"Pattern the birds so you know where to find them on a regular basis, including where they roost, feed and strut, as well as the paths they take along the way," he said.

Tangen said he'll frequently take a walk through the woods and fields he plans on hunting either to hunt for sheds or break in a new pair of hunting boots. "Whatever excuse you can find to get out there is a good one because turkeys tend to stick around the same general area throughout the year," he said.

Spring turkey scouting can be plenty of fun because there is often an abundance of sign around that is easy to spot. A common method of locating turkey-hunting spots is to find large roosting trees. These trees are frequently the tallest or densest ones in any given area.

The way to tell if it's a roosting tree is to look for white streaks running down the side of it. These streaks are evidence left behind by roosting turkeys much like what you find on your car windshield after parking under a particularly well-used tree. Roosting trees can be difficult to spot for the untrained eye or if weather conditions keep the trees relatively clean.

Turkey tracks are usually easy to locate in the spring because the ground is both wet and muddy or there's still snow around. Look for the middle toe of a turkey track because if it's more than 2 inches long, chances are there's a decent-sized tom in the area.

Fresh tracks are most easily found in fields, along creeks, old roadbeds or by feeding and watering areas. Don't be surprised if you find a feather or two as well.

Where the ground is dry, you can also find plenty of sign in the form of wallows, which are shallow bowls on the edges of fields or creek bottoms. Much like other bird species, turkeys take dust baths to keep mites off them. A series of these bowls in a particular area could mean it's a hen nesting area and might be prime strutting ground for toms once the mating rituals get going.

It should be noted that Tangen, Michels and most any other experienced turkey hunter will tell you that the best scouting is that which you do before the season begins. A primary reason for this is that you don't want to scout an area once the season is open even if it's not your particular season. Because turkeys are so elusive and so easily spooked, it's best to stay away from the general area being used by other hunters.

The kind of scouting that should be done during the season has been made more difficult with the recent regulation changes. It used to be that hunters would quit hunting at 5 p.m., grab a bite back at the truck, and then head back to the field just before sunset to "put a tom to bed." Find the tree he's roosting in and you have a great location to sneak into before sunrise the next morning.