fall turkey hunt

[bigbucks]

I just applied for the fall turkey hunt as a group with some friends & relatives. Who else on here is applying for the fall hunt?

What's the best strategy for a fall hunt? Do you just try to pattern them feeding, do you still call at all? This will be the first fall hunt, if we get drawn, I'm 2-2 on drawing & connecting the last two springs, but I'm sure it's got to be different as it's not the turkey rut (mating season) in the fall.

Give me some info guys.

[FOOT]

Fall turkey hunting is different all right.

I've used a couple of different techniques.

I've called a gobbler in using a high pitched wing bone call.

I've busted up a flock, sat down quick and then let them re-group.

I've found where they like to feed - the best one was a corner of a picked corn field with a couple of gigantic Oak trees. Lots of acorns and corn kernels laying around. Then I just wait for them to come in.

A friend of mine uses the ambush method. He scours the area with binoculars and when he sees one he moves to intercept it. Worked 4 out of 5 times for him.

[CornPirateKiller]

My brother, my brother-in-law, and I have applied for the Fall season too. We've got a streak going that we're trying to maintain (knock on wood). Drawn for Spring and Fall last year and Spring this year. All tags filled each season! Don't know if it's luck or skill but it sure is fun.

I've hunted turkeys three times in the Fall. They don't seem to respond to a setup and call like in the Spring. Some people have luck stalking close to a flock and then coaxing them in with a call. I know people that get a group together and drive them like deer.

Personally, I've had my luck putting in the time and work patterning their movements. Turkeys are creatures of habit and generally follow a similar schedule every day unless bad weather or human intervention forces changes. I generally spend a lot more time scouting flock movement than I do hunting and it pays off. Know your hunting land and the birds movements and then set up in their path. You might want to bring that call along too. You can rouse their curiosity enough to bring them close enough for a shot with some soft clucking.

My best advice, though, is scout, scout, scout.

Good Luck!

[bigbucks]

Scouting will be tough for me, as I'll be hunting with my brother-in-law & his brother-in-law on the 2nd brother-in-law's land, who's a novice hunter. He sees the turkeys & a lot of deer from his house though, so we'll get him to take some notes... The land is 2+ hours for the rest of us, so we'll be lucky if we maybe get in one day of scouting, walking the land. It will probably be a hunt & scout as you go, which can be frustrating, but it's still fun & makes it challenging.

Good luck on keeping your streak going.

There's a ton of deer there, so we figured we bowhunt them both to start with & then adjust for one or the other as the sightings occur & go to strictly turkey hunting with the gun, if a good opp arises where the gun will close the deal. No we won't be taking both weapons into the field at the same time, at least the same person won't be.

[Cooter]

Practice kee-kees and assembly yelps for hens and juveniles. If you want a tom, pattern them then ambush or stalk if conditions allow.

[Marmot]

When are the fall turkey lottery results available?

Marmot

[bigbucks]

I emailed the DNR from their HSOforum about a week ago & they said mid September, but it must be sooner than that as the HSOforum now says you can buy surplus licences as of September 12th. I checked the site yesterday & there was no place to put in a number to check it yet.

[Marmot]

Has anyone received notification from the DNR regarding winning the lottery for fall turkeys?

I cannot find anything on the DNR's HSOforum where you can check if your name was drawn.

The surplus permits go on sale September 12 which in only 1-1/2 weeks away so the lottery results have to be available.

Marmot

[CornPirateKiller]

The results are still not posted. Unbelievable that it takes this long since everything is electronic. The DNR HSOforum says results available in early September.

If you go to the MN DNR HSOforum and then click on "Licenses and Regulations", then jump to "Lotteries" from the pull-down menu, you can scroll down to Fall Wild Turkeys. They'll post the link to the results there when it's available.

In the past, I've been able to check results online almost a week before anything comes in the mail.

Good Luck!

[bigbucks]

I just looked, still not posted. I haven't been notified by mail either. I'm guessing I didn't get drawn. Did anybody else get mail confirmation yet?

[Marmot]

I called the DNR this morning. They asked for my name and then checked the roster. He told me I was drawn. I still have not received anything in the mail though. He was not sure if the license is available for sale. He also sound disgusted with the lottery system and made it sound like everything is last minute.

Good luck!!

Marmot

[Marmot]

The fall turkey lottery results are finally posted on the DNR's HSOforum.

Marmot

[Cooter]

Just curious how the MN fall turkey hunt is scheduled. In WI, its Oct 1 to Nov 9, either sex and I believe same hours as deer hunting.

[bigbucks]

It is posted, our group of 4 got drawn.

Cooter, to answer your question, two 5 day seasons in mid October, 12-16 or 19-23, we're hunting the second one. We chose the second one as our kids (& my wife) won't be in school then as it's over the state teacher convention (MEA) & the schools are all closed. The hours are a half hour before sunrise until sunset, any bird, either sex.