I tried it for the first time two years ago, without much success....didn't locate a flock until 5 P.M. the night before we were suppose to leave to come home. I did a fair amount of scouting, without finding much sign.....checked the usual places I do in the spring (looked for open fields, oak ridges, etc).
Do I use a decoy, or no? Any calls that might serve me better in the fall than in the spring? Any advice is appreciated.

FWIW, I'll be hunting in the upper penninsula of MI; mostly wooded with very little agriculture in the area.

16, I prefer to hunt fall turkey.. For calling breaking up the flock is very important.. The few times I have done it, they have been easy to call.. I prefer to hunt turkey like other big game.. That is how we did it years ago before the introduction of the spring seasons..

I used binocs, and do lots of glassing and I prefer a rifle.. From what I know of Mich. it is not possible to rifle hunt turkey.. Also, I just traveled though the U.P. this Aug.. Beautiful country, but I am at a loss to see how much is hunted in those swamps and heavy cover.. Sure is a challenge..

When I was a kid, my neighbor was one of the few successful turkey hunters.. He did just was I described, he would walk along glassing, and looking for signs of turkey feeding, toward evening or early in the morning, he would watch those feed areas.. He would shoot a bird if he got close enough with his shotgun, but he preferred to break up the flock and scatter the birds.. Usually, by running at them and firing a couple shots to scatter them..(maybe not the safest thing, but that is what he did..) Then he would hide, wait a bit, and begin to call.. Usually, he could bring a bird within range of his shotgun.. At times he used his .222, but in that country, and most of the heavy cover, a shotgun was pure murder..

They answer lost yelping in the fall, so you can use it to locate flocks.

Elk hunting vs Turkey...no contest.

Not sure from your comment if you mean that you'd rather be elk hunting than turkey hunting, or vice versa. Either way, hunting elk in Michigan is extremely highly regulated, if not next to damn near impossible......so I guess I'm going after turkeys (if I can locate some!)
Thanks for the tips so far............

I'm sorry, I wasn't very clear. I'd rather hunt elk. But the time is soon coming that elk hunting will be out of the question for me, as I'm getting old and fat. Then a good cushion seat in the woods hunting turkey will be heavenly. I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions of substance to offer you, as you can see.
Though it seems, like most hunting, knowing the terrain, the birds, their habits in your woods throughout the year is helpful.
I hunt the same areas, I know them well, and know what my favorite birds, ruff and blue grouse are up to when I hunt, berry patches, seeps etc. I really don't know much about turkeys, but I do love to sit under a tree, and listen and watch, probably not too smart for hunting turkeys, but I do learn something everytime I'm out there.

Wyogal- The best thing you can do in the spring is sit call and wait. I think that in all the 50 or so years I have spent spring turkey hunting, I've shot one gobbler walking around and that was on my way to my spot. You are doing just fine.-Mike

VA allows dogs in the fall, so I'm giving my GSP a whack at them this year. If nothing else, it will be a few good days out with my bud.

Well, filled my tag....but it was more luck than skill; it was more of an ambush set up than a calling one, even though I had my calls/decoys with me. We (dog and I) were headed out grouse hunting when I spotted a flock on a road. Since I knew which direction they were heading, I turned around and dropped the dog off and got the turkey hunting gear, quickly went to the woods and set up. They came walking by and I bagged this jake.


He is currently sitting in a bucket of brine, getting ready to be the guest of honor at our Thanksgiving dinner this year!

We also got a few grouse as well that week.

WV has a fall season in certain counties; as stated above, we bust the flocks late in the evening and return in the morning prior to the birds coming off the roost. Again, as stated above, the birds respond well to "the lost call" this time of year, it's a kee-kee-kee type of call. I'm still having trouble mastering it from a mouth call.