This is gut-wrenching news for us blue-collar hunters. We don’t have the fat wallet syndrome mentioned in Subway commercials, so we must grind it out on public dirt to make our turkey dreams reality.

Now here’s the good news: I’ve beaten the dirt at throngs of public-access areas through the years with unbelievable success.

Photo by John Hafner.

The first step was tucking in my bottom lip after losing my best hunting areas. Then came the school of hard knocks. I quickly learned that birds die on public tracts, but not as easily or often. That forced me to develop my craft as a turkey hunter. Now, years of experience have given me the knowledge and confidence to step onto any public tract and come out with a fan bobbing behind my head.

The tips and tactics in this article will prevent you from making the mistakes I did and will give you the tools to succeed on any public-land venture.

Step 1: Research

The public turkey equation kicks off with research, and the internet will be your best ally. Start by cruising the websites of your state game and fish department. Peruse hunting brochures, harvest numbers, population density maps, hatch/predation statistics and turkey hunting articles. Compiling and examining this information will narrow your search to a few select areas.

Next, burn up the phone lines, and contact biologists who work the terrain you’re planning to hunt. These folks can be tough customers to track down, but their insight is invaluable. They provide direct information from the field and will usually hint about which public tracts hold solid bird numbers. Sometimes, they’ve gone a step further and sent me maps of areas where I could escape the masses.

When communicating with these folks, tell them exactly what type of hunt you’re seeking. Don’t just ask about the best places. Explain how you plan to hunt. That will help them put you in areas that match your hunting style and skills.

Next, learn about the land you intend to hunt. With high gas prices, hands-on scouting isn’t always feasible. That’s where the 7.5-minute topographical maps biologists recommend come into play. Roll them out, and prospect for productive turkey haunts off the beaten path. Depending on an area’s topography, good spots might include creeks, ponds, rivers, flat benches or ridge lines that taper to valleys.

Plug the coordinates of high-interest zones into Google Earth, and you can visit your hunting grounds without leaving the sofa.

Step 2: Hands-On Reconnaissance

I’ve found many hotspots via maps and Google Earth, but I still prefer investigating nearby areas in person. Nothing builds confidence like seeing a few puffed-up toms on a public tract. Just make sure you view those birds from a distance.

I believe most hunters pressure birds when scouting. There’s no need to comb every acre of a property. Remember, public-land birds will undoubtedly be bugged enough when the season starts, so don’t make the mistake of bumping them beforehand.

Photo by John Hafner.

During my turkey hunting career, I’ve stuck to low-impact scouting, which involves gaining vantage points to glass and listen. Then, I drive perimeter roads and look for tracks and other turkey sign. I usually hang a scouting camera or two, but I never breech the core of my hunting area with anything but my binocular.

Step 3: Early Season Craze

The doldrums of winter have turkey fanatics and weekend warriors salivating. Everybody is amped up and ready to kill an opening-day longbeard. Often, the area you’ve scouted will look like a shopping mall on opening day. That’s when you need to hunt smart.

Expect that type of pressure regardless of where you go. Arrive early and trek deeper into backwoods areas you found when scouting. Regardless of whether I’m toting a shotgun or bow, I figure the early bird gets the worm.

When I reach my destination, which is usually a stand of nasty timber, I set up and listen. If I hear a roosted gobbler, great. If I don’t, that’s no reason for me to jerk the decoys and go fumbling through the darkness. I’ve found that the pressure of opening morning will push birds deeper into thick, timbered tracts.

While guys beat the brush and shotguns ring out near access roads, birds start moving away from them. That’s where I’ll be waiting. Often, my patience is rewarded by a vibrant head bobbing through the trees or a 10 a.m. yelp that produces a nearby gobble. Yes, there’s a time to run and gun, but opening morning on public dirt isn’t it.

Step 4: Go Deep

When you can step out of the norm, do it. Very few turkey hunters are willing to strap on a hefty pack and leave the trailhead at 2 a.m. That’s great news. If you’re the only hunter in your area willing to do that, think of how many more opportunities you’ll have and the secret spots you will find.

