Roosting areas: Turkeys sleep in trees. Roosting areas provide a sense of security.
Broad-branched trees such as pines, oaks and maples
often hold flocks. Dusting areas: Wild turkeys sometimes roll in loose soil, belly down, and shake themselves in the dirt, as other birds do.
Can I hunt turkeys in the fall?
The California fall wild turkey season opens on November 14. The season runs through November 29 and the limit is one bird of either sex for the season
. As in the past, WU will open a number of properties to fall turkey hunting and the hunting should be excellent.
Can you call Wild turkeys in the fall?
Calls to Use:
If you strike a fall gobbler with a cluck, start gobbler yelping at the bird. If it responds to you again, gobble at that turkey
. Gobbler calls, when used sparingly, can prompt responses from adult toms, super jakes and young male turkeys. If you’ve scattered the flock, listen as the gobblers regroup.
How often should you call turkeys?
Call
every few minutes
, and act like a disinterested hen going about her daily routine. Moving also helps in such situations, because turkeys rarely sit and yelp in one place for long.
How early should I be in the woods for turkey hunting?
Most states allow hunting a half-hour before sunrise so be in the woods early. How early? Get to your setup site
at least 30 to 45 minutes before shooting light
.
Are turkeys active in the winter?
With the keen ability to adapt, turkeys are being found in areas previously thought to be too harsh.
Northern-range turkeys have been resilient through frigid winters
, although they aren’t invincible. If food is available during winter, turkeys can often survive extended periods of extreme cold and snow.
Do you use decoys for fall turkey hunting?
“Fall turkeys, regardless of their age or sex, want to be with other turkeys.
The visual confirmation of a decoy that all is safe can be a real game changer in the fall, especially in terms of drawing a bird within range
.” Morrett affirms that his all-purpose autumn decoy is the Avian-X Lookout model.
What month do turkeys come out?
Eastern Wild Turkey
Breeding usually begins in
late February or early March in its southernmost habitats, but not until April in northern states
. The cycle is complete with the hatching of poults by June or as late as mid-summer farther north. Birds that renest may bring off broods as late as August.
What do turkeys eat in the fall?
Generally, turkeys thrive in and near mature forests that produce abundant amounts of mast, the fruits and nuts of woody plants. In the spring, they tend to eat leaves and grasses, and in the fall, they feed more on
fruits, berries, seeds and insects
.
What do turkeys do in the fall?
In the fall, they will still
haunt fields, particularly those with dropped corn or grain
. But in much of the turkey’s range, they shift to the acorns and nuts – called mast by land managers – of hardwood forests. Flocks may move several miles to find acorn-rich environments.
Where do turkeys go in the winter?
Snow gets too deep to scratch through for food. After heavy snows,
turkeys can remain in trees
for days. They fast or move from tree to tree eating a marginal diet of buds. If turkeys spot a heavily used deer trail on the ground below, they sometimes descend for brief foraging bouts where the ground is accessible.
Why do turkeys come out in the fall?
They Fight for Dominance & Mate
. During the fall and winter seasons, it’s common for turkeys to be in the good company of their equals. You’ll see groups of jakes, old and young hens and mature gobblers all sectioned out. The different flocks allow the birds to more easily determine dominance.
What sounds do turkeys make in the fall?
What direction do turkeys fly off the roost?
Turkeys roosted in bowls or off ridges usually fly
down to the high side of the terrain
. Open ridges, pastures, clear-cuts or ag fields are also likely landing spots. Act on it: If you plan to set up close to the roost — and closer is usually better — do it well before dawn.
What is the best sound to call in a turkey?
A fly-down cackle
is good call to tell a gobbler that a hen is on the ground. However, a fly-down cackle often works best if the gobbler is already on the ground before you call. Otherwise, the tom may stay on the roost; waiting for what he thinks is a hen turkey to come to him before he flies down.
How far can a turkey hear your call?
In a big field they will hear you from
400 yards
. It sounds like you know where they are and where they are going.
What time should you start calling turkeys in the morning?
When To Call A Gobbler
In my view, the best times of the day are right off the roost, then again from about
8:30
to 9:30 when more hens start to leave the gobbler to go lay an egg, and again from about 11 until noon.
Do turkeys respond to calls in the evening?
Turkeys Don’t Call as Much
You’ll occasionally run across a noisy, gobbling fool in the late afternoon and evening. But more common is the silent, laid-back gobbler that doesn’t make a peep until sounding off on his limb for the night.
How long should I sit turkey hunting?
It’s tough deciding when enough is enough. If I’m in a good spot, I discipline myself to sit for
at least 30 minutes
, more if I feel confident. That’s not to say that if you’d given it one more minute, you’d have killed the bird that sneaked in on you, but staying longer is better than leaving too soon.
What time of day do turkeys gobble most?
A lot of turkeys, especially old Easterns, will gobble only once or twice in the afternoon, but they’ll come to your calls fast and silently. Afternoon hunting generally peaks from around
2 to 4:30 p.m.
, but you might as well hunt right up until dark some days. Gobblers love to roost within 50 to 200 yards of hens.
What do turkeys do when snowing?
Snow will tend to
hold turkeys close to their roosts
, especially if it is a heavy snow. If it is snowing heavy enough to cause visibility problems, turkey don’t like to move around a lot because the snowfall can hide predators. Yet, even with snowfall, turkeys have to eat, so they will move eventually.
What do you feed turkeys in the winter?
Winter Feed for Turkeys
We still want to provide a good, base turkey feed—available free choice so that turkeys may consume as much as they like. In addition, I suggest a late day feeding of
corn, wheat, or both
. Corn adds calories and fat to the diet and gives the turkeys something to burn to keep them warm at night.
Should you feed wild turkeys in winter?
Don’t feed wild turkeys
The first step towards resolving conflicts with turkeys is to eliminate sources of food such as direct handouts from people, unsecured garbage, and spilled bird seed. You may consider removing bird feeders (especially in the spring and summer) until the turkeys move on.
How do you attract turkeys in the spring?
Turkeys love
acorns and pecans, as well as dogwoods, huckleberries, blueberries, and other fruits found in the understory
. Planting food plots: Follow these tips to establish food plots as a supplement to natural forage. Food plots can also be used to increase turkey sightings and harvest success.
How do you set up fall turkey decoys?
Why is turkey hunting so hard?
Their keen eyesight makes up for their lack of smell and they can detect even the slightest amount of movement
, so hunting them is challenging. We encourage you to learn all you can before hitting the woods to begin your turkey hunting adventures – a safe and successful hunt depends on it.
