Fall turkey hunting is a completely different experience from spring time hunting. In spring obviously the birds are mating, so the males respond to calls of hens. Calls that you are making from inside your blind, and calls that males believe is coming from your hen decoys. This method obviously makes hunters more successful in the spring because the birds come to them. The fall however, the birds are not mating and therefore do not respond to mating calling. (photo compliments of statesmen.com)
So how do you go about hunting turkeys in the fall then? Well this year will be the first fall hunt for TGO, and from everything I've read this is how most hunters have success in the fall.First, it would be good to set up as many game cameras as possible before the season opens, so you can figure out where the birds are feeding everyday. If you have a food plot that makes it even easier to figure out. The reason for knowing where they are feeding everyday, is because you will need to scatter the heard. This means once you locate a flock, you literally run at them screaming, causing the birds to scatter in fear. Some areas also allow dogs to use for scattering. It is important to get a good scatter where the birds fly off in all different directions. After they have scattered, you set up your blind and decoys in that same location. Then you sit and pretty much just wait and hope that they come back to the same area to continue feeding. I know what you are thinking, I also thought it sounded kind of silly, the first time I heard it, but it sounds like a lot of fun too! I have read that you can hit them with some soft purring and feeding calls to lure them back. (photo compliments of vectors) There are other techniques as well, but this is called the most classic way of fall turkey hunting. The most important thing to remember about fall hunts, is scouting. If you do a good job scouting, you will be able to either get ahead of a flock or under a roost, and get set up in the right spot.
In Florida the start of the fall turkey season for zone, begins with bow hunting only. Turkey bow hunting with also be TGO's first attempt this year. Hunting turkey with a bow is also very different from the regular shot gun. With bows you have to be more accurate, and have steady hands and therefore steady nerves. While with the shot gun you pretty much only aim for the neck of the bird, with the bow you aim for the breast or the butt. To demonstrate what I mean by breast and butt, here is a diagram from different angles that can help you visualize it. (photo compliments of bowsite.com)
It would be this hunters goal to be able to provide a tasty turkey for the families thanksgiving this year, hopefully the season will go well. Until the season opens, TGO will be hard at work practicing these kill zone shots with the bow. Stay tuned for the conclusion of Spring vs. Fall turkey hunting. "He makes my feet like the feet of deer and he sets me on high mountains." Psalms 18:33