When possible and regulations permit, stay a few days in a small tent, or bivouac deep in turkey country. This lets you have a turkey oasis to yourself. Birds off the beaten path seem to be more vocal and respond better to decoys and calls than turkeys 200 yards off the road.

Step 5: Call Less, Listen More 

Like many turkey fanatics, I own an arsenal of calls. The pockets on my vest bulge, and I love to ring out sweet hen music. However, hunting public land for several years has taught me to call less and listen more.

Photo by Dan Schmidt.

Public-land birds are tough customers, and they’ve heard everything from loud boxes to mellow diaphragms. Always start with the assumption that the tom you’re calling has been squawked at numerous times. I take that approach even when hunting unpressured birds.

One of my favorite “call-less” areas is a strutting zone. These are typically fairly open areas near roosts where gobblers strut for the ladies. If your scouting turned up an area with wing-drag marks and a stampede of tracks, make your setup. If you stumble across these areas while hunting, punch them into your GPS. When hunting a strut zone, stay patient and listen. A gobbler might go bonkers as he approaches, or he might just tickle your ears with spitting and drumming.

I bring my deer savvy into the turkey woods. That is, I kill lots of birds at transition zones. My favorite tactic is getting between birds and their groceries. Turkeys are gluttons, and hens will usually drag a few gobblers to food. If I can identify food sources and locate pinch points, I get comfortable and wait birds out.

If I find where birds are roosting, I’ll scour the area like a CSI detective until I unravel their approach. The game revolves around patience and keeping a finely tuned ear. Turkeys return to their sleeping quarters a while before sundown. Gobblers love to sound off on their way back to the roost, but if they get quiet, you should at least hear some hens. Sometimes, you’ll near nothing but subtle scratching in dried leaves.

Step 6: Midday

You’ve likely read articles and seen television shows about midday tactics. There’s no doubt that getting a gobbler fired up during midday increases the odds of calling him in, but that isn’t necessarily what puts me at public tracts at that time. I’m there because other hunters are not. Most are kicking back in their recliners, which gives me a brief window to cover ground and elicit a midday gobble.

During that time, I like to use locator calls such as the woodpecker and hawk screech. Most hunters prefer owl and crow calls, so I shy from them.

For midday hen talk, I love slate calls, which produce unique sounds that seem to trigger a response from public-land longbeards. I believe that’s because most hunters live and die by box and diaphragm calls.

Step 7: Later is Greater

When the third or fourth week of the season rolls around, most hunters have tagged out or been schooled by gobblers more times than they care to admit. The public tracts that were as busy as theme parks are now ghost towns, and it’s beautiful to see.

The great thing is the birds aren’t gone. Sure, they might be a bit smarter, but if you go deep and call less while listening more, you might score.

Step 8: Run and Gun

My public-land rendezvous have made me a patient hunter, but there’s a time to hit the ground running. I would say that 90 percent of my midday hunts are more run-and-gun style.

When using this tactic, I like to gain vantage points and locate turkeys. I use a binocular to comb meadows, strutting zones, food sources and possible roost sites. If my glassing efforts don’t produce, I cover more ground and repeat the process.

Photo courtesy of David Gilane.

When I see turkeys, I note landmarks to aid my approach. This is critical. Years ago, when a bright head popped into view, I’d drop the bino and bound off. Big mistake. My elation would quickly turn to disappointment when I got to ground level and things looked different. I would wander around and eventually bump the birds.

Don’t be afraid to push the limits when stalking close to birds, especially late in the season. At that time, it’s do or die, and concerns about bumping and pressuring birds go out the window. Often, I’ve pressed 100 to 200 yards farther than I normally would, got away with it and brought birds into my lap. Yes, I’ve bumped birds, too, but during crunch time, I pull out all the stops.

Step 9: Never Say Die

Being a public-land hunter is tough. You will experience the highest highs and the lowest lows. It’s during those low moments that the true nature of a public-land hunter materializes.

Many times, I’ve wanted to quit and head for the truck. I remember walking 6 miles into what I thought was an inaccessible turkey wonderland. When I arrived, I found that several locals had made a four-wheeler road through the heart of the hunting grounds. I’ve been to carnivals with fewer people.

During difficult times, hang tough and think. Get out the map and reroute your course. By staying positive and keeping an indestructible frame of mind, you can quickly turn low moments into high moments.

