Most hunters these days affiliate turkey looking with calling in a gobbler because the climate and birds hearth up with spring. However because the turkey inhabitants has elevated, fall turkey looking seasons can be found to hunters in most states.
On this article, we’ll cowl every little thing you must know to hunt turkey within the fall.
Overview of Fall Turkey Looking
A turkey within the fall has a distinct mindset than a spring turkey. As a substitute of in search of an aggressive gobbler who has nothing however love on his thoughts, you’re as an alternative in search of flocks that typically include grownup hens (grownup females), jakes (younger males), and jennies (younger females). Occasional unfastened bachelor flocks of gobblers additionally kind within the fall. Irrespective of the flock’s gender or composition, they’re all attempting to eat as a lot as potential earlier than the winter hits.
With that in thoughts you you’re altering the place you’re in search of the birds, what birds you’re in search of, and the way you arrange within the fall. In lots of states, you’ll be able to take both gender of hen within the fall, so for those who solely run into hens don’t fear, you’ll be able to nonetheless have that Thanksgiving hen. Nonetheless, native legal guidelines range, so at all times verify along with your state’s sport fee earlier than heading out..
Finest Instances and Areas for Fall Turkey Looking
Be sure that your state has a fall season out there. Whereas a great majority of the states do have one, there are a number of that don’t have fall turkey seasons. Location-wise good turkey grounds within the spring will typically translate into good turkey grounds within the fall.
Explicit states to think about can be New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. These states fall shotgun seasons often begins round October. A bit additional south, Pennsylvania and West Virginia even have good looking choices out there with public entry out there. Outdoors of the northeast one other state that has good fall success for turkey can be Michigan. Whichever state you’re or need to journey to maintain rules in thoughts although. Some states break up into totally different zones and have totally different seasons in several zones, others require tags which may be tough to amass. So do loads of analysis first to make sure thatyou can hunt a selected state’s fall turkey season.
Finest Instances and Areas for Southeast Turkey Looking
For fall turkey looking within the Southeast, you’re restricted in your choices of looking grounds. Nearly all of the states usually do not need a fall turkey season. Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and South Carolina typically don’t have any fall season. This will change yearly, so it’s essential to maintain your self updated.
Typically, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee do have a fall Turkey season. Florida is your greatest guess for late season birds within the north of the state. With a extra temperate local weather, count on a later fall Turkey looking season spanning from November to January relying on the zone. Moreover Florida is the one state you get a shot on the Osceola subspecies of the turkey, a extremely wanted hen for these chasing a grand slam.
Lastly, bear in mind every state has totally different rules, so you need to verify to ensure you are staying sq. in your hunts.
Important Gear for Fall Turkey Looking
For simply the naked necessities for fall turkey looking, you don’t want a lot and don’t need to carry an excessive amount of. Packing in mild for fall turkey looking will be key, as a result of the autumn flocks of turkeys can cowl massive swaths of land transferring between their roosts and meals. So the much less gear you will have, the simpler you’ll be able to transfer to trace the birds.
Clothes and Camouflage
For clothes and camouflage, you’ll be able to go as low-cost or as costly as you need. I’m going with a budget facet of issues right here, with most of my stuff being the most affordable Realtree Edge stuff I might discover. The essential gist of it’s you need to be coated up and never be carrying too many strong colours that may present the birds your motion. Turkeys are very cautious and might simply detect motion. So garment-wise, lengthy sleeves, lengthy pants, gloves, and a facemask are a should, you need to cowl up all of your pores and skin. Moreover, for fall hunts in hotter climate, it will assist maintain the bugs from with the ability to get at you.
Calls and Decoys
Whereas the frequent false impression is that turkeys within the fall aren’t very vocal and gained’t reply to calls, that basically isn’t the case. Deliver alongside two calls: a diaphragm name and a slate name with you so you’ll be able to reply to the birds once you hear them. For decoys, usually a tom and hen will likely be a lot, if you wish to journey even lighter a single hen would work. Do pay attention to state rules, for instance, Alabama doesn’t enable decoys within the fall.
Weapons and Ammunition
A shotgun with an acceptable turkey load is all you want. You may go as high-end as you need or as low-cost as you need. I usually use an affordable $180 single-shot shotgun with a Gobblestopper purple dot on high, however will even gladly take a pleasant semi-auto with me as properly. For tube-fed shotguns do bear in mind to verify what your state’s rules are. I’ve to plug mine to 2+1 to remain authorized. For ammunition choice it’s once more the identical, you need to use something from a less expensive lead shot load like Winchester Longbeard XR that I exploit or one thing that makes use of ultra-dense tungsten shot. All that issues is that they group properly along with your shotgun.
