The late season can be a daunting time for turkey hunters. The birds are wary the hens are nesting and the pressure from previous hunts can make them skittish. But don’t despair! With the right tactics, you can still bag a gobbler even when the odds seem stacked against you. Here are three late-season turkey hunting tips to help you fill your tag:
1. Be the Lone Hen
By the end of the spring season turkeys have been through a lot. Most hens have been bred and are laying on the nest and the toms have been hunted hard and put themselves through demanding tasks that only the breeding season can deliver.
When hunters attempt to call a gobbler into close range during the late season, they must remember to tone down their efforts. At this point in the season, hens will not let out excited yelps every two minutes, nor will you hear them cutting and yelping. The only hens still searching for companionship from a nearby tom are the one or two hens who have not yet been bred. The hens still looking for love are making soft yelps and a few soft clucks and purrs. The hunter must mimic the same vocal strategies that the real hens make when trying to call a gobbler in range.
Moreover, gobblers will be hesitant to throw later in the season. Instead, make soft calls and only make infrequent calls to attract the attention of a nearby tom. The intention is to pique the gobbler’s interest so that he will come and investigate because he believes he has found another hen to breed.
2. Decoys or Not?
When a hunter adjusts their calling efforts, it is vital to remember that turkeys, both hens and gobblers in the late season, like to venture off by themselves. Hens tend to their own nests, and gobblers have spent the previous two months fighting with the other toms for dominance and breeding. A typical late-season hunter may wonder if decoys should be used or left at home.
Once more, at this stage of the season, the majority of gobblers and jakes have had their fair share of fights. That’s why calling a tom into close range with a male decoy is not a good idea. The same goes for a breeding position hen decoy. A breeder decoy is often used with a jake decoy to create jealousy. Do not use that fictitious scenario because that is not what is currently occurring. If a decoy is required, a better option would be an alone upright hen or an alone feeding hen like the Avian X LCD Feeder Hen. More often than not, a hen that goes out will be alone herself.
I prefer using a hen decoy during the late season when hunting open fields, where I patiently wait for turkeys to stroll naturally.
3. Get Close Before Calling
Regardless of the part of the hunting season I hunt, one of my favorite methods for calling turkeys is to get as close to a tom on the roost as possible before making my first call.
Assume a hunter can approach a gobbler while it is still on the roost and then, upon calling, reveal their location. This situation becomes more complicated because, in the early part of the season, it is nearly impossible to approach the roost without being noticed. By approaching before issuing the call, the tom reduces the likelihood that he will be distracted by something or other hens, which could divert him from the hunter’s path.
The trees’ leaves and the underbrush below are at their peak in the later part of the season. In order to help hunters move through the woods without being noticed, a shield of cover has been added. Before making their first calling attempt, hunters must take advantage of the dense cover and get close to a gobbling tom. Remember, turkeys can become somewhat lazy towards the end of the breeding season. They are more likely to come within close range if they have to travel less to meet up with a hen.
Even though the action among turkeys slows down during the final part of the season, the hunter must keep hunting. You never know when it may be the morning that a mature gobbler is fired up and ready to play. If the hunter is there to take advantage of the tom’s last desperate attempt on the remaining hens, they too can end the season with a trophy to take back home with them.
Bonus Tip: Be Patient
Patience is key when hunting turkeys, especially during the late season. The birds are more cautious and less likely to come running in to your calls. Be patient, wait for the right opportunity, and you’ll be rewarded with a successful hunt.
With these tips in mind, you’ll be well on your way to bagging a gobbler during the late season. Remember to be stealthy, use the right calls, and be patient. With a little effort, you’ll be able to fill your tag and enjoy a delicious turkey dinner.
Is the gobbling all over, or are the old toms running to calls? The reality of the final days of turkey season is somewhere in the middle
It’s well known that as the season draws to a close, a lot of gobblers hunt alone for hens. However, this isn’t always the case. by Russell Graves.
Pity the poor late-season turkey hunter, as he often doesn’t know who to believe.
