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One of the most difficult challenges in fall turkey hunting can sometimes be simply finding a flock. Unlike the spring breeding season, when hunters key off gobbling, hunters know that to find fall flocks they must learn what the turkeys are eating.
Mast production, such as acorns, beechnuts, berries from dogwoods and wild grapes among others, may determine where you'll find birds. In years of abundant mast, turkeys will usually be less visible in fields and open areas as they gather and scratch for nuts and berries in the woods. If food is plentiful, it is doubtful flocks will range far, though individual flocks may be dispersed over a wider area.
Poor mast production, however, will cause birds to range farther in search of food, sometimes making them more visible to the passer-by as various flocks gather in fields to scratch for waste grain and insects or congregate in areas where food is available such as near farm yards or cattle pastures.
Unfortunately, it also means birds in your hunting area one day may not return for days making patterning them or locating them difficult. This is where knowing what the turkeys are eating can mean the difference in finding a flock to hunt or simply taking a long walk in the woods.