Gobblers in the fall
Spring gobbler hunting is without a doubt the most popular type of turkey hunting in West Virginia, as well as most other states where turkeys are hunted. If someone is hunting turkeys in the Fall, they are often hunting young birds or mixed flocks, which are very gregarious and don’t like to be separated. Hunters can often get those types of birds to respond to calls, especially if the group has been scattered or dispersed. Mature gobblers often behave quite differently and can be more difficult to call and hunt.
Older gobblers often hang together in bachelor groups during the Fall. They are not nearly as responsive to calls and don’t seem to be as excited to regroup if they are scattered. They seem to return to the scatter site at a much slower pace, if at all. They often call very little, or not at all, and respond to calls very cautiously. When hunting them, a hunter needs to think slow, slow, slow. A recent hunt near Paw Paw, in Hampshire County is a good example.
In late October and early November a couple of friends and I were getting trail camera photos of some nice gobblers on our hunting lease. I decided I would combine some scouting for deer with a morning of trying to locate and possibly get a shot at one of those big birds.
Just after daybreak, I was easing out a logging road near the top of a big ridge. Just as I crested a small rise in the road, four turkeys flushed from a low spot in the ridge. Three of them barely got airborne and went straight down the mountain. The fourth flew a little harder, got a little higher, and hooked to the left, sailing out of sight. All four were nice Toms, but the one that veered off alone was really big, with a longer, thicker beard than the other three. I hoped that since he split off further from the other three he might respond to my call. I moved up to where they had flushed and got hidden where I had a good view down the mountain. I listened to see if they called but did not hear anything. After a while, I dug out my raspiest sounding diaphragm call. I made four or five slow, coarse yelps. I called much slower and not as smoothly as I would if I was trying to imitate a hen. After 30 minutes or so, I saw movement about 60 yards down the mountain. It was the group of three coming slowly up the mountain. They stopped often to look and did not call at all. I just stayed quiet and let them come, hoping the bigger one would follow.
The three of them eventually worked their way onto the flat just below where I was sitting. They got within thirty yards of my position, but the big boy never showed up. Finally, all three birds turned and started to walk away. I decided I had waited long enough on the big guy and shot the one at which I had the most open shot. The other two sailed right back down the mountain.
Even though I never got a shot at the biggest Tom, the one I got was a very nice gobbler, and I felt very happy and blessed to get him. But I do hope to try to locate and hunt the big guy in the Spring!
Wade Shambaugh has lived in Morgan County his whole life and is a lifelong outdoorsman.
The post Everyday Outdoors — Gobblers in the fall appeared first on Morgan Messenger.
