Chapter 3 – Scouting and Sign
Overview
Finding and reading turkey sign is a skill that takes years of experience to hone. In this chapter, we help you shorten the learning curve by breaking down different types of sign such as tracks, scat, scratching, and strut marks. We also explain how to determine if the sign was left by a hen or gobbler.
You’ll learn what to look for on a map to find more turkeys, including habitat diversity and topographic features. Chapter 3 will help you understand which onX Hunt map layers and tools are most useful for turkey hunting so you can confidently develop a strategy before you ever set foot in the woods.
Course
With tips for e-scouting and boots-on-the-ground scouting, this chapter will help you distinguish gobbler from hen sign, understand what certain types of turkey sign mean, and effectively use the Hunt App in the woods. We discuss:
- Tracks, Scratching, Scat, and Strut Marks.
- Locating Turkey Habitat and Using Topography to Your Advantage.
- Pinpointing Gobblers With Compass Mode.
- Understanding the Terrain With 3D.
- Seeing the Landscape Change With Recent Imagery.
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Chapter 3 – Scouting and Sign
Chapter 3 – Scouting and Sign
With tips for e-scouting and boots-on-the-ground scouting, this chapter will help you distinguish gobbler from hen sign, understand what certain types of turkey sign mean, and effectively use the Hunt App in the woods.
Skill Level: Beginner to Intermediate
3.1: Tracks, Scratching, Scat, and Strut Marks
What You’ll Learn:
• How to determine if a track was left by a tom, hen, or jake.
• Why scat is worth paying attention to.
• The importance of strut zones.
3.2: Locate Turkey Habitat and Use Topography to Your Advantage
What You’ll Learn:
• Land features common to turkey habitat.
• Hunt App features to help you be more proficient at finding turkeys, including Hybrid Maps as well as Trees, Crops, and Cover Map Layers.
3.3: Pinpoint More Gobbles
What You’ll Learn:
• How to use Compass Mode to understand exactly where a turkey was standing when he gobbled, allowing you to make an educated setup, giving yourself the best chance at success.
3.4: Understand the Terrain
What You’ll Learn:
• How to use 3D and Elevation Exaggeration to gain a deeper and clearer understanding of the terrain you plan to hunt.
• How you can use 3D Elevation Exaggeration to begin to understand how to read topographic lines.
3.5: See the Landscape Change
What You’ll Learn:
• How to use Recent Imagery to gain a visual understanding of the vegetation and landscape as it changes throughout the year. With an updated aerial image roughly every two weeks, see snow lines melt, water levels rise and fall, clear cuts, and so much more.
Go back to review shotgun patterning or continue to learn about set-up tactics.
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