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Gonna try for a fall turkey, any advice?

September 27th in my front yard. Notice hen and poult to the right of gate.
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Wrangler95 said:
Most bust a flock and call them back together with a kee kee call!Ive never tried it though,I just dont hunt the fall season!
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I'd go a different route since it has to be a bearded turkey. Fall jakes have nearly undetectable beards.
 
Huntaholic said:
Why would you take away the excitement and thrill of calling in a mature gobbler in the spring, gobbling, strutting, drumming, all the way to the gun, to kill one just feeding along minding his own business in the fall?
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I love spring turkey hunting, but if he's legal, why do you care?
 
Huntaholic said:
Why would you take away the excitement and thrill of calling in a mature gobbler in the spring, gobbling, strutting, drumming, all the way to the gun, to kill one just feeding along minding his own business in the fall?
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You just explained why, that to me in some way is like the guy that hunts the mature deer for the challenge. I always prefer bow hunting turkeys even in the spring and have taken many but not in the fall. I got within 50 yards of a tom strutting around a hen mid fall he would not leave her alone my experience even the kee kee runs them off more times than not. I have a very particular place I'll go for them. I'm very picky. I prefer the nastier day the better, keeps them out of the trees. I've found the place I try on the fall thru like the pine thickets to nest on the ground. I think the fall turkey hunt is one of the most challenging bow hunts. While turkey hunting in the fall I got within 10 yards of 3 Tom's once and a hog come in chasing them so I shot him dressed 298. That was years ago
 
I would also really keep an eye on Tom or hen in the fall twra likes to change things I've since a few combos for bag limits in the fall over the years
 
The only real way to do it is scatter them and call them back up. Hens and young ones sometimes regroup within an hour. Hard to distinguish jakes so be careful. I wouldn't shoot a hen unless I was starving literally.
Longbeards will regroup but sometimes you might need more patience. In my experience the year and a half year old long beards regroup a lot quicker than the 2-1/2 plus birds.
Bust them up. Sit down where you busted them. Eat your snack and then get comfortable. About an hour after start yelping and/or clucking. Or if you hear one before that call back to him.

Go in the woods in black dark to where you think they roost. If you hear them yelp or cluck in the tree, flush them. It's much easier in my experience.
If you fail at daylight, walk ridges slowly and quietly listening for scratching. It is often pretty loud.
They are usually on acorns or beech nuts this time of year, but there are still lots of bugs in the fields.

It is a lot of fun. I like a good spring hunt better, but it is hard to beat a fall turkey hunt in the hardwoods.
 
^^
To add to this, if you do scatter some, make sure you walk in a good 100 yard circle or so. To make sure they are good and scattered, and to also make sure there isn't one sitting in the tree just watching you. I learned this the hard way a long time ago. Scattered a small group of gobblers. Sat down and waited a while. After about three hours of just sitting at the base of a tree with no sounds, I gave up. Stood up, walked about 20 yards, and then he flew. He was in a tree not far off I assume just watching me the entire time. After that happened I learned to walk some more to try and make sure none are around to watch me set up and call.
 
Weather really changed birds last 2 days, had two Jakes within 20 yards Saturday and nothing since.
 

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