10 Fall Hunting Myths Debunked
fall turkey hunters in Pennsylvania. This switch is not only the result of fall hunters switching to spring turkey hunting, but also an influx of new turkey hunters who hunt only in the spring.”
By: Steve Hickoff
2. You can’t call fall long beards.
Y
ou hear a lot of ideas about turkey
hunting, some with merit and others, well ... Myth or Fact? Following are just 5 topics that showcase study before you load up and head out for this fall. 1. Spring turkey hunting is a long tradition. The turkey hunting tradition actually has its roots in autumn and winter hunting. Before the notion of “spring is for beards, fall is for antlers” came into the minds of modern turkey hunters, flock-seeking sportsmen sought out their game during the woodstove months. Back then some hunters held a prevalent notion that taking a breed-minded gobbler in the spring was easy. Even unfair. A Pennsylvania native, I first hunted wild turkeys in 1971 at age 12. I can still remember old-timers (guys my age now!) talking about how turkey hunting in the spring was just flat-out wrong. You see, Pennsylvania had just legalized spring turkey hunting in 1968 after being closed since 1873. Yet, by 1984, a month-long Keystone State spring turkey season was in place for bearded birds, and has been since. Traditions shift. As reported by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, “Since 2000, the number of spring turkey hunters has exceeded that of
Not unless you try. Thinking like a turkey will help. In spring, toms are inclined to seek out hens to breed them. Our calling tradition then focuses around making clucks and hen yelps to lure gobblers in. In fall, male turkeys roam in gobbler gangs. Survival — primarily roosting and feeding — and pecking order rule their movements. To call a fall long beard to the gun or bow you have to adapt your calling. Clucking, gobbler yelping and gobbling can do that. On a Vermont fall hunt, my English setter Midge broke up a flock of gobblers my buddy Lawrence Pyne had seen while bowhunting. Our hunting partner Marc Brown would be the shooter. Our calling included clucking, gobbler yelping and, most importantly, aggressive purring. I watched as one long beard skirted our setup and moved on past. Not long after, another approached silently and looked toward the calling. Just then, Brownie purred aggressively, and I watched as the tom’s brick-red head turned red, white and blue. The fired-up tom, his shoulders hunched like Count Dracula, stalked into range. That was the last thing that long beard done. 3. Fall turkeys are too easy. Some are. Some aren’t. Autumn turkeys can be easy once you find them, but locating flocks isn’t always a sealed deal. Food sources can be widespread in October and
November, the heart of fall-turkey hunting around the country. As a result, groups of birds can roam widely. This is especially true for ridge top turkeys in mountainous regions. You may find sign in the form of scratching, tracks, droppings, and dusting areas, but never contact the live birds. When you do though, yes, it can be easier, but not always. I’ve tagged fall turkeys on opening day not long after fly down. I’ve hunted autumn flocks on a Vermont ridge for days, with fresh scratching all around me, without filling a tag. Is this anything different than spring hunting? Turkey hunting is turkey hunting. 4. Scattered gobblers won’t regroup for days. Big gobblers flush far. Sometimes they take their time regrouping, but other instances prove otherwise. I’ve seen some flushed fall male turkeys attempt to regroup with clucks and raspy three-note gobbler yelps within the hour, often sooner. And yes, I’ve called them in. It’s not uncommon to hear these birds gobble as they regroup. As mentioned earlier, aggressive purring will also draw their attention as it suggests a pecking order dispute. Haven’t tried it? Why not? I’ve scattered mid-September gobblers during the New Hampshire archery-only season, which begins Sept. 15 each year. On one occasion, I managed to send a gang of five into all directions. I set up at the flush site and waited. Maybe 20 minutes later, I gobbler yelped. A gobble ripped back from the near woods.
Another bird answered in the other direction. Soon all of them were regrouping. If you haven’t enjoyed the sound of five fall long beards gobbling to each other as they locate flock members you’re missing something. Did I kill one of those birds? Well, I’ll just say that locating and flushing autumn turkeys is one thing. Arrowing one is yet another... 5. Autumn seasons hurt turkey populations. Wild turkey management is a modern success story. Fall turkey hunting, depending on where you do it, is regulated in a variety of ways. Season length is one method. Limiting tags is another. Opening hunts to residents only is yet one more. Biologists regulate seasons based on kill numbers and harvest data — spring and fall. Hunter participation in this effort helps. We’re all in this together. In their report, “Pennsylvania Turkey Hunting,” PGC biologist Mary Joe Casalena and NWTF biologist Bob Eriksen wrote: “We are privileged to be able to enjoy both spring and fall hunting in this state. To continue to have the outstanding hunting we have come to expect, fall harvests are carefully monitored and trends in spring harvests are watched. Modern research has shown that spring gobbler hunting can provide maximum recreational opportunity to hunters with little impact on the turkey population. Research has also shown that we can maintain fall hunting, too. However, we must acknowledge that as hunter numbers and the popularity of the sport grow, fall hunting opportunities might not expand as rapidly.”
nearby group of adult hens and/or a family flock.
6. I’m not into shooting hens or young turkeys. Then don’t. Set your sights on taking a long beard. The adult males are out there; you just have to find them. And to some, taking a tom is the ultimate experience, far outranking tagging a spring long beard. I’ve enjoyed hunts for either-sex turkeys, young and adult, for many years. As sportsmen, we decide what bird to pull the trigger on as fall hunts go. Letting a young hunter take a young fall hen can instill the love of this tradition. If it’s legal, why not? 7. Fall gobblers don’t strut or gobble. When I hear a deer hunter tell me with astonishment that he heard turkeys gobbling, I have to smile. Welcome to the club. Those of us who spend a lot of time on October and November ridges occasionally rely on fall gobbling (and other roost calling) to locate turkeys. No, it’s not nearly as consistent as in spring, but it’s not uncommon either. As for strutting, I’ve seen it in the fall with both sexes. You heard right. Fall gobblers strut. Period. After breaking a turkey flock during one autumn Vermont hunt, my buddies and I called in a strutting adult hen. Doubt it? That’s OK — we have it on film. So-called “super jakes”— male fall turkeys born two springs ago, but not yet two years of age — seem particularly committed to strutting in autumn. Each November I’ll often find a group somewhere that includes several strutting full-fan gobblers, and a
Yes, I realize this is contrary to the typical notion that autumn turkeys exist in perfect flocks consisting of 1) a brood and her charges, 2) gobbler gangs, and 3) broad less flocks, but I’ve witnessed it. 8. Hunting autumn turkeys with dogs is unfair. Using turkey dogs in states where it’s legal offers plenty. Mostly it allows you to find and flush flocks more effectively. But then you have another challenge: How do you hide your canine hunting partner in the blind so that you can call scattered turkeys back? Training at an early age helps. Still, a dog eager to get close to those turkeys again might have a hard time staying still. In truth, dogs are like hunters. Some are good, and some are a work-in-progress. The ability to use dogs effectively is usually done best by a serious fall turkey hunter. Work on the latter aspect first. If I could count how many turkey flocks my dogs have busted, which I can’t, then compare it to the birds in those groups I’ve tagged, you’d ask me why I don’t hunt deer more enthusiastically than autumn gobblers and hens. Again, having a canine along for companionship, and then seeing that dog find and flush turkeys, is my first measure of success. Period. Yes, sealing the deal, calling and killing a legal fall bird is what it’s all about. But it’s not everything, and it’s not always easy. Dogs are as fair as any other tool we use. 9. Why flush turkeys when I can just shoot one?
The idea of flushing fall turkey flocks to gain a tactical advantage is based on the notion you want to call the turkey to your setup after the birds have been scattered. But yeah, if you’ve patterned or happened into fall turkeys — and a bird is in range and you want it — sure, take the shot. You choose.
