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bamaranger · October 21, 2016, 12:16 AM

The classic fall turkey hunt involves "busting the flock", then calling the scattered birds back and collecting one.

Ideally, the flock needs to disperse in several different directions.....not just move off all in the same general direction. In the old days, busting the flock was done with dogs in some locales. Now it's done by acting a fool and rushing them. If you catch a flock on the roost, they can be busted from the trees at dusk, and you can return in the AM and call as well. You can reverse that and bust them from the trees as well in the predawn if you know of them roosting specifically at a spot.

The fall call is the "kee-kee run" of the young bird, or long drawn out assembly yelps by the old hen. Purposely hunting mature gobblers in the fall is difficult. Then normally form bachelor groups and have little to do with others outside their clan. As you said, they are not sounding off for one to locate, nor interested in romance either to answer hen calling. Calling sparsely, occasional coarse gobbler yelps or clucks in known gobbler haunts, , might bring in the boys club, but I wouldn't count on it.

October 21, 2016, 12:16 AM	#6
bamaranger Senior Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: North Alabama Posts: 8,318	classic The classic fall turkey hunt involves "busting the flock", then calling the scattered birds back and collecting one. Ideally, the flock needs to disperse in several different directions.....not just move off all in the same general direction. In the old days, busting the flock was done with dogs in some locales. Now it's done by acting a fool and rushing them. If you catch a flock on the roost, they can be busted from the trees at dusk, and you can return in the AM and call as well. You can reverse that and bust them from the trees as well in the predawn if you know of them roosting specifically at a spot. The fall call is the "kee-kee run" of the young bird, or long drawn out assembly yelps by the old hen. Purposely hunting mature gobblers in the fall is difficult. Then normally form bachelor groups and have little to do with others outside their clan. As you said, they are not sounding off for one to locate, nor interested in romance either to answer hen calling. Calling sparsely, occasional coarse gobbler yelps or clucks in known gobbler haunts, , might bring in the boys club, but I wouldn't count on it.