12 ga with full bore turkey loads is hellish overkill. I would lean more toward 2 3/4" #6 shot with a mod or ic choke. High brass or low brass should work. #5 shot might even be better, but you can dial it in with experience. They move fast, do be ready. As you are walking, take frequent pauses of a minute or so, as this can encourage them to break cover while also giving you a chance to spot them. Lastly, i look for eyes and small, twitchy movements. The glint of the sun off an eye is a dead giveaway that you need to look closer.

Good luck. Small game hunting is fun, tasty, and a great way to learn.

Btw, the white mtn natl forest over by gilead is a huge tract of land that you can walk all day on without worry, but there are seasonal road closures. Get a maine gazeteer and look for land. Most wma properties allow hunting and the ifw site has a list of what hunting is allowed on each of them.

Happy hunting!