Before long, you will become a public-land guru, and you’ll thirst for the feeling that comes from putting down a public longbeard. I hope to see you out there.

Order a copy of the 2026 Turkey & Turkey Hunting Magazine.

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To learn more about the Mag Turkey Vest, visit www.badlandsgear.com.

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The woods came alive with raspy gobbles that reverberated across the field. There were multiple longbeards that competed for air space, and they sounded off one after another. We eventually saw heads appear on the far edge of the field. The birds worked their way onto a rise and, one by one, stood silhouetted against the sky. A huge, dark bird was in full display as hens meandered around him. A second mature bird came into view, and the white edges of his feathers left no doubt it was a full-blood Merriam’s. The flock slowly went out into the pasture, where we hoped to draw them across.

The hens led the way with the longbeards strutting circles through the group. The darkest gobbler was the dominant bird in the flock, and the white-fringed bird was slightly timid. Our calling and decoy garnered little attention, and when we knew there was little chance to draw the birds another 300 yards, it was time to get creative.

The fan operator can stay well concealed behind a fan. Photo by Brad Fenson.

Most turkey hunters live for the challenge to decoy and call a spring gobbler into range, but any seasoned longbeard chaser can tell you that the usual tactics don’t always work. It can get frustrating when toms are henned up and refuse to respond. When all else fails, forget the hen decoy and strategy based on love, and try acting like a strutting competitor moving into a dominant bird’s territory. You will quickly determine that the boss bird reacts quicker as a fighter than a lover.

The one thing you can always count on with wild turkeys is their incredible eyesight. When my hunting buddy, Ken Buyers, smiled and pulled out a turkey tail fan, I put on my leather gloves in preparation for crawling. There was a corral in the field and just enough of a dip in the terrain to allow us to cut the distance to the birds. We slithered across the grass, avoiding cow pies to put us about 100 yards from the closest hens. There was lots of clucking and drumming coming from the live birds, and I kept my eye on the big Merriam’s, even though the other bird was dominant. My prize was the brilliant white on the feathers that stood out like a neon sign.

Ken whispered that he would hold up the fan, and we would crawl behind it into the open.  We had not been able to draw any attention from the birds, so when we held up the turkey tail fan, the two strutters immediately locked onto it. The gobblers watched with a jaundiced eye, but the hens made the first move toward us. If you know anything about toms, you’ll understand how territorial and aggressive they can be with each other. The pecking order must be followed, or a fight will ensue to decide who the boss is.

There were about 15 turkeys, and the two gobblers danced to keep their feathers up and keep up with the ladies. Ken moved the fan back and forth like a new competitor trying to garner attention, and it worked. Sometimes, the two toms would have to come out of strut to run and catch up with the hens. Tail fans were dropped to one side a few times as they tried to strut and trot simultaneously.

Our strategy had worked, and the closest hens were 20 yards away, with the gobblers 20 yards behind them. I could feel the tension rise. The hens could figure out what was really going on. The big Merriam’s was off to one side, providing a clear view without other birds behind it. The closest hen was 12 yards away, and Ken hissed that I better find a way to shoot. Rising on my elbows, I shouldered the Weatherby 18i semiautomatic shotgun, centered the red dot in the Burris FastFire 4 optic on the base of the bird’s neck, and squeezed the trigger. Chaos ensued, with turkeys running at breakneck speed as the prize of the trip flopped on the ground.

Strategy

The traditional method for bringing gobblers to the hunter is to set out hen decoys and make hen calls. However, many believe this is the opposite of how male turkeys behave — and toms expect the hens to travel to them, attracted by their loud, reverberating gobbles and display of feathers. After leaving the roost, experienced turkey hunters have seen hens heading toward a gobbler.

There are many types of products available that can successfully fan a turkey. Photo by Brad Fenson.

When a mature gobbler comes to a hen call, it’s often because he doesn’t already have a lady or he’s looking to steal some action. Have you ever experienced a hen showing up to ruin your hunt by coming in and stealing a working gobbler away from your setup? With fanning, you avoid the entire male and female mating dynamic and turn the tides by working on the tom’s territorial nature.

