It was the final day of Oregon's spring turkey season. I had one of three tags left to fill, and given how addictive these birds are to hunt, not to mention how much the family loves eating them, there was little question I'd be heading into the field.

Set up your decoys so an approaching tom will see the back of a strutting tom decoy with the hen in front. He'll circle around the front to attract the hen's attention, and that's when you shoot. Photo by Scott Haugen.

Wanting my then 4-year-old son, Braxton, to live the thrill of spring turkey hunting, we both headed into the field. By the time we reached the timber where the birds had been nesting, daylight was upon us. We listened for turkeys talking in the still morning air, but heard nothing.

Letting out some soft tree yelps, I thought for sure our sounds would draw a response. Nothing. Aggressive fly-down cackles also proved fruitless. Braxton and I walked the timbered edge, working some meadows in the valley. After three hours, we failed to see or even hear a bird.

Working our way back to the truck, I let Braxton practice on his box call. He enjoyed our time, but I wanted more. Late in the season, the field grass grew high in the fields where we hunted, and, as is so often the case this time of year, turkeys thrive in these tall grass habitats. With that in mind, we took a detour.

No sooner had we made our way to the edge of the next field when a red head caught our eye. Soon, another head popped up, then another. Nearly a dozen birds gathered in the field, feeding on grass and insects. They'd not seen us, and using the high grass and broken terrain, I felt confident we could stalk within shooting range.

Covering nearly 100 yards, we still had another 60 to the birds, too far for a shot. Then the flock turned and slowly started feeding our way. Braxton and I hunkered down and waited. When the lead tom got to 40 yards, I rose up and fired.

Just before noon, my final turkey tag of the season was filled, and the best part, Braxton got to see it all unfold.

LATE-SEASON BLUES?
When it comes to turkey hunting, the late season is a time many hunters write off as being just too tough to hunt. After all, birds have been pressured for well over a month, hens are nesting, and toms are back to their bachelor flocks and are not responding as well to calls as they did earlier in the season.

While it's true that there's no arguing the fact that hunting does indeed grow tougher as the season passes, that's no reason for hunters to give up. With some wise planning and aggressive strategies by the hunter, that late-season tom can be bagged. Here are six approaches I've found that have worked well for me over the years.

1. Spot & Stalk
The first time I suggested to an Eastern turkey fanatic who was hunting out West with me that we try stalking a group of toms, he looked at me like I was nuts. But once we pulled it off, and he nailed a nice tom, he said it was one of the most exciting turkey hunts of his life.

Land here in the West is so vast that encountering fellow hunters is rare. That makes stalking turkeys safe. It also builds hunting skills, and can be very humbling.

Turkeys have some of the best eyesight in the woods, and many Western hunters pride themselves on the fact they can consistently walk-up a tom. In fact, I know of many hunters who won't go after turkeys any other way. Their goal is to better develop spot-and-stalk skills for deer and elk hunting, and to live the thrill this style of hunting lends itself to.