| Fall was the preferred time to hunt wild turkeys by | | | | take only one wild turkey of either sex during that |
| most of the famous old time turkey hunters and is | | | | fall season each day. |
| still favored by many traditionalists. These turkey | | | | Turkeys are usually found in open, mixed hardwood |
| hunting experts liked it best because it was a lot | | | | and pine forests. Others are scattered in brush land. |
| more difficult and therefore more rewarding to call in | | | | Others prefer to roost in trees larger than the |
| an old turkey in the fall rather than the spring. | | | | surrounding vegetation and will often choose place to |
| Gobblers in the late summer, fall and winter become | | | | stay on sites facing slopes where they can shelter |
| very solitary animals with very little interest in | | | | from the existing strong wind. They will use open |
| females. They do, however, gobble in the fall and | | | | fields and meadows as feeding and boasting sites and |
| there have been a few mornings in October and | | | | wooded areas are roosting sites. If few or no |
| November that you would think that it was spring | | | | roosting sites are available, the turkey may leave the |
| with the huge number of gobblers around. On rare | | | | place and not use it. |
| occasions, gobblers will even come in strutting and | | | | Basic Turkey Characteristics |
| gobbling just like it was spring. More likely though, you | | | | Turkeys' ears are also placed on both sides of their |
| won't even notice a fall turkey reacting to your calls. | | | | heads. And because they have no outer ear to |
| He will just appear silently, looking for companionship | | | | develop the sound in one direction, they hear sounds |
| with another long beard but not really caring whether | | | | all the way around them. Sounds received by only |
| he finds it or not. This is a real fall gobbler. | | | | one ear can help the turkey find out which direction |
| The fall season has regained its popularity recently | | | | the sound comes out but not any indication of |
| with the ever-increasing numbers of turkeys. Over | | | | distance. Turkeys turn around to be more alert. |
| 40 states now host fall turkey seasons and more | | | | With a highly developed sense of smell, they can |
| and more hunters are discovering the excitement of | | | | determine the direction of danger by scent and wind |
| hunting in the fall. Turkey hunting is a pleasurable and | | | | direction. The clever beasts generally flee away from |
| enjoyable sport people are starting to like. | | | | the danger, not toward it. Besides their sense of |
| This sport requires seperate permits for hunters | | | | smell, they rely heavily on both their eyes and ears |
| during the fall, along with the applications for spring | | | | to determine the direction of danger before they run |
| hunting permits. Turkey hunters are allowed only to | | | | away from it. |