I have a friend coming up from Canyon Lake that wants to try to hunt Caddo National Grasslands for Eastern birds. Would anyone be willing to just point me in the right genearl direction to help Him? I have hunted deer there a couple of times and fished Crocket and Coffee Mill but that is it. I have been on google earth the last couple of nights trying to figure it out but never having hunted any eastern birds I don't know what their needs are. I do know that creeks are always a good starting point but with Caddo being so heavily wooded with under brush I don't know where to look. If you have anything to share, thank you in advance. Good luck to anyone still hunting this season and put those birds on the ground!

I've not hunted Caddo either but know of a few guys who have and have had decent success. I typically hunt in southeast TX, and I avoid the areas with lots of thick underbrush just as the turkeys typically avoid this.

Look for the areas that may have been recently burned or areas that look like they may have been burned within the past year or two with an under story that's not too tall or thick and is easy to navigate...almost meadow or park like. If it's not easy to run or fly through there may not be many birds.

Look for tracks on the wet or sandy roads. After the birds start getting pressured they get tight lipped on the public land and often move to private land. A lot of the birds people hear gobbling in the distance are birds that live on or have been pushed onto the private land.

If you can find some private land that's well maintained and managed for wildlife that borders the public land you may be in business. A lot of the private landowners have feeders running for deer and plant food plots, and those eastern birds will hang in those areas. You hunt mid morning after most hens have gone to the nest you may be able to call a gobbler across the boundary onto the public land.

I got skunked this year because I waited until after opening weekend, and someone hunted my honey hole opening morning and pressured the birds. I did call in 2 jakes and had them strutting at 15 yards, but I gave them a pass. These are tactics I used for the past several years and have made me successful on public land in east Texas for the past 3 years.

Thanks, Tjack, only have 2 days to hunt but gonna try to give it a whirl.

Pm sent

Headed that way now. Hunted it last weekend never got a response or saw a bird. Did see deer owell. We going to hunt different area today. We hunting south units not by lakes hope its the right spot.

Really starting to feel there are no turkeys at caddo 2 trips nothing heard or seen. Today wind was horrible if thats the reason.

No turkeys at the ladonia unit that I know of but they are there at the Bois 'd arc unit just hard hunting.

How did it turn out?!