Photo by D. Toby Thompson.

Last year, Kentucky's turkey hunters enjoyed another fantastic fall season. In fact, the number of harvested turkeys was the second-highest ever recorded. An impressive 3,656 birds were taken in the Bluegrass State during last year's fall season!

The only time that number has gone higher is during 2004, when an incredible 6,746 birds were taken. That season was pretty much an anomaly, though, because there was virtually a complete mast failure that year. It caused turkeys to move around more in search of food; hence, more birds came in contact with hunters more often.

Due to the two big years, our fall turkey harvest is now averaging around 3,700 birds per year. The number typically goes up each year, but is still only a fraction of the 27,000 birds taken on average during the spring season. The upward trend for fall should continue to rise with increased hunter participation.

More hunters are participating in the fall turkey seasons. Shotgun hunters claim most of the birds taken in the fall. Last season, however, around 19 percent of the birds taken were attributed to bowhunters.

Some people have questioned whether the harvest of hens in the fall has an impact on the spring season. Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) turkey program coordinator Steven Dobey says the impact is negligible because so few birds are taken in the fall.

However, the KDFWR watches all harvests very closely. It will make changes to the regulations if the hen harvest ever becomes detrimental.

We've got a tremendous turkey population right now, and the future looks exceedingly bright. The number of birds has been growing for years, but seems to be stabilizing.

But we have some of the best turkey hunting years yet to come. If you haven't yet tried fall hunting, there may be no better time to get started than this year. Plenty of birds and liberal limits make it very enticing.

Hunters new to fall hunting will find it quite different than the spring season. Although turkeys don't exhibit the gobbling and strutting action of spring breeding, fall can be very exciting, too.

For fall hunting, there are two basic tactics. One is the ambush method, where hunters scout an area to learn the local birds' travel, feeding, and roosting habits. The hunter then sets up near an area where turkeys are expected to travel and waits for the birds to come within shooting range.

Most bowhunters use a hunting blind to conceal their movement when drawing the bow.

The second method requires much more effort than just sitting in a blind and waiting. However, it can be a lot more exciting.

During the fall, turkeys prefer to band together in large groups. It's this desire for togetherness that hunters can exploit. The hunter stalks quietly until a group of turkeys is located, sneaks up close to the group and then charges at them, making as much noise as possible.

The idea is to scatter the flock in all directions. The hunter then sits down nearby, waits until the woods quiet down again and uses soft calling to lure the birds, looking to regroup, back into the area.

Most autumn birds are taken on private ground, but a good number are taken on public ground as well. Here's a look at four wildlife management areas (WMAs) that you may want to target this season.

BEAVER CREEK WMA
Hunters in the southeastern portion of the state may want to try the Beaver Creek WMA in McCreary and Pulaski counties. This property gives turkey chasers some 17,347 acres on which to ply their skills. Plenty of birds inhabit the area, but it takes diligent scouting and legwork to score a fall bird here.

The area is pretty rough to traverse. Steven Dobey describes it as "mountainous, rugged and gorgeous." However, this ruggedness limits the amount of hunter pressure on the area. The absence of competition bodes well for those who are up to the challenge.

Most of Beaver Creek WMA is heavily forested. There are only around 150 acres of open land at the property. A gravel road transects the WMA, providing a jumping-off point for access. Several other dirt trails along the ridges and valleys let hunters who aren't averse to walking to penetrate deep into the property.

Getting away from the roads is the greatest key to success at this WMA.

Dobey says the turkey population at Beaver Creek is in really good shape. The area is open under statewide regulations for both archery and fall gun seasons, but is closed during the quota hunt for deer.

More information is available by visiting the WMA office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Or you can contact the office at (606) 376-8083.