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 and rewards for hunters looking to extend their season beyond the spring. While less popular than spring hunting turkeys in the fall can lead to full freezers and camaraderie around the Thanksgiving table. This comprehensive guide will cover tips, tactics, gear and more to set you up for success during the autumn turkey seasons.
Why Hunt Turkeys in the Fall?
Many hunters focus solely on the spring seasons, but the fall offers plenty of reasons to keep chasing these birds:
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Opportunity to bag multiple birds. Most states are hen-hunting friendly in the fall, allowing more tags per hunter.
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Less pressured birds You’ll encounter far fewer hunters in the fall woods and fields.
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Fascinating flock behaviors. Fall birds gather in large groups, creating exciting hunting dynamics.
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Familiar terrain. Fall patterns often occur on private land you already hunt for deer and other species.
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Better eating. Fall young-of-the-year birds provide tender, smaller roasts perfect for Thanksgiving.
How to Find Fall Flocks
Locating roaming fall flocks takes effort but pays dividends. Focus on these prime areas:
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Harvested crop fields. Check picked corn, soybean, wheat, and hayfields for feeding flocks. Look for tracks, droppings, and flipped cow pies.
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Oak forests. Flocks feed heavily on acorns. Scout for fresh scratchings under oaks.
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Dusting areas. Watch for turkey-sized depressions in loose dirt – a sign of dust baths.
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Ridgetops and logging roads. Hike or drive these transition zones while scanning and calling to locate flocks.
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Food plots and pastures. Flocks prefer fields with ample browse and grasshoppers until frost.
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Roost trees. Pinpoint roosts by scouting fly-up locations at dusk or listening on calm mornings.
Ambush and Intercept Fall Flocks
The preferred method used by most successful fall hunters targeting flocks is scouting and ambush. Flocks, if undisturbed, tend to follow predictable daily patterns between roosting, feeding, and loafing areas. Identify and pattern flock movements, then intercept them along their routes.
Effective ambush tactics include:
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Slipping in before fly-down to sit near a known roost.
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Setting up along a trail between feeding and roosting areas.
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Sneaking into a field ahead of the flock and hiding near their entry point.
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Placing decoys in feeding fields to draw territorial birds. Aggressive hen decoys work well.
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Calling softly to pull in single loner birds looking for a flock to join.
Scattering and Calling Fall Flocks
Another highly effective fall turkey tactic is scattering and calling. To employ this technique:
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Locate a flock feeding or loafing. Sneak in as close as possible.
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Once within range, remove shells from your gun. Charge the flock waving arms and yelling.
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Ideally, the birds will flush in every direction. Quickly retreat 100-200 yards.
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Set up in silence then call to regroup the flock using kee-kees, yelps, and clucks.
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Draw confident hens in close with aggressive calling before picking your shot.
Both scatter and ambush tactics allow you to capitalize on the flocking instincts and territorial behaviors fall turkeys exhibit.
Matching Fall Flocks with Proper Calling
While turkeys use the same vocalizations year-round, certain calls are better matched to fall hunting scenarios:
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Kee-kees – High-pitched whistle from young poults, often used to regroup scattered flocks.
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Lost yelps – Series of plaintive yelps mimicking a lost hen looking for others. Good for locating.
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Aggressive yelps – Loud, rapid yelping and cutting challenging intruder hens. Pulls in territorial birds.
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Gobbler yelps – Low, slow, coarse yelps enticing dominant male flocks.
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Gobbles – Sparingly challenge male flocks to investigate and display aggression.
Gearing Up for Fall Success
Speciality turkey gear isn’t essential for the fall, but a few key items can make your hunts more effective and comfortable:
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Choke – Tight patterns are crucial with potentially closer shots on smaller bodies. Opt for extra full.
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Shells – Lighter 1 3/4 oz #6 shot is ideal for juvenile birds. Retains energy at shorter ranges.
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Gun – Smaller 20 gauges nicely match the size of fall birds. Convenient to carry all day.
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Vest – Comfort is key for marathon fall hunts. Choose an adjustable, well-ventilated design.
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Decoys – Portable, lightweight, and ultra-realistic decoys like collapsible hens or jakes work perfectly.
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Boots – Waterproof boots with ankle support help traverse fall’s wet, muddy conditions.
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Calls – Have kee-kees, yelps, purrs, and clucks handy to interact with flocks. Add a gobbler yelp call.
Additional Tips and Tactics
A few more strategies can lead to your best fall turkey hunts:
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Target adult male flocks by matching their coarse, infrequent yelps and gobbles.
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If possible, carry multiple tags to take advantage of multiple shot opportunities.
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Sit tight after taking a bird – hens often attack their fallen flock-mates.
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Inbound flocks often pause just out of range. Stay hidden and be patient.
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Scout constantly through the season as flocks shift patterns and feeding locations.
With smart scouting, an adaptable approach, quality gear, and persistent effort, you can experience exhilarating turkey hunting this fall. Now get out there and make the most of the autumn turkey seasons!
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.
Common Fall Turkey food Sources:
- Greens: Early in the fall, meadows, hay ground, pastures, and alfalfa fields are still green. These places serve as key feeding areas as they hold protein-rich insects that are important to younger birds.
- Acorns: Are there oaks in your area? Wild turkeys will forsake all other foods—and that includes greens, food plots, and grains—when acorns are dropping or available.
- Crops: Grain stubble becomes a draw once harvest is complete, especially if there isn’t a rich acorn crop to keep the birds in the woods. By order of preference, turkeys like corn first, then soybeans second. Where it’s still grown, wheat is good, and milo and sunflowers attract birds too.
FALL TURKEY HUNTING/ How to Find Fall Gobblers
FAQ
What time of day is best for fall turkey hunting?
How do you call a turkey in the fall?
What turkey decoy to use in the fall?
Where are turkeys in the fall?
How do you hunt a Turkey in the fall?
Another key point for fall turkey hunting is practicing how to use the sun and shadows. Think about the old western cowboy movies, every gunfighter wanted the sun at his back. It’s the same way in turkey hunting. If the sun is at your back, it is far easier for you to see the turkeys and more difficult for the turkeys to see you.
Are fall forays the same as spring turkey hunting?
While it hasn’t caught on like spring turkey hunting, fall forays done right can be just as exciting if you put in a little legwork to find the flocks. The only difference is that you’re hunting birds that think with their stomachs instead of their hearts. Feature image via Tony Bynum.
Which roost is best for wild turkey hunting?
Ray Eye, professional, legendary wild turkey hunter, champion turkey caller, outdoor talk radio show host and one of our nation’s gurus for wild turkey hunting: Fall roosts are the best places to begin your fall hunt. Fall roost locations will remain the same each and every year if the habitat and food source does not change.
Do hunters kill fall turkeys?
Many hunters kill fall turkeys incidentally while pursuing deer or small game, sometimes encountering flocks at harvested crop fields or mast-rich wooded areas. There’s nothing wrong with that, but true students of the autumn game dig far deeper into turkey behavior and learn to interact with each type of fall bird.