Late Season Tactics

[shaman]

The Shamanic Dream Team is heading into the last week of KY's Spring Gobbler Season with quite a few tags to fill.  I thought I'd bring up the topic of late season tactics.

Me?  I pretty much hide in the bushes and call lightly.  I figure the hens are not going to be all that demonstrative now, and the trick will be finding a gob that still has enough vim left to chance a blind date. 

What are your late season tactics?

[dirt road ninja]

Gobble more, other then that get tighter to the roost and I also tend to hunt more aggressively.

[GobbleNut]

My late season tactics are pretty much the same as my early and mid-season tactics.  Find a gobbler that wants to play the game, carry on a conversation with him, and try to convince him to meet face to face.  If they don't want to do that, they can just stay out there in the turkey woods as far as I am concerned.

[Marc]

Late in the season, I am more apt to travel after that gobble...

Outside of being a bit less aggressive on the call, I do not change much.  Early in the season, I am often trying to tee off a hen to bring a tom in tow, and I will cut and yelp quite aggressively.  Later in the season, I will often park in spots of confidence and utilize more subtle calling for longer periods...

Before deciding to leave, I might try some aggressive and lonely yelping or even a gobble or two.  I also backtrack over areas (as I have found that sometimes birds end up where you were earlier looking for that hen).

If we have a late spring storm, I am apt to try to hunt right after it clears (as it seems to me that nesting hens might lose a nest in a good storm and be back on the prowl).

[Happy]

1. Find a Turkey
2. Get in a good killing spot as close to him as possible.
3. Call to him and get him worked up so he does something stupid.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as necessary until successful or run out of time

[Harty]

I feel birds are dispersed and spread out more by late season so I move more covering more ground looking for that hot Tom. I tone down my calling or at least try and mimic the hens calling if they are vocal.

[Gooserbat]

Aside from the light calling, cover more ground, I also try the deer hunt method.  Set up where you believe they want to be and don't call.

[Spitten and drummen]

1. Find a Turkey
2. Get in a good killing spot as close to him as possible.
3. Call to him and get him worked up so he does something stupid.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 as necessary until successful or run out of time

This.

[High plains drifter]

Late in the season, the toms are dispersed more, they are not flocked up.I think they are easier to call in, late in the season
I have had more success late in the season. Also, you will find line toms, out looking for hens, in places where there is water. Maybe a small water hole, a pond, even a stock tank, or a spring.

[TRG3]

Over the years, I've found the late season to be the most productive since active gobblers are looking for ever decreasing hens wanting to breed. Often the dominate bird will still try to bring any hen to him but, given a few minutes or a couple of hours, will give in and go to the hen. For me, this is encouraged by my use of a gobble tube call which gives the impression that an intruder tom is trying to move in on a receptive hen. This worked for me the past Monday morning, taking about an hour from first gobble to the shot. I'm sure that my stutter decoy and accompanying hen helped sell the scenario to the real gobbler. It was necessary for this right handed person take the shot left handed, a shooting form which every hunter should practice doing.

[Jester87]

My late season tactics are pretty much the same as my early and mid-season tactics.  Find a gobbler that wants to play the game, carry on a conversation with him, and try to convince him to meet face to face.  If they don't want to do that, they can just stay out there in the turkey woods as far as I am concerned.

Exactly this.

[Ctrize]

If hunting solo get close tone down calling, clucks single, double yelps scratching. If hunting with partner set up ambush shooter 30-40 yds in front of caller.

[Jrkimbrough]

Aside from the light calling, cover more ground, I also try the deer hunt method.  Set up where you believe they want to be and don't call.

Agreed!  Late season is also when I like to break out the different calls (trumpet, scratch box, etc.).  I've also for some reason had more success in the afternoons during late season as well.  Set up within 200 yards of roosting area and VERY lightly call and scratch in leaves.