Get More Late-Season Success With Turkeys in the South

A few springs ago, a buddy and I made a last-ditch effort to bag a gobbler before I headed north to prolong my turkey season. We picked a spot where we’d heard multiple birds just weeks before, so we felt confident going in blind that morning. We didn’t make it a hundred yards from the truck before a distant gobble froze us. Without a word, we quickly and quietly cut the distance. By this time of year, the trees have regained their canopies, so we were able to sneak to within 60 yards of his roost. A few bubble clucks and tree yelps later, my friend convinced this gobbler to pitch down on our side of the creek and practically into our laps. It was one of my quickest hunts to date and a reminder that the last week of the season can be just as gratifying as the first.

Some of my most memorable turkey hunts have occurred in the season’s closing days. In my home state of Mississippi, hunters have been hammering the woods for more than a month by the time late April arrives, so it makes for challenging but fun hunting. It’s during the last week that I consistently find success, and it’s become one of my favorite times of year to chase spring turkeys. You’ll have to change up your strategy, but you have a good shot at filling your tag at the buzzer if you’re willing to work a little harder and smarter.

COVER GROUND

By the time late season rolls around, the easy spots have been pillaged, obvious spots combed through and even those distant honey holes probably hold a couple empty shotshell hulls and a pile of feathers. The truth is, you won’t find any untrammeled ground this time of year, but you can still find a lonely tom to take down.

Start by e-scouting potential hunting spots. Like deer, turkeys utilize edges. These might include field edges, where a pine stand meets hardwoods or even terrain features like ridges and bowls. If you find somewhere that features multiple edges and is at least several hundred yards from any road or access, you should probably check it out.

You can go in blind for a morning hunt or scout your way into these spots. If you opt for the latter, look for tracks, scratching and fresh droppings. As you’re moving, call sparingly and listen for walking, scratching or drumming. Just because you don’t get an immediate response, it doesn’t mean there’s not a gobbler within earshot. Late-season birds might come in silently. They’ve heard every call in the book at this point in the season, and no amount of subpar calling will get a response.

It’s better to start with a locator call like an owl or crow before yelping. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked through an area, calling intermittently without any luck, only to hoot and get an immediate reply.

THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Thanks to digital mapping, ideal turkey-hunting spots aren’t that hard to locate nowadays. So, if you quickly find a field edge that meets a stand of mature hardwoods, you can bet that other hunters have, too. While I wouldn’t cross this spot off completely, I wouldn’t bank on it either.

Instead, try finding overlooked spots that might hold turkeys. The initial e-scouting of certain areas is a good start, but you should inspect these spots in person whenever possible. Sure, there are few things more satisfying than killing a gobbler in a beautiful hardwood river bottom, but don’t pass up potential hidey holes. These might include thinned pine stands where the canopy has shaded out the forest floor, narrow but open hardwood strips and small, tucked-away bowls on the side of a ridge.

A few years ago, I was heading toward a certain spot when I happened to hear a turkey gobble from a thinned pine stand. If he hadn’t sounded off, I would have walked right past that area since it didn’t look like a place where you’d expect to find a longbeard. It definitely had thicker cover than typical turkey habitat. For whatever reason, though, that bird felt comfortable enough to strut around and gobble there. He also happened to be alone, and it only took a few soft calls to pull him toward me.

FIND “THE ONE”

All the late-season gobblers I’ve killed shared a common denominator: They were alone. I haven’t had much success with flocked-up birds in late spring, and I don’t use decoys. Instead, my main strategy during the season’s waning days is to search for a roaming longbeard. Finding them then can be a challenge, even more so on public ground. Nevertheless, lone toms can be more susceptible to calling, as long as you don’t overdo it.

If you have the luxury of roosting a bird, try getting tight to the roost. The closer you are, the less apprehensive he’ll be to come to your calls. Just make sure you don’t bump him off the roost or go overboard with your calling. Let him gobble on his own. While he’s on the roost, make a few bubble clucks. As it gets closer to fly down, give him a few soft tree yelps. If he fires right back, just shut up. He knows where you are. He’ll either pitch down in your direction, in which case you won’t need to call any more, or he’ll pitch down away from you, and you’ll have to adjust your setup or start calling.

KNOW WHEN TO CALL

Most turkey-hunting literature, especially regarding late-season pursuits, pleads for less calling. While I mostly agree with a conservative approach to calling, I think it’s more important to read the room. Gobblers become increasingly tight-lipped as the season progresses. Even those willing to venture toward your setup are likely to do so silently. If you haven’t struck a gobbler, try setting up in an area they might frequent. Look for signs, like the aforementioned fresh droppings, scratching or tracks. When you find a likely spot, spend some time in the area and call every 10 to 15 minutes, scratching leaves while you call. I wouldn’t crank down on my box or slate, however. Unless you’re dealing with high winds, you’ll be better off resorting to soft, subtle calls, which can be super effective. So, rather than loud, desperate yelps, throw in some bubble clucks, purrs and whines here and there. Turkeys make a ton of sounds that you don’t hear unless you’re right next to them, and this will add realism to your calling.

If you strike a bird and he gobbles infrequently, give him the silent treatment. If you try calling and he doesn’t gobble his head off, pique his interest by playing hard to get. In this instance, I might only yelp a few times every half hour and focus on scratching the leaves and making soft clucks and purrs. If you can manage to sound like multiple hens feeding, even better. Keep the calling and moving to a minimum and listen for the bird walking. It’s probably best to assume that he’s going to come in quietly, so take it as a pleasant surprise if he does decide to gobble.

On the other hand, you might roost or strike a bird that gobbles at every call you throw his way. I’ve killed some turkeys that came running into my setup with a vengeance. Last year, I shot a longbeard that seemed to lose interest whenever I didn’t call to him. I know this because I watched him strut around a pasture, and he would gobble and immediately jump into a strut every time I called. Whenever I’d go quiet, he’d simply settle down and start marching the other way. In desperation, I’d turn my head to yelp and he would gobble back, burst into another strut and turn back my way. We did this for almost an hour. Finally, I decided to just keep calling. Luckily, I was tucked behind a privet hedge on the edge of a field, so I was able to scratch leaves without being seen while I made subtle hen sounds intermittently. He finally broke and came to within 35 yards, at which point I promptly dumped him. It was an unconventional tactic for an unconventional bird, but it paid off.

PUT IN THE WORK

When the gobbling tapers off and hens go to nest, most hunters call it quits. This is great news for those of us who refuse to give in. There are no magic calls or set number of miles you need to hit to help you kill a late-season bird. It often comes down to your willingness to keep hunting. Sure, bagging a bird on opening morning is extremely exciting, but claiming one late in the season can be just as exhilarating—and perhaps even more rewarding.

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• This article was featured in the April 2025 issue of Game & Fish magazine. Click to subscribe.

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