# Late Season Turkey Tips



## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

I've been stumped by my local gobbler population so far this season, and asked an Ohio hunting guide to share some tips on what he does when still chasing swaybeards this late in the season. Bryan Dawes is with Brushy Fork Outfitters and on my radio show this weekend he advises me to sleep-in, hunt from a blind, put out plenty of decoys and, late in the day, set up near a known roosting site, among other tactics. You can catch his complete turkey hunting clinic on this weekend's radio show. Find out when and where to tune-in on one of the 26 stations that air it by going to @buckeyesportsmanradio or buckeyesportsman.com.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

Strongly agree with all that. Especially the sleeping in part. Have killed plenty of late season birds over the years and I'd guess probably about 80% of those morning birds were between 0900 and 1100. And I'd say half or better came in silent to the calling and decoys. May have heard them once or twice from afar but seems when they got on the mission to come in, they weren't very vocal If'n they answer the soft purrs or clucks at all.


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## fireline (Jun 14, 2007)

Scratch in the leaves has worked good for me.


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## fastwater (Apr 1, 2014)

fireline said:


> Scratch in the leaves has worked good for me.


Yep...just last Tues afternoon at the park there was a hen/gobbler paired up out in a field.
Thought I'd play with him a bit.
Sneaked in the woods adjoining the field and let out a few soft clucks then waited. Scratched a cadence in the leaves and Mr Tom lit up. Messed with him for about 20 mins scratching and callin and though he did come to the edge of the woods he wouldn't let his girlfriend out of his sight.


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

That mid-morning kill time is dead-on with my experience too. I have yet to take a gobbler in the afternoon/evening though. That said, I don't hunt the PM as much as I do the morning early in the season. I'm thinking of placing a trail cam out to monitor afternoon/even activity in my prime spot over the final week of the season.


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

fastwater said:


> Yep...just last Tues afternoon at the park there was a hen/gobbler paired up out in a field.
> Thought I'd play with him a bit.
> Sneaked in the woods adjoining the field and let out a few soft clucks then waited. Scratched a cadence in the leaves and Mr Tom lit up. Messed with him for about 20 mins scratching and callin and though he did come to the edge of the woods he wouldn't let his girlfriend out of his sight.


I always forget the scratching part. Thanks for the tip!


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## Moo Juice (Jan 20, 2021)

Here's your evening bird. My son and I grabbed the boat after last night's milking, intent on heading to Berlin. As we made our way home to load up our tackle, our plans got changed. 5 turkeys were out feeding on a farm we rent as well as have permission to hunt. We ran home, grabbed our guns, shells and calls....er, callers and commandeered my older sons truck. We literally drove past the turkeys at about 120yds as we went down the oil well lane. I thought, "there is no way this is going to work, they watched us drive by and then walk into the swamp on the field edge". We each picked a spot and I let out my best imitation of a ticked off Jake. In our minds, if this was going to work, the turkeys would make their way through the corn stalks to the fields edge giving one of us a shot. That didn't happen. They completely disappeared. I figured we weren't out anything so I let out some hen clucks. Very shortly after that I caught movement to my left. Two Jake's were making their way through the tall grass of the swamp, looking very aggressively for the bird making those sounds. Unfortunately they were on my side, not my son's. After about 5 minutes of being frozen in place, they decided the situation didn't feel right and headed for the woods. As they stepped out into a 4 wheeler track, I was afforded my shot and was rewarded. I heard the show Sunday morning and felt the information was spot on. Great job as always. By the way, the bird was harvested at 7:30p.m. Hopefully, we can still call one up for my son. That would make my day.


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## airwaves (May 24, 2004)

Moo Juice said:


> View attachment 470059
> 
> Here's your evening bird. My son and I grabbed the boat after last night's milking, intent on heading to Berlin. As we made our way home to load up our tackle, our plans got changed. 5 turkeys were out feeding on a farm we rent as well as have permission to hunt. We ran home, grabbed our guns, shells and calls....er, callers and commandeered my older sons truck. We literally drove past the turkeys at about 120yds as we went down the oil well lane. I thought, "there is no way this is going to work, they watched us drive by and then walk into the swamp on the field edge". We each picked a spot and I let out my best imitation of a ticked off Jake. In our minds, if this was going to work, the turkeys would make their way through the corn stalks to the fields edge giving one of us a shot. That didn't happen. They completely disappeared. I figured we weren't out anything so I let out some hen clucks. Very shortly after that I caught movement to my left. Two Jake's were making their way through the tall grass of the swamp, looking very aggressively for the bird making those sounds. Unfortunately they were on my side, not my son's. After about 5 minutes of being frozen in place, they decided the situation didn't feel right and headed for the woods. As they stepped out into a 4 wheeler track, I was afforded my shot and was rewarded. I heard the show Sunday morning and felt the information was spot on. Great job as always. By the way, the bird was harvested at 7:30p.m. Hopefully, we can still call one up for my son. That would make my day.


Wow -- what a great tale, MJ! Thanks for sharing it -- and you even used the term "caller" which proves you listen to the show. Or at least when Bob Fulcher of 'Shade Tree Callers' is my guest....Good luck getting the boy one. Let me know.


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