turkey hunting spring vs. fall?????

[eshoremd]

i thought i was reading somewhere that turkeys are a lot easier to kill during the fall then spring. is this true and if so, why?

[massive horns]

I would say the only reason it could be easier is because you can key in on food sources. I myself think they are easier to kill in the Spring time..

[BillCartwright]

We've killed a few this fall, but not like the last 2-3 years. Abundance of acorns have made it tough. None of the birds are having to scratch to find food or go that far for that matter. Being very tough this fall. Our late season opens here in Kentucky on 12/3. Hopefully the birds will be flocked up good by then.

My opinion is it is much easier to kill a gobbler during the Spring. Fall birds are not vocal, move around very little and will often sit on roost way up into the day.

[hatracked]

I dont think the hunts are really comparable myself. Two entirely different tactics with animals in two entirely different modes of living at each respective time of the year. I never had much trouble getting on turkey in the fall, its just a matter of switching to deer hunting tactic more than turkey hunting tactic.

All that said I havent fall hunted turkey in 15 years, just doesnt interest me much.I would almost fel like I had robbed myself to blast a tom in the fall. Shooting a hen isn't an option here and short of a few places in the NE I have hunted not really sound game management in my opinion. They used to count turkey flocks in the thousands.... we aren't close to restoring the turkey population to what it was intended to be.

[SCtrkyhntr]

I probably wouldn't hunt them in the fall if we could. I like the see the tom strut, hear him gobble and drum, they don't do any of than in the fall. Maybe I would bow hunt them in the fall if we could. I don't think they would be easier to kill unless you knew a location where they feed on a regular basis and I still don't think that would make it easier. For some reason i think a tom would probably come to a hen calling in the spring faster than he would an acorn droping in the fall, maybe it's the mating part.LOL

[hatracked]

The areas I hunted in Ny you could set your watch to a fall flock. I actually think a lot of my success with spring turkey came from watching fall turkeys in NY when I first got started. Turkeys really do go on a pretty similar routine and route everyday. Certain things come along and change that temporarily but all in all their world is well defined in my opinion. Two of the major things that change are breeding season and feeding season. Feeding season being the same for all of us Fall. Its harvest time, time to reap what the earth can grow us.Turkeys gather around food sources heavilly and regularly. Patience and good scouting will net you an opportunity everytime.Likewise in the spring congregations move more towards hen nesting areas . Either way taking into consideration the seasonal influences as well as local influences like hunter pressure ect. Patterning a tom is as simple as taking the time to do it in my experience.

I guess thats why I choose to hunt the spring. it adds another dimension to the whole game in terms of calling. I truthfully can say I wouldn't give a hoot about turkey hunting if it wern't for the gobble.Ever since I heard the very first echoing gobble in a New York State hardwood ravine, I've been pretty much hooked on that.

For the record Dusty. I've seen toms strutting in mid winter in deep snow , and as you well know the year and a half old toms are doing a bit of gobbling every morning around here. They are figuring up whos going to get the first crack next spring at the older toms leftovers. LOL