Fall Turkey Hunting in Southwestern Ontario: Bow and Shotgun Tips

Fall turkey hunting is a different game than spring. Gobblers aren't strutting to a call, so success comes from finding the flock and its daily routine.

Know your season. In WMUs with a fall hunt, Ontario's archery season runs October 1–31. Shotgun season opens the Tuesday after Thanksgiving (October 13 this year) and runs to the second Sunday after. Not every WMU is open, so check the Ontario Hunting Regulations Summary for your unit.

Scout the food. Fall flocks of hens and poults move between roost trees and food: cut cornfields, soybean stubble, hayfields and oak ridges with acorns. Glass fields at first and last light, and look for scratchings and droppings along field edges.

Break and call (where legal). A classic fall tactic is to scatter a flock, set up where they broke, and wait 15–30 minutes. Use kee-kee runs and assembly yelps to pull young birds back together.

Bowhunting turkeys. A turkey's vitals are about the size of a softball. Shoot from a ground blind so you can draw unseen, and keep shots inside 20 yards. Aim at the base of the wing on a broadside bird, or the vent on a bird facing away. Large-cut mechanical broadheads help on a small target.

Gear to consider: a pop-up ground blind, a box or slate call plus a few diaphragm calls, a hen decoy, and a broadhead built for turkeys.

Come see us for all your turkey season needs. Not sure your bow is set up for close shots from a seated position in a blind? Bring it into our Delaware shop. We'll check your sight pins at short distances, and you can practice sitting shots in our indoor or outdoor lanes.