By: Jared Felkins

Though it may be late in the season for many turkey hunters, hope is not lost on harvesting a big gobbler. All that is required is a few changes in strategy.

“I think because we have had such a good crop of turkeys in the past few years … the gobblers are keeping more hens with them throughout the year,” said Hunter’s Specialties Pro Staffer Eddie Salter. “This activity is making turkey hunting more of a challenge.”

As Salter hunts around the country, he is noticing that gobblers seem to be henned up just about everywhere. To find success late in the season, he recommends setting up closer to a roosted tom in order to get the jump on nearby hens. In other words, be the first one the gobbler comes to after he flies down.

“At this time of year, I’m trying to be as daring as possible,” Salter said. “Instead of setting up 150 yards away from a roost site and trying to call them in when they fly down, I’m setting up 75 yards away and calling to them while they are still on the roost. Every step you save that turkey is one less step you have to make.”

But knowing where turkeys roost is only one challenge. You still have to call them in.

Here are a few more tips to help make your late-season hunts successful.

· Don’t overcall.
In many areas, turkeys have been called to quite a bit by hunters and may be call-shy. The idea is to peak the gobbler’s curiosity without giving him too much to go on, almost as if you are a hen playing hard to get. This calling strategy also simulates what the hens are doing during the late season.

· Be confident in your calling and do not falter.
There is little room for error at this point in the season as turkeys have heard every call in the world by this time and can quickly be turned off. If you make a mistake calling, don’t stop on the bad call, but rather call right through it and end on a good note.

· Try to imitate what the hens are doing.
This is a good tip on any hunt, but is especially important during late season when turkeys are more unpredictable. If hens are calling a lot at fly-down, you call a lot. If they are calling very little, then do that. If they are heading to the fields at midday to feed, be there first. You can bet a gobbler knows they’re going to be there and will show up at some point.

· Use spot calling as a mid-morning tactic.
If you haven’t gotten a gobbler to respond to your calls by mid-morning, try spot calling about twice every 15 minutes. If you don’t hear a gobble in 30 minutes, move somewhere else and try again. According to Salter, you will generally know within 15 minutes whether or not you have a gobbler coming to your setup.

· Try more than one call at a time or hunt with a friend.
By using a slate and mouth call at the same time or hunting with a friend that is calling as well, you can easily simulate two hens angry with each other. This calling method can pay big dividends.

Improve your turkey hunting by reading more tips, strategies and stories in the pages of Turkey Call magazine. When you join the NWTF for just $25, you will receive six issues of Turkey Call every other month. Click here to become an NWTF member and begin receiving Turkey Call today.

The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) is a great resource for turkey hunting tips and other wild turkey information. Visit the NWTF’s website at www.nwtf.org for information or call (800) THE-NWTF to become a NWTF member and receive one of our great magazines filled with turkey hunting tips and stories. 

About the NWTF: In 1973 when the National Wild Turkey Federation was founded, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5 million turkey hunters. Thanks to the work of state wildlife agencies and the NWTF's many volunteers and partners, today there are an estimated 5.4 million wild turkeys and approximately 2.6 million turkey hunters. Since 1985, more than
$135 million NWTF and cooperator dollars have been spent on over 15,000 projects benefiting wild turkeys throughout North America.

The NWTF is a 390,000-member grassroots, nonprofit organization with members in 50 states, Canada and 11 foreign countries. It supports scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport.