4. Work the Rain—I love hunting rainy days because the wet weather drives turkeys into the open fields. Dripping woods spook them with all the motion and noise. It makes it harder for turkeys to detect danger. So they head for the open where they can dry off and see anything approaching.

If toms aren’t gobbling late in the season, then I can at least get my eyes on them when they come to a field or food plot on a rainy day and plan an ambush. Watch which way they are feeding or strutting and set up along their path at the edge of the woods. Then just wait them out.

5. Change Your Pace—I won’t lie. Late season is not the most exciting time to turkey hunt. It takes a different mind set, like the stand sitting mentality most hunters take to the woods during deer season. Find areas with scratched up leaves indicating turkeys like to feed there or set up along field edges or plots littered with turkey tracks, droppings or dusting bowls.

Turkeys will eventually show up, so it’s just a matter of setting up (preferably in a blind so you can move a little) and just wait them out. Throw out a yelp or cluck every 20 minutes or so and maybe scratch in the leaves. Again, stay attuned to the sound of a longbeard sneaking up on you and let him step to where you can see him before making a move. I’ve probably killed as many turkeys this way as I have running-and-gunning in the early season.

6. Fire It Up—Just like a fall turkey hunter should match his calling to the birds he is hunting at that time of year, so should the late season hunter. The difference here though is that you are not matching a hen note for note, but rather matching a gobbler’s excitement level. Most of the tips have suggested keeping your calls to a minimum at this time of the season, however, should a gobbler cut you off or begin to ramp up his gobbling to a particular sound you made—keep calling. To suddenly go quiet as soon as he answers one of your calls would not be normal and make him uneasy.

If his excitement builds as marked by increased gobbling, lay it on like you’re in a calling contest right up until he is about to stroll into sight. This turkey will likely walk into your setup fairly quickly.

7. Move With the Wind—Once when hunting with Hunters Specialties’ Alex Rutledge, there was a tom in the woods below us that refused to leave his strut zone. The bird would answer our calls, but simply strutted back and forth in the same spot like a soldier marching in front of a gate.

The woods were greened up with leaves and the wind was blowing them creating both motion in the woods and sound to cover a hunter’s footsteps. Recognizing the situation, Alex got to his feet and every time the bird gobbled with his back to us indicating that it was moving away from us, Alex would move forward a tree or two. As the bird marched back, Alex stayed hidden behind a tree. This went on for some time until Alex was within shooting distance of the strutting birds turn-around point closest to us.

Just as the hunter was about to lower the boom on the tom, a hen came in calling from the other side and led the longbeard away. I’d seen enough though to understand that in rare situations, keeping safety in mind, that this was a trick that could work.

Partner Up
Photo by: Author

8. Play Hard To Get—Hunting with a friend is a great way to go after really tough-to-hunt turkeys and can also make an otherwise slow day more enjoyable. When faced with a gobbler that is responding to your calls, but just won’t come into range, leave one hunter in place as the other crawls off in the opposite direction. The stationary hunter should remain silent and alert, while the mobile hunter calls as he retreats, making the longbeard think the hen is leaving him. The otherwise hung-up tom will usually begin to follow the “retreating hen” and walk right into range of the other hunter.

9. Fool a Field Tom—Some longbeards will not only refuse to answer the sound of a hen, but will even begin walking the opposite direction. These birds usually like to strut in open fields until the hen the hear steps into view, something you can’t do if you are a 6-foot tall, 200-pound man.

One hunter should set where he can watch the bird, while his partner works his way to the opposite end of the field. Once the second hunter is in place, the first one should begin calling until the turkey starts walking in the opposite direction. With any luck, he’ll walk right by the other hunter who is waiting for him in silence.

10. Push Them—In that same situation, if a turkey refuses to answer and just hangs out in the open, stop calling for awhile in order to make the gobbler think the hen as run off. Give it at least 20 minutes and then the hunter farthest from the bird should simply step out on the edge of the field so he can be seen. Don’t charge the turkey. There’s no need to do this. Once he sees a person, he’s going to turn and high-tail it out of there, usually in the direction that offers him the closest cover. The other hunter should already be sitting in that spot waiting.