It’s tough to argue with a value judgment like this when another turkey hunter makes it. Some waterfowl or deer hunters might say that our time with wild turkeys is misspent no matter what the season.
Often, though, you encounter a flock on the edge of gun range. What do you do then? That’s when you might need to flush them. This strategy is based on the simple fact that turkeys are gregarious and the hope that the flock will want to regroup.
To me, the spring gobbler hunt offers a range of tactics and intangible pleasures ranging from hearing turkeys on the roost to stutters spitting and drumming as they work toward you. Spring turkey season comes at the end of winter, and calling Maine home base as I do makes those opportunities rank right up there.
There’s a difference between a good and bad flock flush, as all veteran fall hunters know. In a lousy break, smaller groups of birds stay together. This puts you at a tactical disadvantage. In one done right, turkeys fly off or run in all directions. They’ll want to regroup.
But by the end of summer, and months of fishing — a pleasure, not a passion — I’m ready to find some fall turkey flocks. How about you? I’m also a dog guy, so getting out in October and November with my flock-minded English setters adds to the appeal.
You can set up at that site and try to call one into range. Also, some might suggest this approach is more sporting than simply shooting one that is in range by luck and circumstance.
As in spring, fall opportunities are many. It’s up to you to choose how you measure your accomplishments. Do you count kills or the October sunrises you enjoy in the turkey woods? Get out there and debunk some of these fall turkey-hunting myths yourself.
10. Spring hunting is just better.
Tips & Tactics for Fall Turkey Hunting Scouting for Wild Turkey By: Travis Travillian (Pro Staff at Kentucky Outdoors Shop) September, 21st 2015
Finding Land to Hunt Turkeys
F
or some reason farmers and land
owners are much more willing to let hunters on their land to chase gobblers than Whitetail Deer. In addition to knocking on doors most states have a vast amount of public land to hunt on. Your first stop when searching for a good public land hunting spot should be your local department of Fish and Game. These are your local government organizations and usually able to give the detailed information on state forests and Wildlife Management Areas or WMA’s in your area.
So you found that hopeful and special place to hunt; now we need to find those turkeys. Turkeys are pretty much a creatures of habitat. It is not too uncommon for them to roost in the same areas each night. Start scouting in the pre-season and keep track of where you are seeing the turkeys. If you were too see a group of turkey in a field around the same time each day try and arrive at that field early enough to get set up and ready. If you find some roosting areas look for locations close by so you can sneak in before dawn. You will want to be within 95 to 100 yards of the roosting trees, but you need to be sure that you can reach this area without bumping the birds off the roost. Get a few different locations picked out close to your known roosting areas. That will allow you to sneak in before dawn and use a locator call (I like the Barn Owl call) to check if the turkeys are still on the roost. Just make sure you can find these areas in the dark without having to search around the woods. Finding roosting areas can be done after the sun starts to go down a few weeks before the hunting season.
Food Source Scouting Your Area for Turkeys.
Find the food sources for the time of year; Turkeys change locations depending on the time of year and food source available. Just because you see a large group of turkeys
every day during the spring in a certain area doesn't mean that they will be there in the fall. The best time to scout is a few weeks before you actually are going to go hunting.
The Genesis System eliminates let-off on light draw weight bows (where it’s unnecessary) so there are no specific draw length requirements. The result is a bow that fits virtually everyone (15″ to 30″) and that a young person can’t outgrow. A Genesis bow, set at 20 pounds, stores and releases energy comparable to that of a 35 pound recurves! Plus, with zero let-off, it as the ‘holding weight’ necessary to ‘pull the string from your finger,’ making it easy to shoot.
Find the Hens Just because you can't see the gobblers in a group of hens you shouldn't rule out the spot. In the spring if you find the hens the roosters are sure to be close by as well.
