Fall is, without a doubt, my favorite time of year to hunt. And for many turkey hunters, including me, who love the spring game as much as anything in the outdoors, the autumn hunt gives us the chance to play chess with “Big Bird” once again, complemented by unbelievable colors and that classic, revitalizing, autumn crispness in the air that we all wait for! Trust me, once you’re into it, fall turkey hunting will make you come back year after year.
However, there’s a master’s level of outdoor chess to be learned and enjoyed once you get fully engaged in fall turkey game. It’s challenging and rewarding — and possibly as good as turkey hunting gets, and I’m super thankful I don’t have to choose between hunting white tails and turkeys during the autumn months, as the very thought of it gives me the chills! But for now, let’s focus on these few tips that, hopefully, will help you bag a good bird this fall!
Scouting and finding the flock
When it comes to finding birds, there is no substitute for boots on the ground or tires on gravel. Where I live, some turkeys reside in the same spots all year long, while others tend to have winter locations that differ from their traditional spring areas. The key is identifying the shift when it occurs.
This is where trail cameras can really come in handy. Regardless of where you hunt, there are places you simply cannot see, and a set of eyes constantly watching a small or larger area or two is hard to put a price on. Also, a quality pair of binoculars is an important component to your scouting, and not just for turkey hunting, but for all forms of hunting and scouting you may find yourself doing for all seasons. But eventually, you’ll have to get in tight with these birds, and that’s one of the main reasons we scout!
The set-up
Some years ago, I would see sizable flocks of fall birds in late September but have trouble pinning them down for opening day. Eventually I got smart and hung two cameras in the vicinity where I was seeing them, almost daily, and the images began to roll in.
While I wouldn’t say these turkeys were moving in any predictable pattern, there were usually a bunch of them in the woods around this field each day. It was simply a matter of where they came out and which direction they would go from there. Because fall turkey setups are all about location. Find an area where birds are and learn when they’re there, then try to get into position before they arrive.
Getting there first
When you decide to chase fall birds, keep your options open. I’ve tried the classic “bust-up the flock” routine many times. And the short of it is this: If you decide to try this tactic, get to where you saw the last bird running or flying away, and sit down. Wait a few moments, just to see what you might hear, and then begin calling (more on that below).
Remember, turkeys are still very vocal in the fall, but not nearly as responsive as during the spring. Some subtle calls may help steer them one way or the other, but the idea is to bring them back together. And it won’t be long before mother hen will start doing this herself. I’ve had success using this tactic for decades and still do when I go solely for fall turkeys. You’ll also begin to understand where the turkeys want to be — usually a food source of some sort — and can plan your ambush to occur between the roost trees and that destination.
Simple Calling
Calling has a valuable place in the fall turkey hunter’s arsenal, as just explained, and using it is relatively simple compared to spring. That said, I’ve not experienced a lot of results with excited yelping and cutting in the fall — although turkeys seem to cackle during fly-down as much in the fall as they do in the springtime. In the autumn months, I hear mostly steady yelping, clucks, and kee-keeing, and I’ve gotten the best responses from birds when making these calls.
But once they’ve hit the ground and start moving into their normal routine, one of the most effective calling sequences is extended assembly yelps, referred to as the “lost call.” Perhaps break up the cadence and intensity from time to time, but 10 to 16 yelps per series sounds right. This assembly yelp is often performed by a mother hen when trying to collect her brood. It also works well when float calling during midday, especially if you’re moving slowly and trying to get the attention of a flock.
Practice these calls, especially assembly yelps and kee-kees, which are common sounds among turkeys in the fall. And when the opportunity presents itself, imitate them to steer birds in your direction, letting them know you’re there.
And when you finally locate a flock, carefully move within 100 yards or less, start running as fast as you can into the flock, and scatter them in every direction- and I mean scatter them. Sit down exactly where you saw the last bird fleeing and listen. Once you begin to hear them, or mom starts reaching out to them, start thinking about calling, and quite possibly, about getting ready for some of the best fall turkey hunting action you can imagine!
Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the New England Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also a member of the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro/Cabela’s Pro Staff.