Unfortunately, the fall numbers are not even close to the staggering harvest figures of the spring season. Consequently, participation during this period also does not compare with the number of hunters who hit the springtime woods. Many hunters are busy chasing deer and other game animals during the fall season. Also, hunting fall turkeys has been less publicized on television and it has not really reached the mainstream public yet. Hunting strategies and techniques also vary between the two seasons, which can cause some problems for new fall hunters. However, there are a lot of good reasons and key advantages for hunting turkeys during the fall of the year.

For example, the birds can be extremely vocal during the fall of the year and it’s a perfect time to work on your individual calling skills. There may not be as much gobbling, but the hens and young turkeys are hard to keep quiet. Plus, you have a chance to tag either-sex bird, which allows hunters the ability to eliminate a few hens before the spring season. In my neck of the woods, it seems the longbeards are staying henned-up for most of the spring season. Too many hens are not good when you’re trying to coax a lovesick gobbler into gun range. The fall season allows a hunter to get even with those pesky hens and can help balance the gobbler-to-hen ratio in a particular hunting area. Lastly, hunters can punch a few tags and provide a traditional turkey dinner for their family when Thanksgiving rolls around.

TOP 5 HARVEST COUNTIES
During the 2008 fall season, there were numerous hot counties that produced high harvest numbers. Without a doubt, several counties of the Green River Region boasted really productive seasons last year. For example, Hardin County led the entire state with hunters tagging 158 turkeys consisting of 40 gobblers and 118 hens. Second-place honors went to Hart County, another Green River Region honeyhole that recorded a head-turning 141 birds.

Shelby County of the Bluegrass Region claimed the No. 3 spot with 108 filled tags. Owen County sealed a fourth-place ranking with hunters bagging 106 birds and only missed a higher ranking by two turkeys. Rounding out the top five listing is Anderson County of the Bluegrass Region with 100 fall turkeys biting the dust last season.

The good news is these same areas are expected to yield high harvest numbers again this fall. In addition, hunters shouldn’t overlook Lincoln County in the Southeast Region next year either. This county only missed the illustrious top five ranking by a single bird and many think the area has a lot of potential for opening day. However, hunters really don’t need to freak out if one of these counties is not located near them. Our state’s leading turkey biologists feel that excellent fall turkey hunting can be found this season in all counties across the Bluegrass State. Your best bet is to start looking for fall turkeys in areas that typically hold large numbers of birds during the spring.