As with deer hunting, trail cameras are extremely useful tools for patterning turkeys for the spring season. (Travis Faulkner photo)
March 10, 2017
By Travis Faulkner, OutdoorChannel.com
igital Photo and Video Surveillance of Prime Locations
Once you’ve pinpointed high-traffic areas, you’ll need to monitor daily activity, habits and patterns of turkeys with a network of trail cameras. Strategically placing these surveillance units over feeding areas, strut zones, roosting sites and travel routes will enable you to locate longbeards and establish daily patterns. Turkeys often follow very predictable routines during the spring, which makes them extremely vulnerable.
Monitoring prime locations with multiple trail cameras will take the guesswork out of what you should do on those tough and challenging, non-vocal hunting days. Knowing exactly when and where longbeards hit a particular feeding area or work a specific strut zone can be a game-changer when they’re not playing fair. Finding out when and where hens will be visiting certain areas throughout various points of the day also can help you score big on a boss gobbler that’s not talking too much.
Spring turkey season is painfully short and most of us don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing the best days to hunt; in reality, the time to hunt is every free moment you have. We can’t always go when the weather is perfect, or when gobblers are being really vocal. Sometimes you have to lace up your boot strings extra-tight and leave the excuses at home. If you do your homework and know how turkeys behave in your area, you’ll be able to make the most out of every single hunting opportunity you season after season.