General fall hunt Sept 27 - Oct 3

[10Key]

Is anyone going to be out there for this? It looks like GMU 105-124 is hen only and 101,127-133 is either sex. Any pointers out there for fall hunting? I have never been our for turkeys in the fall, so I cam curious as to the techniques that time of year.

[DeKuma]

We had some discussion about this back in the spring.......  Cannot remember much but the jist of the fall was to find the flock and break it up, then use the call to bring them back together.

I will be out in 121, but I do not usually see much there in the fall.  Though it takes knowing where to look, and I do not have that down yet.

[Machias]

The key is the breakup.  Get close enough to the flock and then run after them.  You want them to scatter in as many directions as you can.  It won't be near as effective if they all fly off in the same direction.  Once busted up, find a good spot close by, set up a hen decoy, I usually wait about 10- 15 minutes and then give a loud assembly yelp, its a series of yelps that gets louder and faster at around the 6 or 7 yelps and then slows down to a drawn out yelp or two.  Then listen to the young birds kee kee run, which sounds like a whistle with a couple of yelps at the end.  Now if you want to hunt gobblers only, same strategy however you'll only want to gobbler yelp once about every 15 to 20 minutes and do not move, they will come back in, sometimes up to an hour later, and will sneak in and look things over better then a cagy ol whitetail buck!

[10Key]

Thanks for the tips; I am still debating on where to go. I just may treat as a scouting trip for next spring.

[PA BEN]

There flocked up in the fall, watch them go over a hill and snick up to the hill and you know the rest.

[10Key]

I plan on hitting up GMU 133 and 130, we'll see what happens. If the hunt goes anything like this past spring's it will end up being a long hiking trip.

[robodad]

Never hunted turkeys before but will be over at Mica Peak over the general season, are there any turkeys on mica peak ?? Might have to give it a try !!!

[yelp]

I am still debating.  The Beardless defintion isn't clear enough.  Most jake poults will have some beard and I have seen numerous bearded hens.  It should say no visible beard, but it doesn't.  That leaves interpretation up in the air.  I talked with a game agent and he couldn't give me an answer.  So I don't know if I will waste the gas.  Let them hens grow some more Toms!

[SpokaneSlayer]

I'll be taking my wife opening day to fill her tag left over from the spring.  Already have the spot picked out.

[PA BEN]

I am still debating.  The Beardless defintion isn't clear enough.  Most jake poults will have some beard and I have seen numerous bearded hens.  It should say no visible beard, but it doesn't.  That leaves interpretation up in the air.  I talked with a game agent and he couldn't give me an answer.  So I don't know if I will waste the gas.  Let them hens grow some more Toms!

Beardless?  No visible beard? A man is bald? or Is he hairless?

[Gutpile]

Beardless is clear enough for me. I do a little fall hunting but find it boring.

[HoofsandWings]

I drew a permit for the western blues. Heading off to Dayton, then deploying from there. I have heard that the turkeys in the fall are much better tasting.
I will try the flock break-up idea at first light and see what happens. It should be funny seeing a 20+ pound tom lifting off the ground.

[10Key]

My bro was up the Tucannon recently (I am not sure if that is an area you can hunt with your tag HoofsandWings) and he saw a ton of turkeys. Up past Camp Wooten more specifically.

We are heading out tonight to hunt 130 and 133, we'll see how it goes.

[HoofsandWings]

Ah, the weekend from H***.
I ask for a wakeup call and it does not happen. I get to my area about 3 hours late and the directions to where I am supposed to hunt are wrong.
I need permission from a landowner and he goes on a trip. I see turkeys, but they fly from feel free to hunt to no hunting. I see more turkeys, but they run to the front lawn of a house. I finally get permission from a landowner and as I am heading up, he runs some machinery and they scatter. I head for a spot and someone with a 22 starts to target practice and the turkeys I am targeting head over the next hill in a dead run.

[10Key]

We hit up areas North of Reardan, in the Long Lake area on Saturday, we saw about 40 birds, but they were all on private land. If anyone is considering hunting anything in that area, be sure that you have permission lined up, as it seemed EVERYTHING was posted. Also, be on the look out for tweekers.

Saturday afternoon we headed West, North of Davenport along the river. We hunted the area on Sunday and found some spots that were covered in sign, tracks, scat and feathers, but no birds. Our camping spot on Saturday was awesome and we'll be back. No birds down, but I got some more experience in the turkey woods that I hope will help come spring.