Fall turkey hunting doesn’t get as much attention as spring gobbler season, but that’s understandable. After all, in most states, fall turkey hunting seasons typically coincide with deer season and compact game season, and whitetail and sage grouse or waterfowl hunting always seem to outweigh other activities, certainly for most sportsmen.
And that’s a shame, because fall turkey hunting can be just as thrilling as the spring season when the thunder of gobbles hits the hardwood.
Flocks of fall birds with their growing chicks can make a thunderous sound and clearly signal to the hunter that they are nearby. And talking about turkey with fall birds can create the same excitement a hunter feels when hunting a gobbler in the spring.
There are several ways to be successful in the fall turkey forest. It is worth leaving the tree stand from time to time and hunting birds.
Model them
It’s protected to say that most turkeys harvested in the fall are shot by hunters who take their cue from the birds, usually while moving between roosting and feeding areas. This is especially true in agricultural areas, where birds often have a daily habit of moving en masse into corn fields and areas where manure has been spread (we like to call this the warm lunch program). In many cases, a gentle call in the form of clucks and purrs is enough; sometimes even less.
Prepare early – the blind allows for movement that won’t be detected by the birds – and be patient. If you’ve done your homework before the season, your chances are as good as it gets. Your pre-season work is the key to success here. In some, but not all cases, this can be done in reverse, positioning near roosting sites in the afternoon and waiting for the herd to return from its feeding area.
Call them
You may be surprised to learn that fall turkeys are often louder than spring turkeys, but it’s true.
It’s amazing how thunderous a flock of birds moving through the forest can be, making a mixture of gentle clucks and purrs, as well as thunderous yelps and, yes, even gobbles. Add to this the occasional war grunt and it sounds like an army of turkeys approaching.
That said, you urge efforts to be gentle to let them know you are nearby. A few serene clucks, purrs and gentle yelps should be enough, although you can add a few mounting yelps to the mix if the birds seem to be drifting away.
Plus, some kee kees can be a deadly addition to your call repertoire (in the fall and spring), and you can do them during oral calls or pot and box calls designed specifically for these types of calls. It takes a little practice (OK, a lot of practice), but it’s a call that can be deadly in the fall or spring, a lost call type offering that brings the birds back.
If you’re really struggling to make the right call, you can even whistle “kee kee”; go online where there are many audio files so you can hear exactly what you need.
Lure them
Many hunters love to employ decoys, sometimes a lone hen and other times something that appears to be competing with the spreading waterfowl. In the fall, however, it doesn’t take much, and if you line up a few hens or a combination of hens and yaks, it can peaceful down an approaching flock or even a bird or two.
Add some gentle calling and something should make an impact on the range. A decoy or two to feed the hens, placed in a field that the birds repeated, should be sufficient.
Scatter them
There is a proven tactic of locating a flock of fall turkeys and scattering them, allowing them to get close – even to the shooting range – and then running into them and scattering them in all directions.
From this point on, the birds will want to regroup and will be susceptible to gentle yelps or, better yet, “kee kee” calls. It’s an thrilling way to hunt and can lead to success, but be careful: if you don’t get a good spread, all you’ll do is send the entire herd out of the woods together.
If they’re not distracted, they’re just scared, and all you have to show for your effort is a pulled hamstring.
Their dog
Many states allow fall turkey hunting with dogs.
As a result, in recent years, a true community of turkey owners has grown, dogs bred specifically to cover the area, disperse the birds and then, incredibly, allow them to be placed in a camouflage bag while the hunter calls for the birds.
This is a fascinating and thrilling way to hunt fall birds, but it is highly specialized; don’t take your dog Duke out into the field and expect to make it.
