Im going to try fall turkey hunting this year, What do i do different then i would in spring season ?

[Jerod Henderson]

Im going to try fall turkey hunting this year, What do i do different then i would in spring season ?

[WVOtter]

Go to the "Strut Zone" blog and check out Steve Hickoff, or better yet buy his book "Fall & Winter Turkey Hunter's Handbook". It's got tons of tips for every aspect of Fall turkey hunting. I'm a bit of a novice to turkey hunting in both seasons, so I use a .22 hornet in the fall (legal where I hunt) until I can get a better grip on the calling and stalking. But in Fall, a common practice is to break up flocks/rafters, then try and call in loners who are seeking other members of the party...so you use a different series of calls. I was fishing last weekend and got to hear some birds kee kees and clucks as some tried locating each other for 5-10 minutes...quite a treat.

[WVOtter]

Also look into the regs. A lot of places require some degree of blaze orange in the Fall that don't in the Spring.

[the decoy hunter]

I know personally if you can find some recently harvested grain or corn fields you will find turkeys visiting on a regular basis.Although being fall there is a wide assortment of natural produce available.In our province you are allowed hen or tom in the autumn hunt.So depending on what you are after you may want to pattern male groups(which are generally smaller) or simply concentrate on hen groups (which are larger as a rule)Turkeys are a little easier to pattern in the fall and if you are scouting; make note of their entry and exit points from cover into feeding areas as these travel routes are more defined as opposed to the spring.One point that needs to be addressed is many hunting regulations require a hunter to wear blaze orange as seasons cross-over with deer seasons.This will require some thought in setting up as a turkey's eye sight is exponentially greater than a human and trying to fool many eyes becomes quite a task----good luck

[charlie elk]

Dittos Steve Hickoff's book.
Many tactics work for fall birds. One year of fall hunting will teach more about turkeys
than 10 years of spring hunting.
In the fall we hunt turkeys in the spring we hunt gobblers. Learn the process that makes up of the flocks. Each needs to be treated differently with different calling.
Gobblers are establishing their pecking order. Aggressive purrs work well. I hold a slate between my knees and use 2 strikers to simulate fighting turkeys. Whole flocks of gobblers respond to this along with using the bong call. Much more exciting than in the spring. I have called, shot and recalled and shot multiple turkeys from the same flock.
Poults respond readily to kee kees. They are the best eating of anything dragged in from the woods. Here in WI we have to take each turkey in for registering. Arriving with a poult is a little embarrassing the first time....
til you have eaten one, after that bring em on.
Enjoy your hunt.