In contrast to the spring hunt the fall hunt presents the opportunity to pattern birds and their movement more accurately but not precisely.The birds have segregated into male(smaller) and female (larger) populations at this time of year; so quickly you can determine to try and settle some scores from the spring hunt with some toms or concentrate on a nice hen.This year I did not have the opportunity to" bust up" the group.My impression from the fall hunt is that male groups do not have a tendency to be as exposed to open areas as female groups.From my personal experience the male groups were always a little tighter to the fence row-physical extension of light bush--taller grasses-brushy creek bottoms than the female groups.With natural and agricultural food sources at their peak in abundance and the breeding inertia not a factor it presents more educated guesses.This autumn I set up adjacent to a hardwood ridge which bordered a corn field on one side and a heavy fence row bordering a hay field on the other.The fence row ran to a creek bottom with mixed brush and long grasses.While the day before I watched a large group of birds pick through a hay field sixty yards from any cover; it was the next day a group of three toms came down from the hardwoods not twenty yards from the fence line- picking through the green field.That was the end to my first fall turkey adventure.I love the spring hunt-it is agonizingly crazy-birds everywhere-anything can happen-heartbreaking sometimes when a tom turns after a long time inching towards you when he sees a hen at the other end of a field.Spring or fall I'll take both.

Ontario now offers fall turkey hunts in some areas of the province.To be eligible to hunt in this province you have to complete a hunter education turkey seminar which is offered by the OFAH.(one bird/fall hunt---hen or tom)This province is enjoying one of the most successful re-introduction programs of the wild turkey.Everyone has become a turkey hunter here.

I still don't have my freezer full of venison, but that's another story. The other night while deer hunting (the archery turkey season is closed during firearms deer season), I was hunting with my bow in a city area where you can't use firearms anyway and right at sunset I see a turkey come my way, it walked within thirty yards and had no idea I was there (I was actually standing on the ground), it roosted ~70 yards away. It's the closest I've been to a turkey that I didn't try to shoot, (not counting hens in the spring). I was almost frustrated that any other time of the season I could have sent an arrow after it, but watching it in its element totally undisturbed by me was quite rewarding on its own. It's not always about killing. Good luck out there guys.

Levi,

Nice story man. I think they read the regs sometimes. It's all good.

S.

Good stuff. Thanks. That large group of birds picking through the hay field was likely a family flock of either-sex birds (multiple brood hens and birds of the year; juveniles can seem similar at a distance depending on their age); enjoyable to hunt though, especially after a flock break. The call back can be rowdy in such circumstances. Excellent deal on your first fall turkey, and a gobbler too. Yeah, those all male fall flocks tend toward smaller, and hold both 2+ year old toms, plus "super jakes" (18 months old, roughly). You'll also see fall jakes of the year leave their family flock sometimes and run together in late fall before regrouping, plus broodless hen flocks. -S.

Still mad that Ark. CANCELLED our fall season !

man wish they done that in my state.