Moultrie, the leading innovator of feeders, trail cameras and game management tools, shares ambassador Macy Watkins Johnston's top strategies for effectively scouting turkeys:
Identify Roost Trees: Locating roost trees is paramount. Turkeys prefer large, sturdy trees for roosting, often returning to the same spots. Identifying these trees provides insight into their daily patterns.
Optimize Trail Camera Use: To monitor turkey activity effectively, Macy recommends using multiple Moultrie EDGE Series trail cameras equipped with extra power sources. This setup ensures continuous operation and comprehensive coverage of scouting areas.
Recognize Strut Zones: Turkeys favor areas with rolling topography that include flat sections, known as strut zones, where they display their plumage. These zones are typically open spaces within varied terrain and ridge tops. Look for strut marks in the dirt resembling semi-circular claw marks, caused when a gobbler is in full strut, pushing his wing tips into the ground. Many of these in one area indicate a strut zone.
Focus on Transition Lines: Transition lines, such as where pine forests meet hardwoods or along property boundaries, are attractive to turkeys. These areas often serve as travel corridors and feeding grounds.
Look for Turkey Signs: Evidence of turkey activity often includes tracks, dropping and scratching in the dirt. Areas with abundant signs indicate frequent use and are prime spots for scouting.
Share Scouting Data: Using the Moultrie App to share trail camera galleries with hunting partners and family members enhances collective knowledge and coordination. This collaborative approach can lead to more successful hunts.
Utilize Oak Hammocks and Shady Hardwoods: Turkeys often congregate in oak hammocks or shady hardwood areas, which provide food sources and cover. These locations can be productive for both scouting and hunting.
"The spring is when the wild turkey is just really doing its thing. They're gobbling, they're interactive and they're ready to breed," said Macy. "We like having multiple power mags and batteries so we can switch them out when one dies, since we run a lot of cameras. Slade and I share our gallery with each other, and even with some family who also hunts the property."
Moultrie offers a wide variety of accessories for its leading EDGE Series cameras, including the rechargeable lithium Power Mag + as well as 3.4W and 10W Solar Power Packs. For more information on Moultrie's leading of cellular trail cameras and accessories, visit www.Moultrie.com.
Click here to watch Macy's full video about turkey season preparation.
To learn more about the entire Moultrie product line of trail cameras, feeders and much more, visit www.Moultrie.com. Details about future product launches can be found on Moultrie's Facebook and Instagram pages.
About Moultrie: More than 45 years ago, Dan Moultrie pioneered the game-management category. Today, Moultrie is one of the best-selling brands of game cameras and feeders in the world, and it continues to innovate with new technology that hunters and land managers rely on. Defined by the foundations of reliability and ease of use, Moultrie products are always field-tested and designed for hunters, by hunters themselves. Combining forward-thinking innovation with time-tested practicality, Moultrie consistently demonstrates what it means to be the Most Trusted Name in Game Management. For more information on Moultrie and its full line of products, visit www.moultrie.com.