I am planning to scout some public land today or tomorrow and hunt on Thursday. If I am not able to find a spot or two with either birds, or sign of birds, should I assume there are no birds, or that there are birds and just need to call to them. I only have experience on private land that I already know has them.
Also, is it better to get out there before light to locate, or after so I can get in a spot that isn't already occupied?
If I didn't see any sign or hear any birds, I would keep looking for other places to hunt. It is much easier to hunt well and hard when you know the birds are there. Once I find a spot that I know has birds, but I haven't roosted them, I like to be in the woods in a good listening spot an hour before sunrise and decide on a move once the birds start waking up. The easiest time to hear birds gobble is when they are still on the roost. Think about using an owl call or crow call to locate birds. As a last resort, if I hadn't been able to locate any birds through scouting, I would start crow calling or owl calling from several different likely looking spots starting a hour or so before sunrise.
I would continue scouting until you found some definite sign, but don't get too discouraged if you don't find any. Of the three places I hunted this year, I encountered very minimal sign, but still killed a bird on one piece and almost killed one on each of the two others. Good luck. :anim_25:
Depends on the terrain. A gobbling bird is a pretty good sign. I think of it as scouting with a gun. Use locators, keep an eye out for sign and learn the features of the woods. Be there early. I have never once said while duck or turkey hunting 'Dang, I should have got here later!" Be mindful of other hunters.
Look for a lot of vehicles. That will tell you where the birds are. You didn't say how much land it is or the geography of it but if it's like here most of the land isn't very good turkey habitat so you will only find them in pockets and every local knows where the pockets are.
Just don't give up after one day of no gobbles. Some of the best public land is just a little hard to get to. You'd be surprised how lazy some guys are.
I found this spot today, but did not see any signs. I can't say I know exactly what to look for other than tracks, which I did not see any of, but I don't see why turkeys would not be around. It seems like this field would be a good strut zone. I can understand why I wouldn't see any tracks being that it was all grass, but I didn't see them nonetheless.
scratchings are the easiest thing to locate, but droppings, tracks, and feathers help pin point that they are around. tukeys don't leave lots of sign ive been on land that I hardly found any sign during a daytime scout just a few scratchings and when I went back for a scout at dawn the next week I heard over a dozen different birds gobbling from the roost in just a little ways away from the area I had walked.
I forgot to post the picture of the area I checked out. I am thinking they are roosted up by the creek. I am going to start in the field and listen for gobbles. I didn't see any tracks, and I didn't see any scratching, but I believe it was too wet to see scratching. I wouldn't know what turkey poop looks like, so I may have seen that, but who knows.
(http://i1381.photobucket.com/albums/ah215/josephferg3/public%20land%20field_zpsvk7ok69b.png) (http://s1381.photobucket.com/user/josephferg3/media/public%20land%20field_zpsvk7ok69b.png.html)
Deerbasshunter3, take a look at this link
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/hunting/turkeylook.htm
get out there early in the morning and listen or late evening. by far the best way to tell if there are birds in the area i think.