Fall gobblers!

[jims]

It seems like this website is pretty much dead in the fall until big game and other hunts are over for the winter.  I'm curious if there are any other turkey finatics out there that have much experience hunting in the fall?  Unfortunately I don't live in an area with many turkey.  I'm curious if turkeys are very vocal in the fall?  Do they make much noise on the roost?  Also, if it's possible to get toms to gobble?  I'm curious if similar tactics can be used in the fall that are successful in the spring?  Thanks for any advice!

[jakesdad]

Very vocal in the fall. You'll hear a lot more turkey talk than in the spring,especially among hens and the younger birds. Tom's will gobble in the fall but it's not like spring. I like to mimic whatever I'm hearing from other birds . Known feeding and roost areas can be good places to setup or you can move around and call then setup if you get birds answering you. I really like fall. LOTS less hunting pressure and birds love to talk

[fallhnt]

Ya...lots of talk. When they flock up latter in Fall it's great. I like Fall hunting more than Spring but I Fall hunted two years before I hunted Spring gobblers. Toms gobble lots on the public ground I hunt but jakes do most of the gobbling. During duck season when the guns start going off is the best time to be in the woods. Guns shots make em' gobble. I use decoys and call a lots, just like Spring. You also see strutting. It's a good time to be out. Toms are hard to find but fun to hunt. I shoot any turkey I call in because I bow hunt and still get a thrill when they come to the call.

[wvmntnhick]

I've killed more fall birds than spring birds. The tactics haven't always been what some would call sporting. Lots have been ambushed as targets of opportunity while squirrel hunting. Some were shot from trees while using my buddy's turkey dog but we can't use dogs anymore. Still, a lot have been shot after busting up a flock and calling them back. That's my favorite way to hunt them but often times, it'll just be flocks of hens and poults. Not often will you bust up gobblers and call them back. They don't mind being alone and will just gather back up while going back to the roost. Sometimes they'll come back looking for a friend but not like the hens and poults. I've shot birds after busting a flock and just whistling the kee-kee. It's a great time to hunt birds and after striking out this spring, I plan to give it a go this year for certain.


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[1iagobblergetter]

Very vocal in the fall. You'll hear a lot more turkey talk than in the spring,especially among hens and the younger birds. Tom's will gobble in the fall but it's not like spring. I like to mimic whatever I'm hearing from other birds . Known feeding and roost areas can be good places to setup or you can move around and call then setup if you get birds answering you. I really like fall. LOTS less hunting pressure and birds love to talk

This is also pretty much how I hunt them. I use to let everything get a pass except mature Gobblers. Do to time constraints and also saving hen Wingbones for trumpet mouthpieces and Wingbone calls I fill my tags with whatever I ve called in first or seem to have time for. I also call to whatever I'm after Gobblers= Gobbler clucks and yelps etc. Hens and young of the year= lost calls,kee kees,etc. I've never broken up flocks and called them in just have sat in known turkey areas and called them in. We are allowed 2 tags and if I've shot and bagged one turkey and when  they scatter I've stayed sitting and have resumed calling and have called birds back in. I love fall turkey, any turkey hunting to be honest. Good luck!!

[Farmboy27]

I was raised on fall turkeys.  Very few people hunted spring season in my area when I first started hunting but almost everyone hunted fall turkey. I still love fall season but, at least where i'm at, if you love gobbling, strutting, and tons of turkey sounds then you are in for a disappointment.  I've heard gobbles in the fall but they aren't very common.  And while a family flock will make some noise in the tree and right after flydown, after that they don't say much unless they are broke up and trying to get back together.  I have had success cold calling in a likely spot but lets face it, sit in a good spot long enough and the turkeys will come by.  I prefer putting boots to the ground and finding the birds.  Now days I spend a lot of my hunting time in a treestand waiting for something to happen.  When I go out for turkeys its usually because I'm sick of waiting for something to happen, I want to try to make something happen!  Fall birds can be a blast, just don't expect it to be a concert of gobbling and yelping and the suspense of a tom that you know is there just out of sight.  Most of my fall longbeards have come in dead silent. 

[SteelerFan]

I started my turkey hunting career exclusively on fall birds. Haven't done it too much lately (stupid archery obsession with deer...lol). In my experiences (mountains of WV, Pa, Md) - I too would hike likely turkey areas and search for fresh sign like scratchings. Sometimes I would set up in the area and call every once in a while, or attempt to locate a flock and scatter them and wait and call to them as they got back together.

Like wvmntnhick pointed out, I have found longbeards to be somewhat stubborn when it comes to coming to a call. They will either be cruising solo, or in a bachelor group of 3 - 8 birds. More often than not, I've had them show some interest, but they are masters of the "Hey, we are over here if you want to come, but if not... that's fine too" kind of attitude.

Definitely a great time of year to be in the woods, and a fall longbeard is an accomplishment of a trophy.

[trkehunr93]

Calling a fall gobbler in is a challenge and when you do it is a great reward.  The times I have, and they have been few, I have been lucky to get one cluck from one to let me know he/they are there.  Most definitely not a social animal in the fall but when they play it's exciting.  Find the food and you'll find the turkeys, young of the year to old gobblers.   

[EZ]

Try gobbling at daylight. You can often get longbeards or last year's jakes to gobble back if you are in fairly close proximity.

[jims]

Thanks for the replies!  Sounds like a lot of fun.  For the most part it sounds like the toms aren't really in with the groups of hens/poults in the early fall.  I'm not sure if there is an advantage to flushing groups of hens/poults and then calling them back in if there aren't any toms in the group?  Possibly this gets the toms attention and they might come see what's going on.  If it's a group of toms that are flushed they may or may not care if they get back together?  It may be worth a try or it may be best to take your time and try to entice them in with a decoy or soft calling?  I've heard a jake decoy sometimes get toms wound up in the fall?

I've seen giant groups of hens mixed with toms during the super early spring before they breakup.  They roost and spend the day together.  There must be a time in the winter when they join up?  The fall turkey season here in Colo ends at the end of Oct so maybe that is to late before they group up?

I have a feeling it's a matter of just getting out, hunting hard, and being at the right place at the right time.  I get a kick out of just watching turkeys so it's nice having the opportunity to chase them around in the fall!