As April turns to May and many state’s turkey seasons start to come to a close, hunters start to feel the pressure to fill their remaining tags. Many folks will tell you that late-season turkey hunting is no good and that the majority of the gobbling activity and breeding is over by this point in the season, but I tend to disagree. Yes, late season birds can be a challenge at times, but with the right tactics and mindset, this portion of the spring season can be a great time to find a fired up gobbler.
Late Season Turkey Hunting Tips
Over several seasons spent chasing gobblers and a vast amount of mistakes made, we’ve put together a list of some of our best late season turkey hunting tips with the hopes of helping fill your tag on a late season turkey.
Dial Back the Calling and Think About Where you are Calling From
By the time the last few weeks of turkey season roll around, the majority of turkeys have received a fair amount of hunting pressure, especially on public land. Meaning most gobblers have probably been bombarded with loud cutting and yelping from other hunters traveling logging roads or easy access routes since the season opener. Because of this, many gobblers will start to be conditioned to associate loud cutting and yelping coming from particular areas with danger. Its not that the bird is smart enough to know that the calling is coming from a person, its that they have learned that calls coming from certain areas have been trouble in the past.
To combat this during the late season I like to dial back by calling, starting with subtle calling that most hens would make moving through the woods like soft yelps, clucks, and purrs. The soft yelping and soft clucks are natural sounds that turkeys, primarily hens, make year round. If a bird doesn’t gobble at the soft calling then I will slowly increase the volume and excitement in my calls in an attempt to get a bird gobbling.
I also like to consider where I am calling from during both the late and early season. It doesn’t take long into the season for turkeys to start associating calling from particular areas or directions with danger, aka hunters. When entering a piece of public or private land, I like to consider what other hunters may have previously done and how they would’ve moved through the area. Keeping this in mind I plan my loop through the area so that I will leave the least amount of disturbance with the goal of none of the turkeys or other wildlife knowing I was ever there. Once I find a gobbling turkey, if the situation and terrain allow, I try to work the turkey from a direction other hunters likely haven’t.
Get Inside a Late Season Gobblers ‘Bubble’
During a morning hunt on a tom I still like to be set up as close as possible before fly down. Even during the later part of the season, in many of the areas that I’ve hunted, a gobbler is still likely to have hens first thing of a morning. Like during the early season, I want to try to get the tom on the ground and headed in my direction before he has the opportunity to meet up with another hen.
Go the Extra Mile and Cover Ground
After weeks of being hunted, odds are the majority of the turkeys within a half mile of where you park your truck have either been killed or pushed into areas that receive less pressure. This means your probably going to have to do more footwork, especially on public, to find gobbling turkeys.
I like to look for areas with difficult or overlooked access that may have received less hunting pressure the first few weeks of the season. This could be something like a spot without any trails or logging roads that require you to navigate rough terrain or thick cover. In my experience this will deter many hunters from going to these areas.
In areas with easy access or travel routes, I find that during the late season birds will be pushed into the farther hard to reach areas located several miles from the parking lot. Yes, it does require some effort to get to these spots but odds are that where you will find a gobbler to call into gun range.
Hunt Near Nesting Areas
By the time May rolls around, a bulk of the breeding has taken place and the hens begin to focus on nesting. If a gobbler has hens, typically by mid-morning they will start to leave him to go to their nest. Gobblers are quick to pick up on this and will establish strut zones near nesting cover. These locations make for a great place to strike or find a late season tom who is looking for the hens he lost earlier in the morning.
Jake Yelps
We all know how effective jake yelps can be during the early portion of the season but they can also work great during the end of the season. If your setup on a tom and he is being stubborn to your hen calls, try the jake or gobbler yelp. A lot of times late season turkeys at the end of the breeding season are eager to find the last lone hen and will come in ready for a fight if they think a jake is involved.
Final Thoughts on Late Season Turkey Hunting
Late season, though it may have its challenges like any other part of the season, is still a great time to hunt. While hunting late season turkeys its important for hunters to adjust their strategies accordingly. After all, the season’s not over yet, and that one responsive gobbler might just be around the next bend, waiting to make your season unforgettable. Goodluck chasing those late season gobblers this turkey season.