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Fall Turkey Tactics

We have a lot of turkeys running around this fall and I would like to hunt them. Does anyone have any tactics for hunting fall turkeys with a bow that they would like to share?

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Get as close as you can to the flock, charge them screaming, yelling or what ever it takes to scatter them as much as possible, the more different directions they go the better. Move off the initial location a 50-100 yards set up your blind or make a natural blind. Start calling in 15-20 minutes using the lost Kee Kee and a few should start responding and coming in, especially the young birds. They hate to be separated from the flock and will respond readily. Done it many time and it does work.

Thanks for the link trkler. Elkmo, I did that and had the hen fly back in after about 10 minutes and she called in the flock. Unfortunately I did not want to shoot her and the rest of the birds were small and I did not shoot one. I have seen a flock with bigger birds. I would have never thought that that would work so well. Maybe I just got lucky on my first try. Thanks for the responses. There has been a lone tom feeding in a field for a few times in a row. Any advise on how to get him? The field is about an acre of clover. Would a decoy help or hurt? If I call what type of call should I make.

Easy Slayer....we all know toms won't come to calls in the fall, nor will they kick the ever-loving crap out of a submissive jake decoy for hours. And you have to scatter the birds. It's impossible just call up an entire flock, especially right off the bat at daylight, set up near a gobbler roost. Oh, and toms and jakes don't yelp, or cut, either!!!!!

I call fall turkeys in. I use a mixture of Kee Kees , cuts and excited yelps. I call for a couple of minutes than put my mouth call away. If they're birds in the area they will show up. If I hear turkeys I use excited yelps. If I get the boss hen to answer I mimic her till she comes over usually bringing the whole flock. I've had Goblers gobble in the fall. Most of the big gobblers I've called in the fall came in quiet.

I'm curious if the mature toms are with hens early in the fall? I really don't see an advantage for getting up close and flushing hen/poult groups in the fall unless you are trying to harvest hens? From what I understand the mature toms are often in small groups separate from the hens? I would expect a few toms to hang out on the fringes of hen groups or maybe a few toms in with hens. I imagine toms may show up if their curiosity is killing them if someone is using hen calls? It seems like toms would be more inclined to want to beat up jake decoys in the fall....especially small groups of toms? Later in the winter and super early in the spring it seems like turkeys get in super large groups with toms and hens mixed together.

Thanks for the responses. Will tell, do you use any decoys in the fall? I set-up yesterday with 3 hens and a jake decoys in the morning and two hens in the afternoon. I heard some hens in the morning but they would not come in. I am not sure if they saw the decoys. In the afternoon I called in a flock doing just what you recommended. Unfortunately there were about 12 birds and I kept adjusting trying to get a clear shot at only one and when I had a large jake a lone at 8 yards my bull head hit the opening on the blind and I missed. I was too focused on the shot and did not check for clearance when I got the shot. jims, to your point I have seen several flocks with no Toms, a lone Tom several times and yesterday I went after a flock of 6 or 7 long beards. I have not seen a Tom with hens or young birds. Thanks for the help. This is a learning experience for me. I am having fun.

If I could pick between just decoys, or just falls, I'd go with the decoy, personally. Love watching a mob of toms and jakes attack a fake.

I've killed strutting birds all fall, but the bigger the jake/tom flock, the better. So much testosterone,...somebody has to get their azz kicked.

If your going to hunt turkeys in the fall hunt the hens. Never could figure out why anyone would want to kill a mature gobbler in the fall. Save the gobblers to hunt in the spring when they are talking to you...isn't that what turkey hunting is about??!!

Longbeard, I'm sorry but I have to disagree! Hunting fall hens and spring toms seems like a piece of cake? I'm always up for a challenge! If toms aren't hardly gobbling or strutting in the fall doesn't it seem like they'd be a tougher to locate and harvest? With that said, I'd have to agree that there's nothing like hearing toms gobble and watching them flair their tails in the spring!

longbeards talk to me in the fall. Maybe I'm saying the right thing and presenting the right setup to get a heavy weight title fight chit talking show....

I consider cluster gobbling, cutting, strutting and full-out attacks on decoys "talking" to me. Seriously, you guys need to get out more. I don't have the balance to surf a decent wave...doesn't mean it can't be done.

I called in a flock on Saturday and shot one at 8 yards. It has been fun and educational. We are having fresh turkey breast tonight. Thank you for the responses. I found them very helpful. With the cicadas here in OH we have a lot of turkeys running around this fall. However I think that I will try it again next fall. It sure helps keep me from hunting my deer stands to early. Now it is time to hunt deer.

twanger nice!! good work.

Jims I never said it was a piece of cake. All I'm sayimg is I would rather concentrate my fall efforts on the hens and save the gobblers for spring when they are gobbling

One more time, Longbeard. They will gobble in the fall and winter if you work them right. Some of the best decoy fights I've seen have been in late December and January. Way to go, Twanger. Bet that was a great meal.

I've called more birds in during fall season and bigger flocks. In Pa. we can archery deer hunt and turkey hunt the same time so I just carry a few mouth calls. I've got some shots but with no blind and using traditional equipment it's pretty hard. There's one thing I'll share about Turkeys is there is no one way they do anything. I've been chasing them for 50 years and they still surprise me. The way to learn is like what Twanger is doing, get out there learn from the birds themselves.

I'm up in my treestand and there's a turkey gobbling just out of sight. I brought my box call just in case. I also saw a nice buck out in the marsh 30 minutes ago which is priority. Before climbing down i may give a few calls to see what happens.

One more time writer I didn't say they never gobble in the fall...all I am saying is I would prefer to leave the gobblers for spring. Much more fun and a hell of a lot more gobbling. Just my opinion. Is that ok what I said that time Writer? I mean you have killed more, seen more and done better than anyone else on this site. Right?

"When they are gobbling..." translates to as compared to when they are not gobbling. I kinda work with words for a living., pretty sure on that.. :-) Never said I know more, killed more than everybody but the guy's I've traveled with, hunted with, learned from danged sure have. Talked to Rob Keck today, at length, his favorite month for turkeys is January because of all the fighting and gobbling which makes it very fun. Yes, he has killed more, seen more and done better than anyone else on this site, or any site. That's a fact. Enjoy your fall deer hunts. I'll enjoy my fall deer hunts and turkey hunts, ....duck hunts, goose hunts, pheasant hunts, quail hunts...

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