| Author |
Message |
VolDoug
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 12:01 pm: | |
Greetings neighbors!
There are several counties open for fall hunting this year in TN, and I am considering applying for a permit.
For those that enjoy it, I wanted to get your input as far as technique, do's and don'ts, etc.
Thanks! |
Freddy McGuire (Vaturkey)
| | Posted on Thursday, August 01, 2002 - 10:41 am: | |
Hey Doug... good to see you! Fall hunting, at least to me, is very enjoyable.
By far the most commonly used technique is the scatter and call back. Find a flock, rush them screaming and yelling (here in VA we can use a dog which works really well for this) and scatter them to all points of the compass. Note: Don't run with a loaded gun! Setup in the area of the flush, and patiently wait for the birds to start to get back together.
It's important to identify the birds you are dealing with when you flush them. With fall longbeards you may have to wait a lot longer for them to begin to get back together and you will probably only use gobbler clucks and yelps once they start getting back together. Quite frequently when dealing with longbeards they may not get back together for several hours or even days. Patience is important when dealing with those guys. If you haven't heard the gobblers getting back together after about an hour you may want to try a few gobblers clucks and maybe a 3 note gobbler yelp. The will come in quietly a lot so a blind can be a great help. When dealing with flocks of longbeards patience and minimal calling is the key.
Most likely you will run into flock of hens, jennies, and jakes. Use the same techinique of busting up the flock and then setting up in the area of the flush. Setup and wait for them to start to reassemble and then join in with your own calling. Most commonly you will hear yelps and kee-kees and occasionally the jakes will gobble and it can sometimes break into a calling frenzy. This sometimes depends on the amount of pressure the birds have seen. When calling to these flocks you really want to sound like a young bird using yelps and kee-kees. Trying to imitate the mother hen is almost impossible as her call will be very distinct to the young birds. If the mother hen is calling and it seems all the birds are going to her you may have to get up and re-flush her. If the flock gets back together keep track of them and flush again. However, the more you flush them the more wary and quiet on the regroup they become.
It can be really exciting to have 15-20 birds calling all around you and wondering which one is going to get to your setup first.
Another technique is just study the birds and setup on travel routes/feeding areas and blind calling occasionally. This isn't near as much fun!
Hope this helps some and if you have any more questions fire away!
Good luck and let us know how you do! |
GN
| | Posted on Friday, August 02, 2002 - 11:25 am: | |
Be difficult to expand on Freddy's response...he did not mention preseason scountig to know here to find these birds in order to break them up...my sense of the potential for a kill on a fall hunt depends largely on knowing where to find them , through scouting, and is more then half of the battle. |
TScottW99
| | Posted on Saturday, August 03, 2002 - 7:47 am: | |
I agree with GN on that it would be hard to expand with Freddy's post. If your in the mood for some good reading though on fall hunting here's a really good link....
http://www.wildturkeyzone.com/fall.htm
after reading the story scroll to the bottom of the page and there are even more articles on fall hunting... enough to get you all worked up for the fall season ;-) |
VolDoug
| | Posted on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 10:56 am: | |
Thanks for the info guys.
I'm still trying to decide if it's something I want to do.
Freddie, if you don't mind, I'm going to link this to TnTurkey for those guys/gals to take a look at. |
Freddy McGuire (Vaturkey)
| | Posted on Monday, August 05, 2002 - 11:38 am: | |
No problem Doug...
I think you will enjoy fall hunting... set a goal to bag a mature gobbler and it will be a real challenge, or take your bow along to try and bag a bird...
Good luck! |
hawglips
| | Posted on Monday, August 12, 2002 - 4:41 pm: | |
I am a neighbor to the south looking to try some fall turkey hunting in VA this year. Any suggestions on public land or counties I should try?
Thanks!
Hal Abbott |
mudfork
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 13, 2002 - 12:04 pm: | |
Hawg, what areas are you thinking about? There are some good public opps. in Bland and Wythe counties. There are plenty of places to get away from crowds, we are truly blessed here in VA in that respect. I'll help what I can. I love the fall season, especially when the snow is falling during the late segment. |
hawglips
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 14, 2002 - 3:31 pm: | |
mudfork,
I'm probably looking at the SW, Scott County area.
Thanks. |
Team Turpin
| | Posted on Friday, August 16, 2002 - 4:02 pm: | |
THAT IS THE WAY WE DO IT IN TENNESSEE TOO F.G. |
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