Fall Turkey Tactics

[beer]

The Turkey Hunting thread got me thinking. I'm new to turkey hunting so I've been researching a lot. All my buddies act like it's all but impossible to hunt them in the Fall and wont even attempt it. They tell me I'm wasting my time if its not spring. I noticed that most of the guys posting in the other thread all mentioned spring hunts as well.

Is it a Fall turkey hunt a lost cause here in Oklahoma?

What say you guys? What tactics, set ups, or tips do you employ or have for a successful Fall turkey hunt?

 

[Jared]

Hunt a food plot. Use a rifle.

 

[dennishoddy]

I've actually taken a couple of turkey in the fall. Most with a bow at early archery season.

It is more difficult, as they will be in big flocks, and there are a zillion eyes looking around.
Pop-up blinds can be a great tactic.
On the ladder stands, it always seems that one of the toms will spot you, and just stand there and stare. The rest of the flock will move off, and he will finally turn around and leave. Thats when any shot opportunity will happen.
Last year, I was fortunate to take a bearded hen in the fall with the Xbow. Its easier as one does not have to draw, so there is less movment, but I still had to swing the bow around 80 degrees or so for the shot.
My wifes uncle is a master at calling them with a whistle. Its the call they use when the flock is scattered in the fall to find each other. Might visit the NWTF web site. They have a section in there where one can click on a link, and it will reproduce turkey calls, and gives a little tutorial about the right time to use each call.

 

[r00s7a]

I've had some success turkey hunting in the fall. None by skill, mostly by luck. With some scouting you can pattern them possibly set up near their route back to the roost. I took a nice tom by changing to another stand that they were walking underneath.

One other method is a little harder, and I have only had it work once. Spotted some birds down the creek on the other side, so I crept down the creek and came up right by them and just started screaming and hollering, waving my arms like a mad man. They of course scatter in every direction. I plopped beside a tree and kept quiet for a while till I heard them start calling, then gave a couple of SOFT kee-kee calls. Had three hens come back in and one little jake. He didn't have to sleep in a cold tree any longer, he got to sit in a nice warm crock pot. When you bust the flock, bust them hard. If they all run off in the same direction it won't work as well. The whole idea is to scatter them in every direction then they will try to assemble again, hopefully right around where you are sitting.

 

[Rod Snell]

No harder to hunt in the fall, but they do require different tactics.

The toms are mostly going to be in groups, and doing spring calling makes them think you're confused. The key is learning their specific habits so you know just about where they will be any time of day. Pick a time when they're not sitting around full of food with nothing better to do than spot you.

I like a .22 mag rifle and an ambush spot near food. The rifle saves the frustration of trying to shoot just one out of a cluster; a shot in the neck drops them like a rock. Wear full face camo, of course. I just camo up and lie in natural or improvised cover.

Last fall was almost funny. I had been watcing them for weeks, and could just about set my watch by their movements. I went to a good ambush spot where they had to walk a path through weeds to get to the wheat; not 5 minutes later they paraded by, and I shot "tail end Charlie."

 

[Danny]

I've had some success turkey hunting in the fall. None by skill, mostly by luck. With some scouting you can pattern them possibly set up near their route back to the roost. I took a nice tom by changing to another stand that they were walking underneath.

One other method is a little harder, and I have only had it work once. Spotted some birds down the creek on the other side, so I crept down the creek and came up right by them and just started screaming and hollering, waving my arms like a mad man. They of course scatter in every direction. I plopped beside a tree and kept quiet for a while till I heard them start calling, then gave a couple of SOFT kee-kee calls. Had three hens come back in and one little jake. He didn't have to sleep in a cold tree any longer, he got to sit in a nice warm crock pot. When you bust the flock, bust them hard. If they all run off in the same direction it won't work as well. The whole idea is to scatter them in every direction then they will try to assemble again, hopefully right around where you are sitting.

^^^^ This ^^^^

 

[sesh]

Hunt a food plot. Use a rifle.

...but make sure and check the county regulations. Some of them are archery equipment only in the fall.

I have read articles about people calling in birds in the fall, I've never had any luck with it but they claim it can be done. My luck in the fall has been about like everyone else's, just hanging out in a treestand or a blind over a food source, trying to pattern them and set up an ambush. If I remember correctly, make sure that food source is not a feeder or a handful of corn because I believe it is against the rules to bait them in the fall as well.

 

[dennishoddy]

...but make sure and check the county regulations. Some of them are archery equipment only in the fall.

I have read articles about people calling in birds in the fall, I've never had any luck with it but they claim it can be done. My luck in the fall has been about like everyone else's, just hanging out in a treestand or a blind over a food source, trying to pattern them and set up an ambush. If I remember correctly, make sure that food source is not a feeder or a handful of corn because I believe it is against the rules to bait them in the fall as well.

Your correct.

Baiting

Turkeys may not be hunted or taken within 100 yards of any bait. Baiting is the placing, exposing, depositing, distributing or scattering of shelled, shucked or unshucked corn, wheat or other grain or other feed so as to constitute for such birds a lure, attraction or enticement, on or over any area where hunters are attempting to take them. The taking of turkey over standing crops, grain crops, properly shucked on the field where grown or grain found scattered solely as the result of normal agricultural operations is permitted.

You can't bait them with exception of the above rules, but a harvested milo or corn field can be a gold mine. Always lots of grain left on the ground.

 

[jkkeith]

Fall can be just as fun as spring. I have found that if I am more mobile and work around them I have better luck putting myself in the right place for a harvest. I have never had much luck sitting and waiting.

 

[surveyor1744]

I'm a little new here, but I thought I would weigh in on my fall turkey hunting tactics. Go deer hunting...sit in your stand, rattle, grunt, snort wheeze..wait for the big bruiser and in no time you will be disturbed and a little disgruntled at the turkeys coming under your stand!!! It sounds dumb, but has happened to me three years in a row!!! Good Luck!