I have only been turking hunting for 3 years now. I have found that my most sucessful hunts are early season (within the first week and a half) here in Ohio. I will be traveling to hunt public land in Tennessee this year, but not until the 28th of April. Very excited, but counting on it being difficult. Can anybody provide tips for bagging a late season TN tom?
I would think it wold be like bagging any late season gobbler, just with a different license and or terrain.....
I know a man that said he didn't hunt until 3 weeks into the season because he doesn't like hunting henned up toms.
I don't have any adivce for public land hunting though, I usually hunt private land.
Where are you going to hunt.
The best advice I could give you for late season birds here in Tennessee, or anywhere else you're hunting Easterns for that matter, is to loose your yelp. By the end of April they've heard it all. They can tell you the brand and model of caller you're using. Do your home work and get in close to the birds. Get in close and cluck and purr. Maybe scratch the leaves a little but unless you get a really hot bird, don't yelp at him. If you do, he may gobble at you but he'll probably go the other way, gobbling when you yelp. I call them runners. They will run you to death on the ridges.
I will be hunting around the ridges of Dale Hollow if this helps. I have been there before, but have never been able to connect. Heard plenty of gobbles on the ridges, but never seem to be in the right place at the right time to get one to come in.
Studying up on hunting silent birds might help , they get quieter as the season goes on around here on public land.
one good thing about hunting late season public land most of the yahoo's have give up and gone home after they have educated the heck out of the birds good luck :anim_25: