Spring vs. Fall

[huntr467]

I was wondering, I have not had much experience hunting turkeys in the fall other than one wondering by when I was archery hunting for deer.
I have heard gobblers on occasion in the fall but what is the best method to get a bird in the fall. Do you use the same calling techniques? decoys? or is it a set up and wait game?

[bigpuddin43]

I usually pattern them like deer and set up and wait!! I dont enjoy turkey hunting in the fall as much as the spring but we have been trying to cut our population down some and its the only time u can take a hen. Some people get in and bust them up then set up where u bust them up at and they will start calling to get back together and just mimic the calls the turkeys are making and they say it works. I just have deer on my mind to focus on turkeys in the fall.

[lmbhanger]

I was brought up hunting turkeys in the spring and deer in the fall. For ME I will keep it that way. I have zero desire to shoot one in the fall and long for the days of spring and gobbling birds. That is what turkey hunting is to me.

[yellow_lead_spreader]

As far as I'm concerned the best fall technique is to locate a flock and bust it up. After busting the flock you need to try and get in between the old hen and the rest because she will try and reassemble the flock. Be careful to listen to the types of calls she is using, typically it will be an excited kee kee or kee kee run from my experience. This of course is for getting a fall hen, gobblers are a little tougher in the fall because they are very passive. For a gobbler it is a lot of sit and wait.

[big300mag]

As far as I'm concerned the best fall technique is to locate a flock and bust it up. After busting the flock you need to try and get in between the old hen and the rest because she will try and reassemble the flock. Be careful to listen to the types of calls she is using, typically it will be an excited kee kee or kee kee run from my experience. This of course is for getting a fall hen, gobblers are a little tougher in the fall because they are very passive. For a gobbler it is a lot of sit and wait.


You are exactly right about your fall hunting technique. That is by far the best method. As far as the kee kees and the kee kee runs go, what you are hearing typically is the younger birds, many times young jakes. Once you bust the flock up, sit and listen for the very first call you hear. The old hen will be the first to start calling and normally it will be a very raspy series of yelps (assembly call). The next calls you hear are normally high pitched yelps, kee kees, and kee kee runs which are being made by the other birds in the flock. The thing you want to do is to rush to the area of the old hen and flush her further away. When you are successful in flushing her, sit where you last saw her and begin mimicking her calls. The rest of the flock will then respond to your calls and will come in, giving you a shot. The thing to remember, is when you initially flush the flock of birds, it typically takes around 15-20 minutes for them to settle down enough to begin to want to reassemble. So be patient but ready to make a move on that old boss hen.