Seasons?

[Moose]

I ran across this about a month ago. Is this all true? Is the late season really that much harder? Should a new hunter not hunt the later seasons?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rx8t-HALEX8

[simpzenith]

Not true at all. Late season often offers some of the best hunting of the entire season.

[Jdw]

IMO a new turkey hunter should spend as much time as they can learning about turkey behavior and woodsmanship.

I watched the clip you posted and I have seen a lot of what he described.
I don’t completely agree with the dates as that changes depending on where you are.

The most challenging time of the season is when the Tom has plenty of hens. They tend to spend all their time following the hens around, strutting, and don’t gobble much.
Also sometimes the hen will look at your calling as competition and lead the Tom the other direction.

But after the hens go to nest it gets easier to call a Tom in.

When the toms have hens you can set up in front of them and hunt them more like deer, try to call in the hens by mocking them or cover ground and look for a Tom without hens.

[Moose]

Thanks! There's so much information out there i never know what to think anymore. Thanks for the clarification!

[may21581]

Late season can be a fantastic time to hunt. Deer are getting back to some sort of pattern again. Find the food and bedding and you find the deer. Most people shy away due to the cold and elements.

[greenhorndave]

Late season can be a fantastic time to hunt. Deer are getting back to some sort of pattern again. Find the food and bedding and you find the deer. Most people shy away due to the cold and elements.

Hey May... this is in the turkey forum. I sure hope late spring turkey season don’t start getting a lot colder...

[Moose]

Lol. I do agree with May though.

[may21581]

Late season can be a fantastic time to hunt. Deer are getting back to some sort of pattern again. Find the food and bedding and you find the deer. Most people shy away due to the cold and elements.

Hey May... this is in the turkey forum. I sure hope late spring turkey season don’t start getting a lot colder...

Lol my mind was going down the late season path. Deer/turkey guess it applies to both.

[BigBrutus11]

I don't even bother trying to hunt the early seasons. I've always hunted the 4th and 5th seasons, and have had fairly good luck. I've only been hunting turkeys for about 10 to 15 years. I'm also not the greatest caller either. But the guy who showed me the ropes, told me from the get go to treat the turkey seasons like the rut. As the seasons go on more and more hens are nesting, as a result the Tom's are cruising for the remaining hens, which can make some of them more desperate and susceptible to calling. Don't get me wrong if your hunting birds that have been pressured alot it can be tough. But you also have alot less eyes and ears to fool without the flocks. One thing I've found in the later seasons is " less is more" when it comes to calling

[dan]

Early season can be a struggle for sure... But at least there is birds to go after. They get pursued pretty heavy on the public by me and the pressure tends to push them off the public by the later weeks.

[brkissl82]

I always apply for the 1st season and then buy leftover tags for the late seasons. That way I can maximize my time. I do like early season because I want to be the first person calling to them (youth hunt stops that now)

[BigBrutus11]

I guess I never tried applying for the early seasons cause I didn't have the 40 acres for the land owner preference thing. And I figured everyone wants to be the first out after them, and would be trying for the early seasons. I do admit my neighbors land is awesome for turkeys and has minimal pressure, so I don't have to rely on public. I do like the warmer temps with the later seasons though