hunting tactics towards end of season?

[syoungs]

so I have been working 7 days a week sense vefore turkey season started, I will have time off the 16th and 17th of this month, and was going to go around dayton/tucannon to take the girlfriend out on her first turkey hunt. I have never hunted later in the season, always the opening week.

do the same tactics and calling styles work towards the end of the season that I would use during the opener? its going to be public land, and in a busier section of it as well, cause thats all I really know where to hunt, havent done it to much in the past. can I hope to find a mature tom or jake still, or are they going to be super educated and even more wary?

Thanks in advance!

[PA BEN]

I've never hunted this late before either. This morning was lots of gobbling and they went the other way with the hens. Not much gobbling during the day, a least where I've been hunting. The toms are there and the jakes too, can rip a gobble once in a while, but no one wants to play. I hope it gets better, it might be different in other areas but I'm after this one tom with my second tag. Hope to hear some late season tactics.

[Tom Tamer]

Little bit of all the above. but I'd plan on a little more run and gun, cover ground, since the hens will be starting to or are nesting the Toms won't be roosting with them at night and more likely to be roaming farther and farther out looking for more hens. I usually hunt near a nesting area if I can find it. The toms seem to patrol those. Since les hens are available if you do strike a gobble with a hen call be ready for him to come in right away. He may just come running. Some of my quickest hunts have come in late May. One bird in particular, I struck him off the roost and from the time I saw his tail fan flash between some brush and hit the ground, may be 5 minutes before  was standing on top him. That was on Memorial day too. That weekend is usually my favorite for Turkeys because just that, all the hens are gone and a lone Tom is willing to die for one last girlfriend. And this is all in public land and that bird was hunted hard. In three weeks I missed him twice with a gun, had an arrow hit him in the back and bounce off and yet keep kept coming. And those were just the shots, I know between my Dad, Daughter and I we must have scared him at least two more times.

[Mfowl]

My late season experiences have been challenging. The birds can be very susceptable to calling but more often than not I take a big game approach. Glass/locate them in the mornings/evenings and try to identify their travel route. Then set up where you've seen them without much or any calling.I try to find a bench or a clearing near their roost site for a place to set up. If you see them in an area like this in the morning, try to get back there in the afternoon well ahead of roosting time and wait them out. This isn't the most exciting method of hunting but it has accounted for some tags filled.

[Gobble Doc]

Biggest bird was late season.  Bird was quiet.  Took 4 hrs to get him in with minimal calling.  Eventually he wandered in quiet.  Lots of patience.   Good luck.

[bowhiker]

Those mature toms can be agressive in the late season especially with a jake, hen decoy setup. However,  the young jakes like to sneak in to grab a hen when they can. So if you can spot a tom from a distance, move in carefully to within ear shot and ideally within his view and set up. Post up a jake and a few hens and only call softly and enough to keep his interest. Too much calling and he will leave or hang up. At least this has been my approach.

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[bearpaw]

   Most of what the others said. I think some of the best hunting is late season, you can escape the big crowd and have more fun.

[cliffordingles]

I hope you have better luck then i did in that area. I just got back yesterday from a 3 day trip in the dayton area. Lots of birds on land that you cant get permission to.. the birds were all low and thats mostly all locked down land minus a few feel free to hunt spots but we never saw a bird near those.. i love that area but i came back with nothin after 3 days. Im gunna try the NE area soon. I hope you have better luck than we did though! Tons of deer and elk on kendall skyline though lol.

[turkeydancer]

Cover ground ... call less and softer (at least to start).  Use a different call than most people would use (wing bone, tube call, etc vs diaphragms, boxes, slates).    Good luck ....