You can utilize the fanning tactic any time you see a male turkey displaying, and it will perceive the activity as a challenge to its dominance. Fanning also works on turkeys out for a wander or when feeding. On another hunt, we spotted a big gobbler making tracks along a fence clear across an alfalfa field. We figured nothing ventured, nothing gained, so we crawled a short distance into the field and threw up a turkey fan. A couple of hen calls stopped the old boy in his tracks, and he stared at the fan for about 10 seconds before deciding to make tracks in our direction. The big, old bird ran most of the way across the field and slowed at 100 yards to start displaying and sizing up the competition. The incoming bird was the challenger, confident in his ability, continually closing the distance. It had only been minutes since we first spotted the bird, now at 30 yards. The gobbler started to look nervous with a closer look at the situation, and I shot it before it had a chance to plan a retreat.

Experience with a fan has also proven that jakes are highly susceptible to fanning, especially when in groups. A group of jakes is like a pack of thugs and will often gang up on mature gobblers. When the young males see your fan, they’ll come running in anticipation of tormenting a mature bird as an organized gang.

Communication

A male turkey will fan its tail feathers much like a bull moose displays his antlers, turning them from side to side to ensure everyone can see them. A turkey in full strut will turn in all directions and look as dominant as possible. Gobblers in a given area have a distinct pecking order already worked out. When a stranger or new competitor appears on the scene, it always stimulates an investigation that ultimately ends in a fight. Being bold enough to display a turkey fan in an area where the birds already know where they stand with each other is like waving a red flag at a bull.

Teamwork

When fanning, it is beneficial to work target birds as a team. One person operates the fan, using it as cover to watch for the reaction and advancement of incoming birds. The second person, or shooter, remains low and out of sight to one side. The shooter stays low and waits for reports from the fanner, who also does the spotting and play-by-play. Safety is paramount, and if crawling behind the person with the fan, always keep your shotgun or bow pointed to the side.

Another strategy is to have the person operating the fan draw birds into the shooter’s lane. A good and safe way to get a clean shot is to position the shooter 10 to 20 yards away in available cover from the person with the fan. That way, the tom will be fixated on the fan and strut unwittingly past the shooter. You can fan while hunting solo, but it does take a little more finesse and a stake to hold the fan up when it is time to shoot.

Stack the Odds

Whether fanning alone or with a teammate, get as close to your target bird as possible without being seen. The closer, the better, but we have drawn gobblers from as far as 500 yards away. If you see turkeys in the distance, throw up a fan and crawl out of cover so they can see it. Hold it high, wave it back and forth, and if you can get the sun on it, even better.

Safety Always

Some hunters feel it is unsafe to use a fan to attract turkeys. Just as with any hunting tactic, safety should always come first. Always check your surroundings before setting up. If you are facing a bird, it is highly unlikely that another hunter will approach from that direction. A fan is seen best from the front, and hunters behind it are obvious from any other direction. With that being said, only use a fan when hunting on private land when no other hunting parties have access. Only use fanning in open terrain, where other hunters can see you clearly.

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The Real McCoy or Decoy

Nothing beats real feathers when it comes to fanning a mature gobbler. If you successfully harvest a mature strutter, cut off the tail section — including the shiny, colorful rump feathers. Keep the bottom end of the spine attached and scrape out any fleshy parts with a knife, then treat any skin, remaining fat, or flesh with Borax to dry and preserve it. The best way to do this is to open up the fan and pin the feathers down onto a piece of cardboard so they remain spread out. When the skin dries, it will last for years and can even be used in the rain or when heavy dew occurs.

There are commercially made fans available to add real feathers to, and some have artificial fans. There are even umbrella-like decoys that can be used for fanning.

After you figure out the type of fan to use, and with safety always at the top of your mind, add this fun tactic to your turkey hunting bag of tricks. Just be ready for some heart-pounding action.

Order the 2026 issue of Turkey & Turkey Hunting here.

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This was still early in my turkey hunting career. Having learned a few things at the hands of several accomplished woodsmen of the hard-hunted East – in New York State, Tennessee, Massachusetts and West Virginia, where turkey hunting hours ended (and still do) at noon – I sort of felt like I was cheating, or maybe just killing time, when I headed out after lunchtime.