According to barstool wisdom, most seasons begin too late, and by the end of the season, birds have finished gobbling, so hunting is pointless. However, the late season is actually prime time, according to every outdoor writer with a degree in clichéology. This is because gobblers with sharp spurs, who have been henned up for most of the spring, suddenly find themselves alone and will come when called.
Many folks wonder who’s right. And that question seems more urgent these days, since many states are starting their seasons later and extending them through weeks that were previously set aside for fishing. That’s why, after a few decades of hunting into May and even June, I’ve discovered that the late turkey season can be an incredible combination of exhilarating action and confusing mysteries. What can hunters who have typically ended their season before Mother’s Day anticipate from the extreme late season? Here are some things to consider.
The Stories Are True — Sometimes
Biology and anecdotal evidence suggest that many hens are incubating nests late in the season, leaving gobblers alone, on the prowl, and susceptible to calling. In fact, I’ve seen some amazing late-May, strike-’em-up, run-to-the-call hunts. The largest-spurred gobbler I’ve ever taken sprinted in like a 2-year-old one late-May morning.
But that doesn’t mean such scenarios are the daily norm. Consider these examples: on May 29, 2017, the final day of Wisconsin’s spring season, I was sitting in ambush along a brushy fence line when I watched a gobbler breed a hen shortly after fly-down and then track about ten females as they fed in a stubble field just out of reach. I shot the longbeard after two hours of trying to agitate a nearby hen that finally brought the flock within shooting range.
I hit a gobbler on May 29, 2018, the final day of that campaign, across a town road that was likely 500 yards away. My next series of calls indicated that the bird was getting closer, and before I could locate a tree and prepare my firearm, the longbeard half-ran into range. Which turkey is typical of the extreme late season? Both.
True, many hens are on nests during the late season. However, there are plenty of single females for gobblers to pursue because many other hens have lost their nests to predators and there are many non-breeding jennies in the area. I’ve discovered that seeing henned-up late-season birds is as common as seeing lone longbeards.
Also, expect some moodiness with late-season gobblers. I’ve experienced mornings when, despite seemingly ideal conditions, nothing gobbled anywhere. Waterfowl and songbirds made their usual noises, but turkeys stayed silent, acting as if they had disappeared. I don’t know why. But why, during the height of their gobbling on one day, do turkeys tear it up and then gobble maybe half as much the next day, is beyond me. It’s just a turkey thing.
Those quiet mornings don’t spell doom. There are still turkeys around, and later in the morning you can often wake up gobblers and hens that had been quiet.
Don’t Buy the BS
As noted above, some amateur biologists often claim that turkeys have “gobbled out” or finished reproducing by the time the late season rolls around. As evidence, they’ll mention seeing gobblers strutting during late winter.
Hogwash. It is true that many hens have mated and are holding out for the late-season to construct clutches or sit on nests. But gobblers don’t simply turn off their testosterone taps. Most are still eager and willing to care for hens well into the late season and often long after the campaign ends, even though some may lose some of their desire to breed. A friend in Minnesota often runs during early mornings and keeps track of gobbling activity. The best gobbling day he’s witnessed? June 17.
Gobblers may act as though they’d rather go back to their summer bachelor groups on certain days during the late season. They seem more interested in gobbling at each other and hooking up than in chasing hens. However, that’s a small sample size, and it usually changes daily. When that happens, don’t assume those gobblers are done with hens. Like a longbeard you meet in the middle of the season may seem uninterested for a variety of reasons, they are simply not interested right now. (In addition, if Gobblers appear to favor a boys’ club, suggest that they join one where Jake yells with Gobbler and maybe gobble, gobble, gobble. ).
Many other late-season critics frequently point to harvest statistics, in states that keep such records, as proof of steadily declining success as the season progresses. That makes sense. Hunting conditions statistically get harder as more gobblers—and probably relatively easy or eager gobblers—are killed. Every hunter also knows that many of the birds that are still alive have probably been startled more than once, which makes them harder targets. Further, hunter effort typically declines as the season wanes. Many folks kill a turkey early and are then happy to start fishing or playing golf. Those numbers don’t lie, but they shouldn’t dissuade you from hunting. You might encounter more birds earlier in the season. However, your odds of encountering the right turkey are often better than ever.