The Pursuit It’s usually done on the ground and in close range. A very thin line of communication between hunter and the hunted often leads to the climax of the hunt. Turkey hunting is a in your face sport. While most turkey hunters choose to chase the birds in the spring, fall turkey hunting is gaining more and more popularity back. With more people getting into turkey hunting and a booming population, you can expect fall turkey hunting to be a continuing growing sport. The most common strategy for hunting turkeys in the fall s is to walk a given area until birds are spotted. At that point, set up somewhere between where they went and where they were and start waiting for them to come back. It seems like a good plan but sometimes the turkeys never return anytime soon. Personally, I don’t see the purpose in intentionally scaring game away from where they want to be so I keep my distance and observe from afar. A better fall turkey hunting strategy is a hybrid of a typical spring hunt and the above approach. Try to set up within 95 to100 yards of roosted birds early in the morning. They usually begin calling from the treetops fifteen minutes before they flap down from the trees depending on the conditions. If you’re not close enough, start moving right away but move quietly and cautiously and
stay invisible. Once the birds start calling, mimic their sounds. In the fall the hens are most vocal. If they are using three note yelps, give them a three note yelp right back. The goal is to sound as natural as the birds you are pursuing. If there are multiple groups of turkeys around you, get ready. It’s going to be an exciting morning. These birds typically flock up while feeding so they should be responsive to calling. Turkeys may be on the move but they often use the same trails to get to where they are going and moving closer to one of those trails may be necessary. It’s important to pack light and stay mobile. Continue to use cuts and yelps as locator calls. Keep low and walk quietly until your turkeys are spotted. From there, it’s a stalk hunt. If the birds bust you start over again by trying to spot and stalk. If hunting multiple days, take note of the trails turkeys used the first day and set up on the same trail the following morning if needed. Even though the objective is the same, a different strategy is much needed to bag a bird in the fall. Those eager toms of spring no longer come running out when hearing the purr of a hen. They are now suspicious. Most states allow harvesting either sex in the fall so that enhancing a hunter’s opportunity to come home with a Thanksgiving bird.
The Right Gun By: Travis Travillian (Pro Staff at Kentucky Outdoors Shop) September 21st, 2015
I
love getting the newest Issue of the
Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide. With that being said I was reading through mine and noticed that Kentucky hunters can use a .410 shotgun. That’s great right? A much lighter shotgun to take Turkey hunting. I have owned a .410 for about 11 years now and the only thing I’ve used it for is Squirrel hunting, but now I can really do some damage control. I love my .410 shotgun. It truly is my prized possession. It’s my childhood sentimental artifact. It was given to me after my cousin passed away. Someday it will be my little girl’s first gun and I hope she has a much respect for it as I do. But this is Turkey were talking about... And I don’t think that it will have the kill force I need for more than 30 yards. If ever using a .410 I think of it as somewhat like shooting a rifle, but a rifle without range, in other words the shot has to be right on, no counting on a big shot pattern. So it means that you have to have a lot of discipline. You can't be tempted to take but all the closest shots. You could have bad luck and keep calling in birds that won't quite get that close. If you have the discipline I guess it is OK. You can forget stalking the far-toowary turkey that is actually dangerous and ineffective in some extreme ways. I mentioned hunting in the fall. Generally, the best technique in the fall is to use dogs, how to do that takes writing a book. But I have
killed turkeys in the fall without dogs, the same principal applies: the turkeys become vulnerable when their flock breaks up, and natural events and other hunters can break up a flock and you can get lucky. These birds will want to join back up with their flock and if it is one or two they lose the advantage of having 8 to 20 sets of eyes all looking for you at the same time. Only problem is, you have to do a lot of hunting, be in the woods all the time. I suggest hunting something else and when in sort of a natural blind, do some calling once in a while. The young ones can be absolutely desperate to find their flock if they are lost. I've had older pairs of toms come up to me and all they heard was me walking in the leaves. Just hearing that doesn't spook them, and they might think they hear another turkey even. But I was pretty hidden, never in the open. I had one hen start circling me, getting in ever tighter circles, till finally she got close enough to shoot. You can shoot the females in the fall most if not all states that have a fall season. So anytime you hear something walking around BE on guard. Note that I did not say I was *stalking* these birds. They came up to me because they thought I might be another turkey and I was in a natural blind or at least pretty thick cover at these times. I will at least try it. Who knows, it may be the best gun for me during turkey season. We will find out.
