Welcome to Late Season Turkey Hunting

Welcome to Late Season Turkey Hunting

By Noel Gandy

Looking back on the recent past it seemed like the winter of 2018/2019 would never end. Winter days were frigid and the snow never seemed to melt. But, alas, April came and it was time to honor one of the age old traditions of spring: turkey hunting! Although there were times where it appeared that we might be hunting spring gobblers while wearing snow camo the anticipation could not have been higher.

As April came in like a whirl-wind I’m sure many were put in the precarious position that many are put in yearly: which seasons do I choose for turkey hunting this year? Having had great success in the 4th season I always look forward to the challenges that it possesses.

Late season turkey hunting in any state usually gets a bad rap. This time of the spring calendar presents a unique set of circumstances that are not always welcome by turkey hunters but definitely should not deter one from enjoying time afield. The grass is taller, trees are full of foliage and the fish are biting better during the third and fourth seasons which run collectively from April 17-May 12. Some of these factors alone are enough to keep folks in bed on a spring morning. Not to mention ticks, and mosquitos, and snakes: oh my! However, for all the tough circumstances surrounding late season turkey hunting, it can be just as fruitful if not more if certain tactics are utilized.

Welcome to late season turkey hunting: where the temperature warms up and the gobbling cools down!

One of the first things that we need to remember when it comes to hunting a late season tom is that he might not be as vocal as he once was during the beginning of the season. The “Boys of Spring” tend to cool their jets down on the gobbling front as the temperatures warm up into the 70s. This is not to say that turkeys quit gobbling. However, do not lose hope if a gobbler turns off his sound box once he hits the ground from roost. Just because he’s not gobbling does not mean that he is not there or that he is not coming. So, it is important to show great patience while turkey hunting, especially the late season.

As long as we’re talking tom vocals let us remember that things are likely much greener than they were when the season began. Trees are putting on dense foliage and the grass is growing. All of these things add to the fact that the vocal range of a gobbling turkey might seem quite a bit different than it was when the woods were barren. Take time to study terrain features because it is likely that a gobbling turkey could be closer than he appears. Utilize the added greenery to slip in a little tighter to that old boy.

Don’t forget to hunt the midday!
If you’re like me then you are likely used to setting a pretty early alarm to chase turkeys. There is not much more thrill in the world than to hear a big tom trumpeting like Gabriel from a tree limb in the cool of an early morning. However, more times than not, turkeys are not harvested right off the roost. Most need to be wooed, wined and dined, and seduced, if you will! If all of this does not work out right off the bat then I implore you to not give up.

The later part of turkey season usually finds mature birds have a harem of hens. They often will tend to those hens until it is time for the girls to head off to nest. This could take well into mid-morning in some to most instances. Once the hens are gone, however, the lonely tom often times will seek the attention in the form of another’s embrace. Some of the best gobbling action I’ve had in Iowa has come during the 10:00-2:00 time frame when lonely gobblers are vocally trying to round up another receptive girlfriend. Take time to stick around the turkey woods and hunt this midday. At the very least, go grab a biscuit and then head back into the woods!

If one were to hunt midday then I would suggest looking in a couple of different locations. First, seek out known nesting sites. If you have any source of familiarity with your turkey property then I’d encourage you to seek out traditional nesting areas and hunt the fringes. Toms will follow their hens close to the nest and will work away from them. According to the popular website www.allaboutbirds.org, “Wild Turkeys nest on the ground in dead leaves at the bases of trees, under brush piles or thick shrubbery, or occasionally in open hayfields.” Most of the nesting habitat I’ve found personally has been in very tall grassy areas such as CRP.

The second location I would seek out for midday hunting would be some place where the temperature is pleasant. As we get into May some of our temperatures could be escalated. Turkeys are not huge fans of high heat so check shaded areas such as cedar groves, timber bottoms, or low spots in pastures where hills are blocking the rising sun.

To decoy or not to decoy, that is the question!
You could ask ten different turkey hunters and will likely get ten different answers on the topic of decoying wild turkeys. Early season success can often be found with a group of hens, a jake/hen combo, a full strut tom, or a plethora of other options. Late season, per my experience, is NOT the same.

By the time the days start to get warmer the gobbler groups have broken up and established territory. They do this by fighting with one another. Toms that are weary from fighting, breeding, and seeking new breeding opportunities, will likely not waste a lot of energy trying to intimidate a male turkey. Therefore, it is my opinion that male decoy displays are not as fruitful in late season.

After establishing the fact that male decoy displays will likely not work as well we can turn our attention to female displays. My preference for the late season is to use a single hen decoy. I prefer to place her within 15 yards to one side or another of my position rather than directly out in front of me. Here’s why: some time back I was hunting a very mature tom and had him gobbling and coming in on a string during a midday hunt. He got to within 75 yards in a crop field and would not budge an inch closer. I have over 20 minutes of video of this big turkey strutting back and forth at this position. Finally, he just left! After discussing the happenings with my hunting partner we decided that he was waiting for the hen (our decoy) to join him instead of him committing all the way in. Had he given me 15 or 20 more steps closer we could have closed the deal but he was wary enough to stay away. I feel that had my hen decoy been to either side of me at 20 steps instead of in front of me at 20 steps then the tom would have likely come just that much closer. Had we not been within the gobblers eyesight then my partner could have dropped back 20-30 yards and called to imitate that a hen was leaving. Maybe this would have been enough to pull him in.

Several things could factor into the shyness of a turkey. He could be injured unnoticeably from a fight and wants to make sure that he is in control of the situation. He could have been called at by hunters before (our likely scenario since we were on a shared hunting property) and had a bad experience of being spooked. There could be subtle land barriers between the hunter and bird such as a strand of old barbed wire or a shallow ditch. The differences in the life experience of a wild turkey are enough to make each one so much more unique than the next and therefore need different hunting strategies applied.

Roosted is Roasted!
A final late season tip is to head back to the same area where you heard a bird during the morning and wait for him to come back to roost. Turkeys typically prefer to roost in the same area if possible so if you heard a bird in the tree that morning then do not hesitate to hit up that area that evening, especially if the turkey went undisturbed. Get into the general area way before fly-up in hopes that you do not disturb the flock as you set up. Light calling, if any, is all that is needed during this time of day because, likely, he is already on his way. Be patient and expect a quick hunt once he commits.

Spring turkey hunting is a favorite past time of many in Iowa and is a great way to bring new people into the sport of hunting. Take time to enjoy all this spring has to offer, even if it is the late season!