Fall Turkey Hunting

[yelp]

In Okanogan County..sometimes the best couting is with a vehicle.  I have run into them at high elevations and low Usually poults and family groups will be feeding on insects through summer.  So creek drainages, fields edges, spring areas are where I would look.  As winter gets closer lower elevaion pine flats adjacent to pastures/fields.  The other thing I would do is talk with other hunters out and about.  Landowners also have a good idea if there are any around.  Go up on the Loup Loup pass go north or south as a start.  Many of these birds I have found in the mountain areas are at the upper end of some of the drainages of major creeks or riparian areas.  Hope that helps.

[BOWHUNTER45]

The way we always hunted turks in the fall back east was to try and brake up the flock ..I am sure you guys who go in the fall have read it somewhere .. I would follow the flock by finding fresh scrapes in the leaves but obvisiously we do not have thousands of maple leaves lying on the ground out here.. so the best way I would say in braking up flocks out here would to be find the flock sneak in close and rush them yelling screaming whatever ... once you get them broke up find a tree and hang out awhile where you broke them up and start calling ... yelping and doing the kee kee run ..again these do its and whit whits will work in the fall too. .... the birds will always come back to the spot they were broken up from ... actually another tib bit is to actually wait until you hear the first hen yelp from the flock you broke up and then start calling .....she is trying to find her lost buddies ....I did read the other posts but added a couple things .. hopefully no one thinks I am over running something ...

[Battle Ready]

Fall Turkey hunting usally is a slam dunk hunt. Im usually bowhunting deer in areas where ive taken folks to fill there Klickitat tag...so Ive been bumping into them for quite some time before the season even starts. The nice thing is they seem to be far more predictable, and they make one heck of a racket when there all together like that.

If i can lay down a shot in a ambush senario, Ill bust the flock...sit down were the flock blew out and do some lost yelps,  some assemble yelps, and kee kee's.

TO ME, there is different tactics for Big Daddy Gobblers and other turkeys during the fall. The fall tom and the spring tom are two different birds.

I look at the following for fall hunting
The Food Factor:No patterning mechanism is more predictable than food in the fall. Mast, berries, insects and seeds. Its best to cultivate an awareness of favorates, find out where they exist in quantity, and you can rest assured turkeys will visit these areas to sample.

The WeatherTurkeys like so many other types of wildlife, have built-in borometers, which tells em when bad weather is coming, and of course they know when its arrivesd. Most of the time, turkeys will make every effort to roost out of the wind.


SO, to me this is some of the things I consider

1) calling to a broken up flock....dont be shy on trying to bust them up more than once. The more you bust them, then better your chance of calling them back. REMEMBER DO NOT to bust them from behind..most of the time they will all scatter in the same direction, thus making the assembly call almost useless, so DO bust them head on for a good complete scatter. If you have some dove load, dont be affraid to shoot the shotgun to complete the scatter effect...DONT SOOT THE BIRDS WITH IT...haha. Its very easy to over call if your going for dominant birds, but if your going for sub-dominate birds, you can be slightly more aggre*censored*ive.

Setting up between roosting areas and food...if food is everywere...I like to sit on places Ive seen them along the way...like this old skid road I seen the signs on ...or sighted turkeys while scouting. Most big toms are content with being all alone...jakes love to run together.

[BOWHUNTER45]

Is their any nut trees down in that area .....

[turkeydancer]

I will wait 30 to 40 minutes before starting assembly yelps or kee-kee-runs if going for the beardless birds.  But if going for a gobble I will start with gobbles after only 10 minutes.  Seems more effective calling them back in .....