Fall turkey hunting: Overlooked by many, but often just as exciting as spring

Fall turkey hunting doesn’t draw the kind of attention as does the spring gobbler season, but that’s understandable. After all, fall turkey hunting seasons usually overlap with deer season and small game seasons in most states, and whitetail hunting and grouse or waterfowl hunting always seems to trump other activities, certainly for the majority of sportsmen and women.

That’s too bad, because fall turkey hunting can be every bit as exciting as the spring season when a thunderous gobble rattles the hardwoods.

Flocks of fall birds, with growing poults in the mix, can be highly vocal and give a hunter a clear indication they’re around. And talking turkey with fall birds can actually elicit the same excitement a hunter feels when working a gobbler in the spring.

There are several ways to be successful in the fall turkey woods, and it’s worth climbing down out of your treestand and hunting the birds every once in a while.

Pattern ’em

It’s safe to say that most turkeys harvested in the fall are shot by hunters who have patterned the birds, typically as they move between their roosting and feeding locations. That’s especially true in agricultural areas where the birds often develop a daily routine of moving en masse into corn fields and areas where manure has been spread (we like to call it the Hot Lunch Program). In many cases all that’s needed is some soft calling in the form of clucks and purrs; sometimes even less than that.

Get set up early – a blind allows for some movement that won’t be detected by the birds – and be patient. If you’ve done your homework ahead of the season your chances are as good as they will get. Your preseason work is the key to success here. In some, but not all cases, you can do this in reverse, setting up near their roost areas in the afternoon and awaiting the flock’s return from their feeding spot.

Call ’em in

You might be surprised to learn that fall turkeys are often more vocal than they are during the spring, but it’s true.

It’s amazing how loud a flock of birds can be as they move through the woods, offering up a mixture of soft clucks and purrs as well as some loud yelping and, yes, even some gobbling. Throw in the occasional fighting purrs that pop up and it sounds like an army of turkeys approaching.

That said, you’re calling efforts should fall on the soft side just to let them know you’re around. Some soft clucks and purrs and soft yelps should be enough, although you might want to throw some assembly yelps into the mix if the birds seem to be drifting off.

Also, some kee kees can be a lethal addition to your calling repertoire (in fall and spring), and you can make these on a mouth call or pot and box calls built specifically for that type of call. It takes a little practice (OK, a lot of practice), but it’s a call that can be deadly in fall or spring, a lost call-type offering that brings in birds.

If you really have trouble getting it right with a call, you can even whistle a kee kee; go online where there are numerous sound files to hear just what you need to sound like.

Decoy ’em

Many hunters love to use decoys, sometimes a lone hen and other times what seems to rival a waterfowl spread. It doesn’t take much in the fall, however, and if you set a couple of hens or a hen and jake combination, it can relax an approaching flock or even a bird or two.

Toss in some soft calling and something should drift into shooting range. A feeding hen decoy or two, set in a field that the birds have been frequenting, should do the trick.

Scatter ’em

There’s a time-tested tactic of locating a flock of fall turkeys and scattering them by letting them approach – even into shooting range – and then running into them to send them flying in all directions.

From there, the birds will be looking to regroup and are susceptible to coming to soft yelps or, better yet, the kee kee call. It’s an exciting way to hunt and can lead to success, but be forewarned: if you don’t get a good scatter all you’re doing in sending the entire flock out of the woodlot together.

If they’re not scattered they’re simply spooked, and all you’ve got to show for your effort is a pulled hamstring.

Dog ’em

In many states, fall turkey hunting with dogs is allowed.

As a result, a loyal fraternity of turkey dog owners has grown in recent years, dogs bred specifically to cover ground, scatter birds then, incredibly, allow themselves to be placed in a camouflage bag while the hunter calls in the birds.

It’s a fascinating, exciting way to hunt fall birds, but it’s highly specialized; don’t just take your hound Duke afield and expect to get it done.