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Turkey Call’s By: Travis Travillian (Pro Staff Kentucky Outdoors Shop) September 21, 2015
W
hen selecting your Turkey Call(s)
keep in mind the quality. You can buy any call in the world but you have to make sure it’s smooth and you can actually communicate with the birds. PRIMO’S makes amazing and easy to use calls for everyone. Get proficient using them before you get out to the woods and start. I suggest you go out to your hunting spot and use it a week or two before hunting season and see how well it and you performs. If you hunt with a partner, it will be easier to accomplish and successful hunt knowing your partner is proficient with the call that way all you have to do is sit and wait. Turkey have the world’s best eye vision. They can see from long distances. If you’re out in the open without cover, it will be extremely hard to get a gobbler or a hen to come in range. Especially if your scratching on a slate call. I always prefer hunting in thick cover or a blind just so I don’t have to worry about making the wrong move and getting noticed. Be disciplined with your calling and try not to call too much at one time. You can start making mistakes and that will turn the bird the other way. Just remember “Patience is a virtue”. If your stalking or
chasing turkey and you hear them getting nervous just stop and use some calling techniques to get them calmed down. Turkey are always looking for food, What works best for me when I am stalking is using some pecking sounds. That’s telling those other turkey that its okay there’s just another turkey in the woods scratching around trying to find food. At that time it’s just best to stop and rest and observe them until they get back into the motions. There is no reason to rush. If you’re just getting in the woods and getting setup before dark a good trick is to make a few kee-kee sounds to get their attention and take your hat and flap it up and down in the leaves. Make it sound as if another turkey is coming off the roost. That’s just a little “Redneck Ingenuity” being from Southern Kentucky I should know. Other turkeys respond and follow your lead by coming off their roost. At the time you can see clearly start calling them in to your location and let the action begin.
*Note in the State of Kentucky Electronic Call’s is Illegal. Make sure you know your hunting laws and regulations.
Our goal at Kentucky Bucks and Beards is to provide hunters fair chase in bagging their dream whitetail buck. We are located in Bracken, Mason, and Lewis County in Zones 1 and 2. We have successfully been hunting deer here for years and hope to introduce other hunters to the growing popularity of Kentucky whitetail hunting. While Kentucky has always been a great state to hunt whitetail, is just recently receiving the praise it deserves. Last year, Outdoor Life magazine rated it the number one state in the country to hunt whitetails by examining the trophy production, hunter density, cost of outfitted hunts, and hunter friendliness from 2010-2013. We hope you’ll join us for a good time chasing great Kentucky whitetail bucks. Archery 5 Day Hunt $1,800.00 Deposit $900.00 Rifle 5 Day Hunt $2,400.00 Deposit $1200.00
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The Greatest Grilled Turkey Recipe by: Christine "Although not very traditional, grilling turkey is the best way of cooking it -- it comes out tender and juicy every time! The turkey drippings may be used to prepare a gravy by placing a metal pan under the turkey inside the roasting pan, and mixing in about 1/2 cup water, adding more water as necessary to prevent the drippings from scorching. Remove the pan about 30 minutes before the turkey is done cooking."
Ingredients 3 h 45m 18 servings 460 cal’s
12 pounds whole turkey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Add all ingredients to list
Directions
Prep 30 m Cook 3 h Ready In 3 h 45 m
1. Prepare an outdoor grill for indirect medium-high heat. 2. Rinse turkey and pat dry. Turn wings back to hold neck skin in place. Return legs to tucked position. Brush turkey with oil. Season inside and out with Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper. 3. Place turkey, breast side up, on a metal grate inside a large roasting pan. Arrange pan on the prepared grill. Grill 2 to 3 hours, to an internal thigh temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Remove turkey from grill and let stand 15 minutes before carving.