What types of strategies do you use when a bird is on the limb? I've only called in a few birds right off roost so I want to get better at it. Usually I make a few soft purrs and light yelps right before fly down to let the tom know where I am. It seems they always go the other way. I'm afraid if I over call, they'll just sit there waiting for the "hen" to come underneath them and drop down.
I've tried decoys, etc. Just can't seem to kill a bird first thing in the morning.
IMO....... Birds on roost are VERY "iffy" so I will give them one or two soft tree yelps and shut up until they hit the ground. Yes, I love to hear them gobble but too many times they will sail out into the open or away wanting you to follow. I would rather play hard to get.....
i usually do not give them more than a couple soft clucks. your main objective is for that bird to know that you (the hen) is there. once i know that he has heard me and he knows that i am there i'm done calling until he is on the ground.
if you over call a Gobbler will do what he is suppose to do. set on that limb until the hen walks into his sight.
SOFTLY, and not alot of it. Then SHUT UP til his feet are on the ground!!!
Yep soft and only two or three time just before fly down time.
Very tempting to call, but less is more.
Don't
The best call for roosted gobblers took me years to discover. Its a heavy dose of silence, punctuated by my heart pounding and shallow breathing. Just keep wailing on that call till he flies down. :D
A few soft calls and flap your cap on your leg so it sounds like a turkey flying down,works for me!!
Best to sit queitly....key is to be set up where the bird wants to go so he'll fly down in your direction...killer set up is if you are set up inbetween the tom and hens, I have killed quiet a few this way without even uttering a single call
I usually do a couple of SOFT clucks and then go silent. I try to let my set up do the work for me. I like to hear the gobble as well but experience has taught me that the more they gobble the harder it is to get them to fly down in your direction.
More you call, more he gobbles, more likely he is to call in hens or another hunter. He can be heard from a lot further away up there, don't incourage him to gobble. He can also see a lot better up there. In the timberland I hunt you have cover that allows you to work in pretty close to a roosted bird to set up. I don't want him searching for something in my direction while he has such a comanding view of the area. Instead, listen. Listen for hens to answer him and see if there is a way for you to get between him and the hens. Think about the area and where he might want to go naturally, an open area nearby where you have seen signs of strutting, a ridge line nearby, whatever. Work your way into a well thoughtout setup and you will be way ahead when he hits the dance floor.
Usually don't say anything. If I know he has hens I will pour it on him with multiple flydowns (like 6 or more), lot of cutting and yelping with mouth call and slate at the same time. Killed a few like this that pitched straight to me and left their hens in the tree. Most were my better birds.
Looks like I was on the right track. A couple tree yelps is a about all I ever do, sometimes I might do a fly down.
Just wish I was more successful at fly down.
My big lesson for the year is that every time you make them gobble on the limb you hurt your chances of killing that birds just a little buit more.
Dont be afraid to feed it to them once they are on the ground though, especially if they dont have hens yet
I have found that calling to a bird in the tree. Even if it is a soft cluck, tree yelp, fly down cackle, wing beat against the leg, anything will more than likely cause him to stay in the tree until he "sees" that hen he has heard. I have found out that making no sounds until the bird has come off the roost works better. As soon as i hear him hit the ground, fly out of the tree, or hear a gobble on the ground i will get ready for my first call sequence.
Also remember,that when he is gobbling in the tree he is trying to call hens to HIM. This is another reason i dont call to him in the tree because i dont want him to gobble anymore than he has to for me to zero in on his position. If you call to him in the tree he will more than likely continue gobbling to try and call you closer, in the meantime hens from all directions are headed your way. And more times than not , no matter how sweet sounding you are, the "real" hen that he can "see" will take him off.
I make a few soft clucks to make him gobble. Once I have him located, the fun begins.
This is where good camo and stealth come into play. Now that he is located, I sneak up on him until I am directly under the tree that he is in. Sometimes the are way up there, so it is very important that you sight your shotgun in for a minimum of 50 yards, straight up. (Not all trees are created equal). The sight in process can be tough, but I have found that if you lay on your back when you shoot, you don't have to climb so high in the tree to place your target.
Once I am in position and ready, I ease off the safety. (and I mean ease off, because a little "click" right now, and you may have blown your hunt)!
Once the safety is off, I cluck one more time. This more often than not will make him gobble, thus, exposing his neck for a good ethical shot.
This may not work everytime, because some toms are just more wary than others, but by and large, it is a proven way to deal with those pesky "on a limb" gobblers. They have a mind of their own!!
No need to thank me.. I am here to help.. Mike
:D you're a pretty funny feller, hognutz!
Quote from: jb177 on April 25, 2012, 11:16:44 AM
Looks like I was on the right track. A couple tree yelps is a about all I ever do, sometimes I might do a fly down.
Just wish I was more successful at fly down.
i hardly ever do a fly down cackle. but i do a fly down by beating my hat off of my leg. i have had great results by doing this.
i had a bird this year double gobble when he heard what he thought was wings beating. he came in on a string.
Quote from: VAHUNTER on April 24, 2012, 09:59:19 PM
i usually do not give them more than a couple soft clucks. your main objective is for that bird to know that you (the hen) is there. once i know that he has heard me and he knows that i am there i'm done calling until he is on the ground.
if you over call a Gobbler will do what he is suppose to do. set on that limb until the hen walks into his sight.
Agree.
I want him to know I'm there and get curious when i shut up.
I've tried a bunch of different ways when they have hens with them in the tree and there is no definitive answer..... ultimately, i try to get between where I think he and (more importantly) the hens are likely to go after fly down. As far as the calling part of it, I usually dont say anything at all and try to react by following in behind them or watching/listening to the direction they are headed in and get in front of them. When this is the plan, I think you are simply giving away your position by calling and makes him watch your general direction, which makes it harder to make a move when you need to. The success rate of calling them away from hens is just too low for me to sit there and make noise and I'd rather "read and react".
Quote from: Hognutz on April 25, 2012, 11:42:34 AM
I make a few soft clucks to make him gobble. Once I have him located, the fun begins.
This is where good camo and stealth come into play. Now that he is located, I sneak up on him until I am directly under the tree that he is in. Sometimes the are way up there, so it is very important that you sight your shotgun in for a minimum of 50 yards, straight up. (Not all trees are created equal). The sight in process can be tough, but I have found that if you lay on your back when you shoot, you don't have to climb so high in the tree to place your target.
Once I am in position and ready, I ease off the safety. (and I mean ease off, because a little "click" right now, and you may have blown your hunt)!
Once the safety is off, I cluck one more time. This more often than not will make him gobble, thus, exposing his neck for a good ethical shot.
This may not work everytime, because some toms are just more wary than others, but by and large, it is a proven way to deal with those pesky "on a limb" gobblers. They have a mind of their own!!
No need to thank me.. I am here to help.. Mike
:TooFunny: :TooFunny: :TooFunny:
thanks....................