cjp161

Can any experienced turkey hunterstell me the difference between hunting them in fall and spring. First time for me was last spring and I have a trip planned in november. Thanks.

sproulman

in spring you hunt gobblers only.

they are mating then asnd BEST chance for you to get a tom.

fall, well, its hard to get gobbler and most turkeys shot are hens and this years peeps.

in fall, hunt food and dont waste you time calling.
use your calls in spring.

find area where the turkeys have ripped up leaves and sit there from 7 am until dark ALL WEEK.take lunch and drinks, warm clothes,nice folding chair to rest your back,spray yourself with tick spray,book to read,dark clothes not necesary to be camo, i use brown tossel hat,full coke in shotgun with no. 4 shot high brass.

you will hear turkeys coming ripping up leaves,only shoot a big turkey, no little ones,no peeps.

sproul says you will get a fall turkey if you follow my advice.

cjp161

much appreciated

Retaks

Sproul got it right about the difference in finding fall and spring turkeys. We go around in the evening and find where they are roosting at then get in there with a few guys and break the flock up. Once you do that you can sit down and call them in with a few clucks here and there. We seem to get more turkeys in the fall that way. We jsut go in and sit down about a guy every 100 yards or so and wait for them to come out of the tree.

RSB

In the spring you are trying to get a gobbler to come into your calling by making him think he is coming in to a receptive hen.

In the fall you hunt turkeys by covering ground until you find and break up a flock of turkeys. That flock is usually going to be hens and birds of this year. If you locate a flock you want to run into the flock trying to get them to fly in all directions. Once they are well broke up sit down near where you broke them up, pull out your favorite calls and then call in a bird by using a combination of old hen assembly calls and the kee-kee run calls of young birds. The birds don’t like to be separated so they will call back and forth to one another in order to get back together as a flock again. You are trying to make one or more of them think they are coming back to a part of the flock. I use different calls to make them think several turkeys are already together and they should come to join them.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with harvesting a hen or even a young bird in the fall. The seasons are structured, in length, to assure the turkey populatoins aren’t being over harvested.

R.S. Bodenhorn

Retaks

Here is what is possible during fall turkey season. There were 11 guys in camp and we got 10 birds by 11am opening morning.

absolut40

I wouldnt even think about hunting turkeys in the fall without a dog. Im glad PA finally allowed the use of dogs in the fall turkey season.The dogs really get in good on the turkeys on the break which makes them easier to call in for the most part.

sammy_tat

You don't need dogs in the fall for turkey. I will question yourhunting skillsif you can't find a bird without a dog.
Pa is loaded with turkey. I do see some dogs getting whacked if they are chasing birds while another is on stand calling them in. I wouldn't think twice about giving the dog lead poison.Especially on private property.

absolut40

[quote]ORIGINAL: sammy_tat

You don't need dogs in the fall for turkey. I will question yourhunting skillsif you can't find a bird without a dog.
Pa is loaded with turkey. I do see some dogs getting whacked if they are chasing birds while another is on stand calling them in. I wouldn't think twice about giving the dog lead poison.Especially on private property.

You hunt them your way and ill hunt them mine.No one asked for your opinion on dogs.

sproulman

this is why when i see truck where i hunt grouse, i go somewhere else.

i dont want to disturb someones turkey hunting..

BUT to shoot a dog of hunter, no, thats not right.


last year, a road hunter shot at my dog while he was hunting grouse with windows down.

i jumped out infront of his vehicle as he was leaving.

he said he thought it was black coyote.

i told him, if you would have hurt my dog,i would hate to tell you what ole sproul would have done to you.

he thenmouthed off and said he will do what he wants.

i found out later who he was and is on WELFARE.

I GAVE HIS NAME TO WCO ALSO AND YOU CAN BET IF HE STEPS WRONG WAY IN WOODS,I WILL HAVE HIM ARRESTED.


i understand where you are coming from, i dont agree on the dogs for turkeys as most are calling turkeys and dont want dog disturbing that.

i see many hunters using dogs now for turkeys and i see a lot of conflicts because of it,but no dog should ever be shot because you are mad, its not dogs fault,its rules the PGC is making.