After all, turkeys are best called and killed in the morning, and preferably the earlier the better, right?

But a turkey hunter I am, and no matter the outcome, what better way to spend a warm May afternoon than outside with the sun shining and puffy white clouds sprinkling a blue sky?

What I didn’t factor into my mixed feelings, though, was this reality: Turkeys are out there being turkeys no matter what the clock may say.

Photo courtesy of Tom Carpenter.

Driving back out to hunt after lunchtime, I spotted several dark figures down in a hayfield corner where, by the way, I had spent a mid-morning hour set up. Two hens now fed in the foot-tall alfalfa, with a red-headed gobbler dutifully following along and occasionally puffing into strut.

I watched the turkeys feed on, and finally the birds headed back into the oak timber. Game on! I scurried down and called, but you know the results of that.

The next afternoon I was stationed in that same field corner, set up and waiting. The birds showed up in the field a little over an hour later, right on schedule. Two hens and a gobbler. They took their merry time. I called softly on occasion, but they paid little heed, so I played it soft and coy, and then silent.

I can’t say that I called the gobbler in. I can say I didn’t scare the birds away. I did shoot that gobbler after the hens finally fed on past, with him pulling up the rear.

***

When I started hunting west from my native Wisconsin and Minnesota home grounds, to South Dakota and Nebraska and Montana, afternoon hunting was part of the fabric of the turkey chase in those places. Those afternoon gobblers beckoned.

Heck, I even discovered that some hunters prefer hunting in the afternoon. They knew what they were doing. That’s really where I cut my afternoon turkey hunting teeth.

What did I learn on my way to giving afternoon turkey hunting the respect it deserves?

The later couple hours of the afternoon – from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. or so – are most productive. They are better for hunting than the evening hours, when birds get cagier than ever and are more interested in ending the day alive than breeding or feeding.

Turkeys get hungry. Spring days are mighty long. Birds are ready to go out on the feed again by mid to late afternoon, and do.

Nesting hens are especially likely to leave their eggs and eat now – their one feeding session for the day. Gobblers are still interested, and not far behind.

The gals don’t show much interest in breeding in the afternoon; that gives you a little better chance to call away a curious gobbler who has been jilted and ignored most of the day.

Gobblers that have lost contact with the hens will head out now to patrol areas where they know hens feed. What more can a hunter ask for than a lonely gobbler?

Shadows get long, and that is an offbeat help to the hunter. By late afternoon, many woods edges can produce the shade necessary for feeding turkeys to feel safe. Many afternoon turkeys stick close to cover, where the shade is, so they can duck back into the timber or brush if something appears amiss.

Gobblers eat during the breeding season, and afternoon is when they do it. The birds are too busy in the morning, trying to get some hen action. By late afternoon, however, life is a lot calmer, and gobblers will settle in to fill their crops in a greening hayfield, stubble field, plowed ground, open pasture or woodland glade.

***

There are two good ways to hunt afternoon gobblers. Here’s the first way: Wait ‘em out.

Scout. Look. Glass. Study. Know where turkeys are travelling and feeding. If you have some birds patterned (like the Wisconsin trio that started our story), set up at that likely spot and wait them out.

Photo courtesy of Tom Carpenter.

If they were there yesterday, or the day before, why not today? If you find turkey evidence – tracks, droppings, feathers – that’s almost as good as seeing them.

When it comes to setting up on turkeys, decoys can be hit-and-miss in the afternoon.

The hits can come when a gobbler (or two or three) is travelling without hens. If I use a decoy, I use one hen in the afternoon. Gobblers aren’t quite as aggressive now — especially those young and satellite gobblers that are likely to be on the prowl by themselves — and they don’t have any interest in engaging a boss gobbler decoy. But a lonely hen decoy? They might chance it.

The misses can come when the hens are out and about. I have seen more hens avoid a hen decoy than I have seen come to one in the afternoon, and when they leave, off go any attached gobblers too.

I am more likely to use a decoy in a field situation than in the woods. And by the way, a good woodland feeding area, such as an oak ridgetop or flat, makes a great afternoon setup.

