Fall gobblers are a different breed than spring “love birds.” Although adult males may gobble in the fall, they rarely come to hen calls and often form bachelor groups where they avoid females and jakes. Since deer and wild turkeys eat some of the same foods, it’s always a good idea to have a caller in your pack or vest, since a single turkey or a flock of toms could feed near your stand.
Whether you want a turkey dinner or just the opportunity to harvest one, Steve Hickoff gives some great tips in this Realtree post:
In the spring, many turkey hunters use hen yelps to lure in male turkeys. In the fall, male birds often run together in small groups. Gobbler yelps are deeper and have a slower cadence than the higher-pitched hen yelps we often use during the breeding season. In my fall hunting experience, friction calls imitate gobbler yelps best, though resonant diaphragms also work well. Often three deeper, slower yelps — yawp, yawp, yawp — will get a “super jake” (a year-and-one-half-old male turkey) or mature gobbler’s interest.