Different Turkey-Looking Equipment
Whereas I mentioned packing mild was key, there are a number of different issues I might advocate you to deliver in your fall turkey hunt:
- Binoculars: Nice for checking to see if that black blob 200 yards down the clearing is a turkey or an previous stump,
- Seat Cushion: A seat cushion or perhaps a small foam pad could make turkey looking much more comfy. Sitting on the bottom sucks, particularly sitting on rocks or pine roots.
- Snacks / Water: Snacks are nice and might increase morale if it’s been a sluggish hunt. The water is self-explanatory, keep hydrated.
This stuff ought to solely add minimal bulk to what you’re packing in, and a few of the seat cushion choices can clip onto you so you’ll be able to simply simply sit down on high of them.
Scouting and Finding Turkeys
When scouting for fall turkeys, you’re going to need to put in loads of time and steps to succeed. You need to maintain your eyes open for hen signal on the bottom corresponding to tracks, droppings, and feathers.
You need to discover three areas for fall turkeys:
- Their meals supply
- Their roosts
- Their journey corridors
Fall turkey meals sources
Discovering the place the turkeys eat will make your hunt loads simpler. Suppose:
- Acorns: If yow will discover fruiting oak bushes that’s dropping acorns for the 12 months, you will have discovered gold. Turkeys will cross over different meals sources to get acorns
- Agricultural grain fields: Fields which have been harvested are one other high quality meals supply for turkey, particularly corn
- Inexperienced Fields: Scout inexperienced fields early on within the season. They maintain loads of bugs that the youthful turkeys love for his or her excessive protein content material.
- Wild berries: Any wild berry or seed-producing vegetation can entice turkey as properly.
Turkey roosts
With the meals facet of the equation finished you must discover the roosts. That is the place the turkeys will keep up within the bushes in a single day. Turkeys are inclined to favor mature hardwood stands alongside the tops of ridges. These will often be close to the meals sources and water sources. In the course of the center of the day whereas scouting you can too discover dropped feathers and droppings beneath these tree to substantiate a possible roost.
Journey corridors
When each the meals and roost found out, the very last thing you must work out is the journey corridors in between them. You need to search for any hen signal on the bottom corresponding to tracks, scratchings within the leaves, droppings, and feathers. Often, the land will naturally decide the route the birds will take. You can too arrive earlier than daybreak to watch the birds go away their roosts from a distance. That manner you’ll be able to see which path they’re touring.
Calling Methods
The autumn is the proper time to get began with turkey calling. Within the spring, you need to be strategic, calling occasionally to get a “dialog” going between the turkeys within the hopes of drawing an enormous tom. You gained’t get one within the fall, so you’ll be able to name as a lot as you need, and the standard of the decision isn’t as vital. Listed below are 4 calls you need to be taught forward of time and use for the autumn:
Cluck
Clucks are for when the birds are nearer to you. A brief and sharp sound that may coax a turkey in nearer or simply keep contact. Clucks are softer and extra relaxed in tempo and don’t deliver an excessive amount of consideration to your hideout. This once more will be finished with a mouth or slate name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTyPmhjdJ3M
Kee-kee
The kee-kee name is a triple whistle name that’s often related to misplaced or distressed turkeys, particularly the younger ones. It is a nice name for when the turkeys are regrouping. This will herald a passing flock of birds to return try the “misplaced hen”. A diaphragm name is greatest for these however a slate can work as properly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwKxYwtZePc
Purr
The purr is a mushy rolling sound that the turkeys make to say they’re content material and completely happy telling different birds they’re in a great spot. This will create a way of security for the birds and might deliver the birds into taking pictures vary if you end up arrange on a meals supply. The slate name are excellent for purring.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH_8NzDsIEY
Yelp
The yelp is a primary and versatile name important to finding turkeys. That is the sound that hens use to speak with different birds. You need these with a great cadence in strings of three to eight however even as much as sixteen yelps. This sound sparks their curiosity and might have the flock are available attempting to attach with what they assume is one other turkey. This may be finished with each a mouth or slate name.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqrbHcDIfKA
Setting Up for Fall Turkey Success
With all of the scouting finished, you must arrange your hunt. There are three principal methods to go about it:
- You may hunt the meals sources with decoys
- Arrange an ambush on the journey corridors
- Scatter the flock
With looking close to the meals sources, you need to arrange real looking decoys close to or on the feeding areas, then begin calling out of your chosen spot. Hopefully, the mixture of decoys and calling will entice the flock in to attempt to feed.