Let’s end the decoy talk with this thought. If you’ve put in the scouting work and really, really know turkeys travel it, why alter the environment with a fake that might make them suspicious?

***

Given a choice, I’ll take an afternoon sit over moving out and trying to call up some action.

To be honest, I’ll even take a nap or two while waiting. Why not? I was up early. It can be a long session, and a few zzz’s kill some time … and rejuvenate a guy. Napping has yet to cost me a turkey; but it has made for some fine surprises — stories for another time.

Calling afternoon turkeys can work, but keep your approach subtle whether you are sitting and waiting, or trolling and maneuvering. Birds are mostly quiet at this time of day, and anything but the softest clucks, sweetest purrs and whispery little yelps will arouse suspicion.

The exception, and there always are exceptions, is if you hear or get a tom gobbling. Then you have to take his temperature and give him what he wants. That could be a lot of yakkety-yak.

***

If you like to move and hunt, give it a try. It can work. Some would call it a “run and gun” but I prefer to call it “trolling.” Gobblers will gobble in the afternoon, and perhaps you can get one to sound off, then maneuver and set up on him.

To the west, where I do a lot of my hunting these days, I really like heading out and glassing for birds, then putting on a sneak to get into position to call one.

Photo courtesy of Tom Carpenter.

Just remember this cardinal rule of turkey hunting: It is easier to call turkeys to where they are going than it is to call them back.

As matter of fact, I can count on one hand the number of times I have ever been able to do the latter. Be ready to move and maneuver, and don’t get lazy about it.

Here’s a case in point. One windy and sunny Nebraska afternoon, I watched a small flock of birds, three hens and a couple gobblers, mooching along a drainage.

I was pinned: too much open country and too little cover to make a move. On my belly, I studied the birds and their route, trying to figure out which way they were heading for sure; but they were being turkeys and taking their time. I needed some terrain to use to stay out of sight and get ahead.

Over the course of an hour, the birds angled and fed their way toward the top of the opposite ridge and then finally, finally, headed over to the other side. I made my move.

I high-tailed it in the drainage they had vacated, glancing occasionally up to the ridge to make sure a “snitch” hen hadn’t peeked back, but luck was with me.

I passed the cedar tree where I had marked their topping-over, and continued another quarter mile and then, for good measure, another couple hundred yards, before crawling over the ridge and into the other drainage.

There was a nice little grove of bur oaks, and I hop-alonged into it, crept to the widest and burliest trunk, and settled in.

After a few little yelps, I shut up. Five minutes later, a gray head appeared over a rise, then another and another. The hens scratched along, and soon came the redheads.

I got to eat a much-needed supper in town that evening, and was mighty glad to have stuck around for some afternoon turkey hunting.

***

Since that fateful and magical Wisconsin day so long ago, those afternoon gobblers have been very good to me. They can be good to you too.

While every afternoon bird brought to bag was a challenge either through diligent scouting and reconnaissance, long waiting, careful maneuvering, smart calling, or a combination of all those factors, afternoon turkey hunting is worth the effort.

And, I might add, quite pleasant. Especially if you can sneak a little nap in.

Tom Carpenter has been writing for DDH & TTH for more than a quarter century, and hunting turkeys between lunch and suppertime for a lot longer than that.

Order the 2026 Turkey & Turkey Hunting Magazine for even more turkey hunting tips, tactics and strategies.

The post How to Bag an Afternoon Bird appeared first on Turkey and Turkey Hunting.

The 2026 edition is 80 pages of hunting tips, tactics and insights to help you have your best turkey hunting season ever! The top turkey hunters and writers in North America supply a heavy dose of hunting wisdom to make sure you get your gobbler this spring. This year’s edition takes a look at the best turkey calls ever made, revisits the 100 pellet principle, and explores seven setup blunders. This issue also includes new gear for 2026, top decoy tactics, grand slam fun plus a whole lot more!

Look for Turkey & Turkey Hunting 2026 on your local newsstands, or order copies directly from our online store at shop.deeranddeerhunting.com.

The magazine’s roots date back to a magazine called The Turkey Hunter, which was started more than 40 years ago. The title was merged with Turkey & Turkey Hunting in 1992 and has been published under that name ever since.

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