Gobbler strategies in the fall

[drabndouble]

Morning All,
I just got in the door here . Looked up the fall hunting first thing . Fall hunting is my favorite .

Thanks to Dcole for the invite to this forum.

To call in a gobbler it is necessary to KNOW what a gobbler sounds like . Learning the differences between hen and tom and being able to produce the right tone and cadence is important.
Clucks , yelps , cutts ,aggressive purring and gobble . What a gobbler is capable of saying ,,,so is the hen , it's just a different tone or pitch and cadence or rhythm.

That old blue heron down on the creek,,,you know the one ,,,,listen to his croak. The gobbler yelp is similar , not exact , but similar . Plus tom will usually yelp yelp or three ,,,,,,but I've heard long strings of gobbler yelping too.
Watching a gobbler make any of his calls is a big plus . Finding that on video is helpful , but nothing like watching and hearing it in the woods.

Every gobbler call in my opinion is slower and more coarse than the mature hen. Also the gobbler yelp does not start like hen does with that whiney eeooowwwkelp yelp yelp. It's more of a croak croak croak. But they can get excited and be very close to that of a old hen . Time among turkeys is the very best school. The farther into winter the bigger the flocks and the more vocal they will be . Follow the birds often right up to spring season and you will no doubt hear and learn a lot more of their vocal range and the little differences between the sexes.

Some mouthcalls are splendid for all tom talk .

[Dcoleinpa]

glad you joined mark

[Porter]

drabndouble... you and I will get along great!!! 

I used to frown at Fall turkey hunting.  Thought it was a waste of time.  Then last year, I decided if I was going to have an opinion... a person needed to do it right and hunt them with the knowledge of what they are doing.  I spent my time reading and watching videos. 

Last year, I used 3 of my 4 tags on the birds.  Might not ever happen again, but dang I had a lot of fun!!!

I watched a gobbler fly into a tree mid morning last year and watched him.  It's amazing how much different they sound than a hen... 

[drabndouble]

hey Porter
It seems we are both headed for some great turkey hunting. I'm still learning something each time I hit the woods, and hope it never changes .
I too had much difficulty in the beginning . Didn't have anyone to teach me , so I struggled along for quite some time . My single most rewarding experience was the morning I wathed and listened to a clucking longbeard . From that point on I have made every attempt to learn toms language to the fullest extent.
My first few fall birds were ambushed jakes . Didn't appeal to me at all . I kept thinking there has got to be more to this than ambushing or busting a flock . I have busted one flock , but it was just for the experience . Could have killed a bird , but I just let them walk away .
 Last fall things began to really fall in place . Called in a longbeard which was part of a gang of 4 . I was actually deer hunting with a bow at the time . I drew too soon and was unable to hold the full draw long enough . I eased the string down and out he stepped . Busted . It was fun though . Later in the season I used the same series of gobbler cutts and yelps to pull in 4 superjakes . No time to setup so I just eased my hand up and hung my net on my nose and stood still . Four of the most beautiful colored turkeys I've witnessed came strolling in looking for the intruder . 12 yards one flopped , 3 departed unscathed .
 Good hunting this fall season ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,I prefer 'em unscattered and unspooked .

[Porter]

I haven't had much success breaking up a flock either.  Tried it real early last season and same result...  I'm just not doing it right:(

I shot a jenny with my bow last year, then a big jake with my shotgun and my son right beside me! 

Then ended it up with a nice hen I clucked and purred into range!!!!

I have 9 days till archery season and I'm ready.  DB blind has been checked and should be good to go!

[J R Hunt Camp]

... great thread & replies gentlemen - "very informative" - most certainly has got me to thinkin' ... 

[drabndouble]

One thing that stands out in fall turkey hunting ,,,,,especially when targeting mature toms ,,,,the closer you are to the bird or bird the more likely they are to respond . It is a possibility that this was just a coincidence, but has happened too many times for me to believe otherwise .
Those spring gobblers will many times run a couple hundred yards to get the hen . I am doubtful a fall tom would do this , unless you were putting on one heck of a fight .


I know that gobblers like to roost on the point of a certain ridge . I eased slowly and quietly into position at the base of the point , in the dark . I sat quiet and still as it gradually became lighter . Finally a quarter mile away some birds began their roost racket . I'm thinking that maybe the gobblers had spent the night in town since it was so quiet on my ridge . I began with a gobbler cluck . After a while I made a two yelp . I spaced out my calling for a while until well after flydown . I hadn't heard a peep nor a whine in my corner of the woods . So I got up and headed toward the flock that was so vocal earlier . Halfway across the big holler I stopped for a listen. Knowing that turkeys will surprise us by how fast they can cover ground I decided to offer up a gobbler yelp or two . No sooner had mine ended when  a gobbler aswered me from within 20 yards of my earlier setup . Using the woods and terrain I took off toward the point ridge. The closer I got the slower I went , being as quiet as I possibly could . I kept the ridgetop between me and the gobbler . As soon as I stopped I turned my head , faced the opposite direction from tom and made two yelps . He immediately answered back . We talked for a while with no ground being given or taken . He finally just walked away clucking and yelping .
 Had I to do it over I would have remained quiet until they /he was on the ground .

[drabndouble]

Another call I shall use this fall which I have not used in the fall before is the gobble of a mature tom . Just this past spring I stumbled onto a good gobble . I carry mouthcalls 24/7 yearround , and practice alot at work .I had just grown acustomed to a new mouthcall and was running it through all its tones and pitches when I gave it a go at the gobble . I have made those awful jake gobbles before during the fall and spring ,,,,,but anyone can make them because the jakes many times make it so poorly themselves it is easy to duplicate.
 My idea is that when a gang of gobblers is located , either on the roost or the ground, and no matter what time of day , to imitate two birds or more with clucks , yelping and gobbles just might be the ticket to bring in a gang of longbeard.

[Dcoleinpa]

looks like ole mark hay is really getting the itch now... 2 more weeks man

[drabndouble]

I don't want to come across like some bigshot braggar, but many times during last spring season I found myself surveying some new ridges and hollers thinking 'bout fall. Most of those NEW places are deeper than most people are willing to work at getting to them . But the last few evenings  prior to our fall opener will find me looking and listening for birds going to roost . Those new places may or may not show any promising sign . We'll see .
 Just before last falls season I took my 22 and took a big walk back in those ridges to check for sign and hopefully see some birds . I was fairly disgusted to say the least . After I crossed over the big break ridge it was as if there were no turkeys ever in that place . That was the first or second week of October'08. I hunted my way in from the other side on the 14th of November (I think that's the correct date)and found lots of sign , called in 7 gobblers (which I screwed up all by myself ) and just after noon called in 4 more . My point being , that things change continnually in the turkey woods as they roam the hills ''FOUR STROKIN'' and fightin'.

[BD1]