HuntingNet.com Forums - Fall Turkey HUnting

This is from my Turkey Addict's Manual, it is coplyrighted. I hope it helps some f you.

Fall Hunting Techniques
The classic way to hunt turkeys in the fall is to find a flock of birds, often hens and young, get close enough to flush the birds, and scatter them by running into the flock, waving your arms and yelling as you go. Then you set up in the area, wait until the birds begin calling to each other to regroup, and then call to get them to come to you. Your calling often gets the lost young to sound off in an effort to find the hen or others of the flock. Once one of the birds start calling the others begin calling in return, and the flock eventually gets back together. Sometimes this works, but the birds may regroup somewhere else. If you set up close to where the birds landed you may end up between two birds calling to each other, and they may come right to you.

Scattering birds in the fall works but is often unnecessary. If you are close enough to scatter a flock you are usually close enough for a shot, or you can get close enough. Wait for a single bird to separate from the flock before you shoot; its easy to kill more than one turkey when the birds are close together. You can also locate a feeding flock, and then try to get ahead of them, and ambush one when it goes by.

When you are hunting toms in the fall, try to locate the birds the night before you hunt, by watching them or hearing them fly-up to roost at night. Then go in the next morning, setup as close as you can to the roost trees (50-60 yards), and try to get between the birds and their morning feeding area. Then you call the birds in or ambush them when they walk by.

I use more decoys in the fall than I do in the spring, because of the larger flocks I encounter. I use up to six decoys and generally use only hen decoys when I am hunting hens, because I am not simulating breeding or dominance behavior. If I'm after toms I use one jake decoy; more than that may scare off a single tom. For hunting sites I choose semi-open areas like I would for spring hunting, with a tree at my back to break up my outline, and for protection. Then I string some camouflage material up in front of me.

When I hunt private land, and am fairly sure I will not be stalked by other hunters, I prefer to have the cover in front of me. I choose a low bush or a fallen tree to sit behind, and I sit on a portable folding stool/backpack. This method of portable hunting, not needing a tree as a backrest, gives me the opportunity to pick up and move if the area is unproductive. I can set up in more open areas by using a piece of camouflage material stowed in the backpack.

Fall Turkey Calls
When you call turkeys in the fall its helpful to understand the differences between spring and fall turkey vocalizations. Since the birds most likely to respond to calling in the fall are the young, you should use the calls of the hen and her young. In the spring the poults signal to the hen that they are lost by using the three note Lost Whistle; a high pitched peep, peep, peep. As the turkey poults grow their voices change, and the Lost Whistle they used in the spring becomes the Kee-Kee, which is the juvenile version of the "Here I am. Where are you?", or they use the Lost Yelp of the adult birds. Sonogram recordings of the Kee-Kee show that it usually consists of three (not two) unevenly spaced .10-.15 second notes, performed in one second. The first note is short and not as high pitched as the last two notes, and the call generally rises in pitch.

The juveniles also use the Kee-Kee Run in the fall. This call starts out like the Kee-Kee, usually with two to four "kee" notes, with five to seven yelps added. The entire call is performed in about two seconds; kee-kee-kee, yelp, yelp, yelp, yelp. When the birds use this call they are saying, "I'm over here. Where Are You?" Both the Kee-Kee and the Kee-Kee run are used by the juveniles as they try to get back together after they have been scattered.
The Lost Yelp is the call of an adult bird that is separated from other turkeys. It may have as many as six to twenty or more evenly spaced notes, with three to four notes per second. The call gets progressively louder with each note and is often quite raspy. This raspiness occurs because the bird's voice breaks as it tries to make the call as loud as possible. It may be used by jakes, toms and hens to get back together.

The Assembly Yelp is used by the hen to let the young know where she is, so they can get back together. This call usually consists of six to ten or more evenly spaced yelps, with each note from .10 to .20 seconds in length. Because juveniles know their mother's voice, which you probably can't duplicate, this call is often ineffective in the fall.

Turkeys often use a Plain cluck as they respond to another bird's
calling. They also use it as they approach another bird while they are trying to locate it by sight. It is a short call, usually consisting of one to three notes per second, with each note about .04 second in length. Remember, when the bird is performing this call it is trying to attract the attention of the other bird; it is loud.

The Fast Cutt or Cutting is a series of fast clucks, but louder and more insistent than the Plain Cluck. The Fast Cutt usually consists of four to ten notes, with from three to six notes per second, and each note lasting .04 seconds in length (as short as you can blow). It starts out with one short note per second, and increases in loudness and speed to five to six notes per second. It is performed by a bird that is telling another that if they are going to get together the other bird has to do the walking. Roughly translated it means: "I'm not going there, you come here."

Because many of the birds you call to in the fall are young, they respond best to the three versions of the lost call; the Kee-Kee, the Kee-Kee Run and the Lost Yelp, especially after they have been scattered. Obviously the soft putts, purrs and whines of a feeding flock of turkeys can arouse the interest of the birds during the fall. Much of this interest is caused by curiosity about who the other birds are, and why they are there. You can also use the sounds of a fight to attract turkeys (Fighting Purr, wing flapping). Anytime there is a fight almost every bird within hearing will come running, because there may be a shift in the social structure of the flock, and the birds will want to take advantage of a chance to enhance their own social status if a dominant bird is beaten in a fight.

If you are hunting gobblers in the fall you can try to get them to come in by using the Cluck of a gobbler, and infrequent Gobbling. Toms gobble all year long to express dominance; I have heard them gobble during the first weekend of the gun deer season in Minnesota, which is usually the first weekend of November. By using gobbler Clucks and Gobbling you may get a dominant tom to come to your call to find out which gobbler dares to gobble around him.

Along with good calling you need a good stand site, which offers a clear field of view and shooting lanes. If you can see the birds you have a chance of seeing how they react to your calls, so you can make adjustments to calls that work. The use of decoys in any situation is a definite asset. If the birds not only hear, but see another bird, it helps instill confidence and enhances the curiosity factor of the birds.

You can increase your chances of getting a turkey by learning more about turkeys and understanding them. Put in as much time and effort as you can scouting and learning the area you hunt. Pattern the movement of the birds if you can and learn their high use areas. Remember, the best way to get an animal to come to you is by being in a place it is used to, comfortable with, and going to anyhow. Once you have found the right place to hunt, be prepared with a variety of hunting techniques to ambush the birds, or to arouse their interest or curiosity for a more enjoyable hunt.

If you have questios - fire away, I'm here to help.

God less,

T.R.