The most popular method for hunting fall turkeys is to scatter a drove and try to call individual turkeys back. The idea is to scout out and get as close as possible to a flock of turkeys and then run towards them yelling and whooping to try and get them to break up as much as possible. Running with a loaded gun is never a good idea so put down your gun and run like a mad man at the flock. I've heard barking like a dog can help scatter them better. I've never tried this I guess because of the fear someone not familiar with fall turkey hunting would see me and assume I was crazy. One warning though, know your terrain before you take off running. The first time I tried busting a flock in the fall, I was walking the top of a steep ridge when I saw a flock out in front of me. I ran screaming and waving my arms at the flock. Everything was going good until I stepped on a round rock and took a spill. I eventually ended up about 30 feet below on the edge of the creek. Evidently, cursing while tumbling down a rocky slope is not a good scatter technique since I had no luck calling in these turkeys.
Ideally, the flock will scatter in all directions or at least split up in two groups because this will give you the best opportunity to call them back to the flush site. Hopefully, there are a lot of lonely turkeys after the scatter but many times they do not scatter well at all. If they all fly off together your only real choice is to try and scatter them again.
Terrain can be a big factor here as well. I do most of my turkey hunting in Kansas and our typical terrain doesn't have mile after mile of woods. I am usually hunting a fairly narrow strip of woods either along a wooded gulley or a single ridge along a creek bottom. Trying to scatter turkeys in a 50 yard strip of trees can be very trying because the birds will generally just go in one bunch and it will take multiple scatters to finally get some turkeys separated. One good tactic to help you out here is to scatter from both sides with a hunting partner. By coming in from both directions, the turkeys are more likely to get a good scatter.
If the turkeys seem to scatter fairly well but all go in the same general direction, walk 100 to 200 yards in that direction before you set up to begin calling. Sometimes you will not get a good scatter and the turkeys will re-flock immediately before you have a chance to call in any loners.
There are several other variations to the scatter technique which can be even more successful. If possible, get out the evening before the hunt and locate a flock going up to roost. Wait until it's good and dark and then go underneath their roost tree(s) and start yelling and banging on the trees with a dead limb to make the branches shake. If there are vines hanging from the tree, shake them also and wave your flashlight around. This should scatter them really well and they will not regroup until the next morning when it is light. The next morning, get to the roost site early to get in the middle of the regrouping flock.
Some people say to wait 30 to 45 minutes after the flush to start calling and that is probably true for a gobbler flock especially. However, typically you find a flock of hens and poults and the poults will often start calling immediately after the flush. You'll just have to play it by ear most of the time. As soon as you hear some other turkeys start calling, you better begin yourself. One of the best tactics is to just repeat the call you hear. If a young turkey starts kee-keeing give him one right back. If you hear hen yelps, yelp right back at her because you don't want her out-calling you and getting the flock to come to her. Many times if the old boss hen is close to you and begins calling, it is best to just get up and scare her away.
If you do happen to find a flock of fall gobblers and try this technique, you better have a lot of patience. Gobblers are not really social in the fall and when scattered it may take them anywhere from a few hours to a few days to get back together. If you want to call in a gobbler in the fall, you have to learn to talk like one. Gobblers have no interest in hens at this time of the year so they will no respond to hen yelps or clucks. You'll need to learn to make gobbler yelps and clucks which generally are harsher and deeper sounding and also are slower paced than hen calls.
