Late Season Turkey Hunting

As turkey season wanes so, it seems, does the interest of the gobblers. Many birds may be legitimately call shy, made so by intense calling and hunting pressure. However, many may just be tired.

In some ways, the end of the season is like the beginning. Gobblers are less "cranked up" and less vocal. Many hens have taken the nest and fewer available hens means less constant stimulation to strut and gobble. His sexual urges tend to come and go, competing with fatigue and hunger. He has lost weight and energy from the rigorous activities of breeding and fighting off other gobblers.

At this time, the turkey hunter must rely on woodcraft and specific turkey knowledge gained over the season. Even a late-season gobbler will still have his "hot flashes." They are just less frequent and more unpredictable. Hunting into the mid-morning and all day, if legal, is a good idea. If you can get his interest aroused, the late-season gobbler can be called fairly easily.