Let's talk about Turkeys

[Padre86]

All right, so I'm new to hunting Turkey.  I've spent the last 2 weekends up in the Adirondacks looking for them.  I see these things all along Rte 28 during my numerous drives up to the Adirondacks, but I've never seen them on hikes and certainly never during any of my hunts up there.   So what I am missing here?

As I understand it (someone please correct me if I'm wrong), the general idea behind fall turkey hunting is to find a big group of them, break them and then hide out and ambush them as they regroup.  I've heard bringing a dog along to help with the break up is sometimes helpful.  I've heard calls are sometimes used as well, but they seem to be more relied upon in the spring season, when they aren't as grouped up.  

1) So where do I look for Turkeys, especially in an area as big as the ADK's?  I've spent some time going down old (no longer active) logging/hunting roads and trails.  Sometimes I head off the trail to move through some brush in an attempt to flush anything out of hiding.  

2) Is the weather and foliage optimal for fall turkey hunting?  I've noticed that the weather this time of year is a bit warmer than usual.  As well the foliage has only just now started to turn.  In fact, when I was moving through the woods today, a lot of the foliage was not only still on the trees but still very green, making it very hard to see very far in any direction.  With all the racket I make stepping on dead leaves, I feel like I'm bumping and scaring away any potential game well before I see them.  

3) Should I be using a Turkey call, even for the fall season?

4) Do Turkey like moving in the rain?  It's been fairly wet this weekend so far, almost a constant drizzle.  Is hunting for Turkey in the rain worth it?  I know some game species prefer to say put in rainy weather.

5) Is ambush or calling pretty much the only way to hunt Turkey?  I've heard that Turkey have amazing eyesight as well as hearing.  So head-to-toe camo and stealth seem to be essential.  I just have a hard time sitting still in some place like the ADK's.  It's a big area, and wildlife isn't nearly as abundant here as some people think it is.  If I don't pick the right spot, I could be doing a whole lot of sitting without seeing a single animal (I know from experience).  

 

Anyways, those are just a few questions/issues I was trying to work through.  I figure if some more experience Turkey hunters on this site offered some feedback, we might be able to get a helpful dialogue going for myself and other hunters new to Turkey.

[DirtTime]

If you shoot to break up the flock, do NOT shoot in the air! Shoot at the ground or a tree stump. 

[Padre86]

Great tips so far!

And I when I referred to ambush hunting, I wasn't referring to stalking Turkey.  Rather I meant breaking them up, as Bill explained, and then waiting for them to reassemble.  

[Uncle Nicky]

Scouting is your best option, even if you have to do it from the car. I don't know where you are hunting, but if there is agriculture, glass freshly cut soybean, corn, or alfalfa fields, especially during a rainstorm, early morning, or late afternoon, the birds shouldn't be too far into the woods if you see them near an ag field.  If they're not coming to the fields, look for acorns or beech nuts in the woods. A dog is a huge help in scattering them, if all works well, they can be called back with hen yelps or kee-kees (or gobbler yelps if you scatter male birds). Don't let anyone tell you differently, targeting fall birds is much more difficult than hunting turkeys in the spring. Good luck!

[Padre86]

8 hours ago, Uncle Nicky said:

Scouting is your best option, even if you have to do it from the car. I don't know where you are hunting, but if there is agriculture, glass freshly cut soybean, corn, or alfalfa fields, especially during a rainstorm, early morning, or late afternoon, the birds shouldn't be too far into the woods if you see them near an ag field.  If they're not coming to the fields, look for acorns or beech nuts in the woods. A dog is a huge help in scattering them, if all works well, they can be called back with hen yelps or kee-kees (or gobbler yelps if you scatter male birds). Don't let anyone tell you differently, targeting fall birds is much more difficult than hunting turkeys in the spring. Good luck!

I'm not hunting a particularly agriculturally heavy area.  The ADK's has few true farm fields.  Most of the openings are from old clear cuts or blow down.  But I will keep your tips in mind for hunting Turkey in other locales.

 

Also, why is fall hunting harder than spring hunting?

[Pygmy]

For one thing, gobblers usually announce thier presence in the spring by gobbling.  Fall flocks in  wooded areas often require a good bit of shoe leather to locate.

Edited October 10, 2016 by Pygmy

[Uncle Nicky]

44 minutes ago, Padre86 said:

I'm not hunting a particularly agriculturally heavy area.  The ADK's has few true farm fields.  Most of the openings are from old clear cuts or blow down.  But I will keep your tips in mind for hunting Turkey in other locales.

 

Also, why is fall hunting harder than spring hunting?

I'm speaking in generalities, but spring birds travel less during a day in the spring than in the fall season. They're driven by mating in the spring, and food in the fall, especially once it gets colder. Scouting a gobbler is fairly simple in the spring, get up early, listen for the general location where they roost and gobble, and set up; if that fails, find the open areas where they strut and put out decoys, much simpler looking for birds that are calling loudly to one another (spring) than looking for birds that are on the move most of the day mostly quiet (fall).