Organising an ambush on the journey hall is usually a very productive methodology that has a decrease danger of pushing the birds out of your space. That is merely utilizing the data you gathered from scouting you arrange on a recognized journey hall and wait. You might be ready for the birds to maneuver to a meals supply within the morning or return to the roost within the night. You need to both brush in and even arrange a floor blind and simply be very nonetheless and affected person.
The final methodology is scattering the flock, the place you purposely mess with the birds to scatter them from one another. The scattered smaller teams of birds will likely be extra receptive to calling as they attempt to reform into a much bigger flock once more. Then as they arrive, again you’ll be able to pick your goal hen. It is a enjoyable and efficient methodology to getting a fall hen, however can put extra strain on the turkeys—probably pushing them away.
Ideas for a Profitable Fall Turkey Hunt
Modify because the Season Goes on
As the autumn units in and the forest adjustments, so do the turkeys. You’ve got to have the ability to alter your fall turkey techniques because the colder climate units in. Simply since you noticed the birds in a spot in the beginning of the autumn when issues have been nonetheless inexperienced doesn’t imply they are going to be there later.
Select Your Pictures Fastidiously
You would possibly discover I by no means mentioned how a lot ammo you need to take into the woods for fall turkey looking. I’ll solely take two or three shells with me out into the woods. You could solely want one or two shells, as a result of you ought to be very selective along with your photographs. For those who don’t assume you’ll be able to drop the hen with the shot, don’t take it. Let it cross or wait a bit longer for a greater shoot alternative.
Security Concerns for Fall Turkey Looking
Security is essential for turkey looking, particularly on public land the place there may very well be a number of hunters close to each other:
- Know what your goal is. For the love of God, don’t shoot at motion with out understanding what precisely it’s.
- On the other finish of this, for those who see one other hunter transferring in direction of you, yell “Cease” first.
- Don’t begin transferring instantly in case you are in camo, they may shoot in response to your motion.
- When you’re posted up attempt to have a big pure barrier behind you. You need one thing sturdy sufficient to protect you simply in case Elmer Fudd begins blasting.
- Lastly, in case you are profitable in bagging that hen, ensure to cowl it up with a sport bag or a bit of hunter-orange clothes. You don’t need somebody popping a shot at you mistaking your useless hen for a stay one.
Widespread Errors to Keep away from
Not Calling Birds
Don’t be afraid to name out to the birds, even for those who aren’t probably the most expert with turkey calling. Fall turkey looking provides you the leeway to name extra freely. It is a nice alternative so that you can follow your calling for the spring.
Looking too Near Meals Sources and Roosts
Don’t hunt too near the meals sources or the roosts early on within the fall Season. When you can bag a hen this fashion, this will scatter the birds and push them away from you in the long term.
Motion
Attempt to maintain motion to a minimal when calling, particularly for those who’re getting birds to gobble again. Typically a tom will run up behind you, however any sudden motion will scare them off. Nonetheless: for those who observe a turkey who’s unaware of your presence go down right into a fold within the panorama the place you’ll be able to’t get a shot and you’ve got the chance to hide your motion with terrain or foliage, that may be an advantageous time to maneuver to the place you may get a transparent shot.
FAQs
How do you turkey hunt within the fall?
By scouting out the meals sources that the autumn flocks of turkeys are feeding on after which arrange within the journey path between the meals and roosts.
Is fall turkey looking tougher?
I wouldn’t name fall turkey looking tougher, as an alternative I might name it totally different. It’s extra akin to looking white tail than looking turkeys within the spring. As a substitute of calling in birds you need to scout, discover hen indicators, and wait patiently for probably the most half.
What time of day is greatest for fall turkey looking?
Late mornings to mid-afternoons will be very productive because the turkeys make their method to the meals and again.
What turkey decoy to make use of within the fall?
For those who can solely have one decoy you need at the least a hen. This will deliver within the flocks of hens, jakes, and jennies to analyze
What’s the greatest name for a turkey within the fall?
For those who can solely have one, I like to recommend the slate name over the diaphragm. The training curve isn’t as steep with a slate name, and they’re a great start line for newer turkey hunters.
Conclusion
The autumn turkey season is nice alternative for hunters to get one other scrumptious hen for the 12 months, and shouldn’t be disregarded the place out there. Whereas looking turkeys within the fall doesnt give massive excited gobbles of a love drunk mature tom such as you do within the spring. You continue to get to name in birds with a extra delicate, yelps, purrs, clucks, and kee kees. It’s true the season will be tougher to hunt, however these challenges arent one thing that the typical hunter can’t overcome. The teachings hunters can be taught from fall turkey season can translate into higher future success for bagging that massive gobbler within the spring.
