Locating turkeys in the fall is more difficult than in the spring because gobblers aren’t as vocal in autumn months. Still, there are typical locations to spot large flocks:









Open areas, such as fields with long grass, house cow pies (a source of corn for turkeys!) and grasshoppers. Fields of corn, wheat, and berries provide rich sources of food and are frequented by turkeys.
Wooded areas provide turkeys with places to roost. Look for feathers, v-shaped scratches in tree trunks, and droppings at the base of trees. Male (tom) turkey droppings are approximately 2” long and are shaped like the letter “J”. Female (hen) droppings are round and circular in shape.If you wish to hunt on private land, you should contact the landowner and request permission well ahead of your planned hunt. Following up with a small gift is a common courtesy.
 After you’ve scouted out the terrain and have a good sense of the lay of the land, follow the flocks closely. Stage decoys close to roosts and employ various calls.









Set up blinds in close range (40 yards or so) of your decoys.
Put your back against a tree. This helps to obscure you from the turkey’s vision and allows you to position firearms without being seen.
 Only aim the gun when you're sure you have a clear shot of the turkey. You may need to employ alternate tactics to isolate turkeys to gain those clear shots:









Pick off loners. You can gain a prime shot of a lone turkey by attracting it over with soft, alluring purrs.
Scatter and recall. If you are unable to tease a stray turkey out of a flock, try creeping in close to a group of poults and hens and begin waving your arms wildly and making loud sounds to scatter the birds. Once they scatter (and hopefully not just fly away altogether), begin to lure them back with soft kee kee runs or lost yelps.Block the route to their food. If you’ve successfully tracked the flock and know where they feed in the morning, set up between their roost and their food. Place a hen decoy near your blind and make a series of yelps to attract the toms.
 Shooting the neck and head area raises the odds that you will kill the bird immediately. If you fail to kill the bird and only wound it, track the bird quickly and kill it humanely.
Scout out your hunting territory.
Track and lure your turkeys.
Load your gun with the safety on and keep the muzzle pointed down.
Once you’ve gotten the turkey in your sights, aim for the bird’s neck.
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