Some people steer clear of the late season because they don’t see as many big groups of turkeys or find them where they spent most of the spring visiting. That’s often true, but it doesn’t affect much. Remember, during late spring, turkeys are the most dispersed they’ll be during the year. The gobblers and hens you saw in late winter have long since dispersed; the gobblers often run in pairs or alone, and the hens now construct their nests in secluded areas with plenty of cover. Similarly, food sources have expanded worldwide, so turkeys can now find a variety of tasty places to eat in addition to pastures, crop fields, and oak flats. During that time, turkeys, as the cliché holds, are where you find them.
Thick late-season foliage can help but also hinder your efforts. It provides cover to hide your movement but can make shooting more difficult. by Bill Konway.
Mind the Weather and Foliage
No one can argue that late season conditions differ greatly from those weeks earlier. Temperatures are typically warm — even hot — and the foliage has grown tall and thick. Those factors greatly affect hunting.
Watch the weather, and hunt accordingly. Heat shuts down gobbling as quick as any other factor. At some temperature, usually around 70 degrees in the North but warmer elsewhere, those big, black, heavily plumed birds get hot and stop using as much energy to gobble. As a result, you should try to make the most of the cooler weather windows, which are early in the morning and late at night.
During warm, sunny midday lulls, turkeys often seek cool, shady areas to loaf. Out West, those might include cedar groves or pine-rimmed canyons. In the Midwest and Northeast, they could be shaded creek bottoms or heavily timbered hollows. Focus on these spots at midday. Sit and call at likely spots for an hour or more. If you have trouble staying still, use a turkey chair for comfort or a blind to hide your fidgeting. Many folks dislike this style of hunting, but it’s darned effective. And remember, if you hear a distant bird gobble, you can always move.
Foliage can also throw you changeups, good and bad. On the one hand, the understory vegetation and leaf-out trees make it easier and more discreet to navigate through the woods. Turkeys that you would not have dared to approach can frequently be found creeping close to you in the open woods in March and April. Furthermore, thick materials like gooseberries create edges that turkeys must navigate, much as logging roads have rising and bending terrain. Within shooting distance of those obstacles, a turkey will often search for your calling; you can shoot him the instant he appears and cranes his neck to locate the “hen.” ” ”.
On the down side, foliage can make shooting more difficult. Find setups where you have clear, distinct lanes that allow sure shots. It’s common to have to shoot through brush or other similar cover, but don’t push the issue too far as a few leaves or branches can ruin your pattern entirely.
Similar to how dense foliage can change your perception of a turkey’s location, dense foliage also makes gobbling sound a little muffled. Just be mindful about when you need to sit down and set up. One step too far is all it takes to send a gobbler out of your life.
Some folks wonder about late-season decoys and calling tactics. I’ve found that decoy basics still apply, but don’t be afraid to pare things down a bit. Single hens work great, especially if you’re near potential nesting cover. Similarly, lone jakes are also very effective. The idea is that the gobbler follows the hen it hears but ends up running into a jake. The largest late-season decoy setup I use is a jake and hen combo.
Calling? Don’t change a thing. You must yelp a bit differently to every turkey you work, and the late season is no different. Take his temperature. See what makes him gobble and, more important, come toward you. Get aggressive if he likes it, but pare things down as needed. Basically, work that late-season turkey like you would any other gobbler.
Keep Perspective
The extreme late season carries challenges, but it’s a great time to hunt. In conclusion, during the intense late season, your chances of finding a lone gobbler who is willing to work to call are likely higher than they have ever been.
And hey, it’s your last chance to hunt turkeys until autumn. That alone should prompt you to get out of bed and greet the dawn.
How to Hunt Late Season Turkeys
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