On a spring turkey hunting trip to Tennessee, the very year the first fall turkey hunt was to take place in my native Wisconsin, I asked my hosts for advice on how they hunted turkeys in autumn. They described the classic scatter-and-call-back scenario, whereby a hunter rushes a flock of turkeys to scatter them to all directions of the compass, then sets up and goes to work calling the lonely, discombobulated birds back in to re-group with their flockmates.
Those guys had several long Appalachian ridgelines at their disposal, with multiple turkey flocks roaming the hills. When I thought about the two small farms I had access to for turkey hunting back home, I thought there had to be a different way. Why booger and try to call back, then shoot at, and scare again, the very turkeys that I wanted to hunt all fall?
So I decided to go “scatter-free,” as in, hunting turkey flocks as they go about their natural daily business, much like you would whitetails. Here’s the eight-step process that I have developed since then.
Fall turkey hunting offers exciting challenges compared to the spring season. While spring turkeys are focused on breeding, fall turkeys are focused on feeding and preparing for winter. This requires different tactics to be successful. Here is a complete guide on how to hunt turkeys in the fall season
Understand Fall Turkey Behavior
- Fall turkeys flock together in family groups rather than splitting up to breed. These flocks consist of hens, poults (juvenile birds), and young jakes.
- Flocks range from 5-60 birds. Larger “super flocks” form as smaller groups join together.
- Hen to poult ratio is around 1:4.
- Adult gobblers form loose bachelor flocks. They are more difficult to target than mixed flocks.
- Entire flock is legal game in most states, including hens and poults.
Use Proper Scouting Techniques
- Scout from a distance to locate flocks without alerting them.
- Focus on finding food sources first. This dictates flock movement.
- Key food sources:
- Greens in fields/meadows (early fall)
- Acorns in oak woods
- Grain fields after harvest
- Identify roost sites by listening at fly-up/fly-down times.
- Note signs like feathers, droppings, tracks around potential roost trees.
Hunt Travel Corridors
- Set up along routes between roosts and feeding areas.
- Avoid hunting right on food sources, which can push flocks away.
- Sit patiently and call softly to attract passing flocks.
- Successful calls: kee-kees, lost yelps, clucks, purrs.
Ambush Loafing Areas
- Turkeys feed and loaf in safe cover during mid-morning to mid-afternoon.
- Look for scratching sign in leaves or bare dirt patches.
- Set up nearby and call occasionally with hen yelps and clucks.
Scatter and Recall
- Rush a flock while screaming and waving arms.
- Scatter birds in different directions. If they stay together, relocate.
- Circle 100-200 yards from scatter point.
- Sit and call to regroup. Kee-kees and yelps work best.
Pick Off Loners
- Spot a solo bird walking/feeding alone.
- Circle ahead and set up an ambush.
- Use soft purrs and clucks. Often will seek company.
Challenge Territorial Flocks
- Set up a decoy in a field/food source.
- Call aggressively with yelps/cutting to act dominant.
- Entire flock may come to chase off intruder.
Provoke Fall Gobblers
- Locate bachelor flocks.
- Set up just outside flock.
- Make gobbler yelps: low, slow, hoarse.
- Anger with fast yelps and purrs.
Gear Tips
- Lighter loads suffice for smaller birds. Size 6 shot.
- Shorter range compared to spring. Tighter choke.
- Youth model 20 gauge shotguns ideal.
- Turkey vest with foldout seat very useful.
- Decoys: single hen or jakes/hens for groups.
- Diaphragm call plus slate call ideal.
With the right scouting and tactics, fall turkey hunting can offer just as much fun and success as the spring season. Be mobile, adaptable, and don’t be afraid to try out different calls and techniques. You’ll be rewarded with great action on whole flocks of birds. Follow this guide and you’ll tag your fall gobbler in no time.
Understand Fall Turkeys
Everywhere fall turkeys are hunted, any bird is legal game. That means adult hens, young-of-the-year males (known as jakes), young-of-the-year hens (often called jennies), and, of course, gobblers.
While fall gobblers that hang out in loose bachelor groups are certainly huntable, they are extremely difficult to target, so we’ll leave them for spring and spend our time here talking about all those other (I might add, mighty tasty) birds.
Hens, jennies, and jakes travel in family flocks. As fall goes on, a couple of hens will sometimes join forces, and broods, to make super flocks. Some jakes get so raucous though they are sent off in their own rowdy and inquisitive juvenile flocks, which are very talkative and very fun to hunt. Hens that didn’t pull off broods often group up together too.
These are the birds you’ll be targeting. And they all have two things in common: They’re naturally curious, and they eat a lot. Those are the main factors you’ll play on.
Scout fall turkeys like you would whitetails. That means carefully, and from a distance as much as possible, so the birds don’t know you’re around. Vantage points, vehicles, eyeballs, and binoculars are your best scouting tools. If you can figure out what the turkeys are doing every day without letting them know what you’re up to, you’re gold.
One beauty of fall turkey scouting is that you really don’t have to get serious about it until a few days before the season. As fall progresses and the landscape changes almost daily, turkeys are continually changing their feeding and movement patterns.
But that means something else too: What the turkeys were doing at the start of the season—when the forest’s leaves are full, and the meadows are full of greens and bugs—is way different than how they’ll pattern when the leaves are down, the fields brown, the acorns dropped, and the grainfields harvested.
Figure Out the Roosts
Do you know where your turkeys are roosting? That’s the critical step to figuring out where and how to intercept birds. To find a roost, get out and listen at dusk or dawn. Fall flocks will make a racket as they fly down and yack it up to gather in the morning. Though the birds make less noise at night, you can still hear them flapping and winging it up into the branches.
You can also walk the woods midday to try and find trees with feathers and droppings below them. This is good evidence of roosting. Some turkeys will use the same roost place night after night. Other times, it seems birds go on a circuit and only visit a certain roost site every few days.
FALL TURKEY HUNTING/ How to Find Fall Gobblers
FAQ
What is the best way to hunt turkeys in the fall?
For a morning hunt, I put the blind near the roost on the most likely path the birds will take on their way to feed. I set up in the dark, usually within 100 yards of the roost. If it is dark, and you are quiet, you can set a blind up very close to roosted turkeys without their spooking.
What is the best time of day to hunt turkeys in the fall?
The late morning starting at about 9 AM can also be a killer time to hunt. It’s in those later-morning hours that birds get up to start moving around again, and most avid turkey hunters will tell you that from 9 – noon is a great time to hunt.
What turkey decoys to use in the fall?
Yes, using turkey decoys can be a productive tactic in the fall. Positioning realistic decoys near feeding areas or roosting sites can attract both flocks and individual turkeys. Utilize a combination of hen and jake decoys to create an enticing setup that mimics natural flock behavior.
How do you call in a turkey in the fall?
Use your cap to imitate wing beats by slapping it against some brush or a tree. Take a stick and scratch at the dirt or kick leaves around. Using these nonverbal cues while softly running a hands-free call might just be what it takes to bring in a wary tom.