Fall Turkey hunting tips

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Fall Turkey hunting tips

There is no substitute for scouting when it comes to finding wild turkeys, unless, of course, someone else scouts for you, and there’s nothing wrong with being enterprising and thorough. Talk to farmers, hikers and other hunters if you don't have leads for areas to scout.  Look for scratchings in the leaves, and know that it's pretty hard to miss the signs turkeys make looking for food. Leaves are falling or have fallen in many areas, so scratching for food will become more pronounced on the forest floor.

Once you find the general area turkeys are working, try to pattern their daily movements. Look for fresh scratchings, tracks, turkey droppings and feathers. Sort out what the birds are eating. It takes about a week to pattern a flock. Once you have, capitalize on your preseason fieldwork.

Hunters who find pockets of beech or oak trees with good nut production, or soft mast such as grapes, apples or cherries, or agricultural fields with standing crops or waste grain, should find turkeys. But remember, locating the flock is only part of the hunt. Setting up properly and bringing a turkey within range are other challenges hunters must master. It’s what makes success so tricky and enjoyable.

Make sure you check with your local regulations for the shot size that is legal in your state, and also for the legal hunting hours allowed.

 On a final note, many states have banded turkeys for the purpose research. Please remember to report any leg-banded turkeys that you harvest. The information hunters provide from the recovery of a banded wild turkeys has great value to the States research efforts.