain field roads or logging roads, 269 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:39,000 Speaker 2: or anywhere that turkeys might consistently walk. Finding a bunch 270 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 2: of tom tracks and gopher mounds along a two track 271 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 2: is great, but there is nothing like dropping a trail 272 00:13:44,440 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 2: camera off about two feet off the ground, pointed up 273 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 2: a two track like that and then waiting. If you 274 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 2: give this a couple of weeks before you hunt, you'll 275 00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:54,840 Speaker 2: be able to tease out the patterns of your local birds. 276 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 2: Big time flocked up birds are insanely patternable this way, 277 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,600 Speaker 2: but you'll also see jakes and toms that seem like 278 00:14:01,640 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 2: they are kind of randomly traveling. But if you pay 279 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,360 Speaker 2: attention to the timing of their travels over enough days, 280 00:14:07,760 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 2: you often see that it's not really random. Even cruising toms, 281 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 2: which might appear to be totally unpredictable, they usually aren't. 282 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 2: A couple of days of data might not show this, 283 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,440 Speaker 2: but a couple of weeks usually will. This has been 284 00:14:21,480 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 2: one of the best ways for me to put my 285 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 2: daughters on birds after school, because they're just windows of 286 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 2: time where you might have like two hours where the 287 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,240 Speaker 2: birds are just going to come through. Now, you might 288 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,720 Speaker 2: get that clockwork bird that shows up almost the same 289 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,240 Speaker 2: time every day, but I find that it's more common 290 00:14:37,280 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 2: for me to plan a hunt around a window of 291 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 2: time like ten to noon or three to five in 292 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 2: the afternoon. Not only is this just a really good 293 00:14:44,840 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 2: way to dial in birds, but it's also really fun 294 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 2: to head out with the full belief that you'll have 295 00:14:49,600 --> 00:14:53,000 Speaker 2: tom swing through while you're sitting there. It helps with 296 00:14:53,040 --> 00:14:55,920 Speaker 2: the second guessing and the wanderlust that comes with impatience. 297 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 2: If you don't have hundreds or thousands of acres to rome, 298 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 2: you might not want to cover every inch of your 299 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:05,040 Speaker 2: hunting ground. In that case, having the confidence to sit 300 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:07,160 Speaker 2: tight and wait out some birds that should be closing 301 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 2: in is super important. Plus and I can't stress this enough. 302 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 2: If you are where turkeys expect turkeys to be, those 303 00:15:14,920 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 2: turkeys become more callable. Even the birds that might not 304 00:15:18,320 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 2: have planned to swing through that little logging road often 305 00:15:21,480 --> 00:15:24,440 Speaker 2: will if they hear calling from a place they absolutely 306 00:15:24,520 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 2: aren't surprised by the presence of what they believe to 307 00:15:26,960 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 2: be live birds. I also like this strategy for hunting 308 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 2: with my daughters because if they start to get a 309 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 2: little fidgety, I can pull up my Moultrie app and 310 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 2: show them all of the birds that have recently traveled through. 311 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 2: It's just a nice little confidence booster. But filing through 312 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:44,480 Speaker 2: those images of strutters and cruisers in the exact spot 313 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,560 Speaker 2: you're sitting just really helps out to tamp down the 314 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 2: doubts in the second guessing. So even if you don't 315 00:15:51,920 --> 00:15:54,600 Speaker 2: want to, or you don't think you need to scout turkeys, 316 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:57,440 Speaker 2: you probably should, or at least you should consider it. 317 00:15:57,640 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 2: After all, what else do you have to do right now? 318 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 2: You should also come back throughout the week because I'm 319 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,760 Speaker 2: going to drop some more turkey knowledge on you real soon. 320 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:09,720 Speaker 2: That's it for this show. I'm Tony Peterson. This has 321 00:16:09,720 --> 00:16:12,320 Speaker 2: been the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, which is brought 322 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,440 Speaker 2: to you by first Light. And speaking of first Light, 323 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,360 Speaker 2: if you want some free shipping on that, maybe some 324 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 2: Dave Smith decoys, maybe an FHF Bino harness, and of 325 00:16:22,760 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 2: course some Phelps turkey calls, you can head over to 326 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:29,480 Speaker 2: the medeater dot com. Check out our Turkey weeks see 327 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 2: what we have going on there, vicariously live through us 328 00:16:33,320 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 2: on some of the turkey hunting content that we're putting 329 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 2: up right now. Lots of articles, lots of videos, podcasts 330 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:42,680 Speaker 2: like this one. Or you can check out our turkey 331 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:45,680 Speaker 2: calling contest there and vote for who you think is 332 00:16:45,680 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 2: the best turkey caller at meat Eater. Hint it's not 333 00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:52,960 Speaker 2: Mark Kenyon. As always, thank you so much for listening 334 00:16:53,000 --> 00:16:55,560 Speaker 2: and for all your support. Truly appreciate it.