Ok guys got a question.
What type of call do you start out with in the morning?
Located such as an owl or crow?
Or do you set up and start out listening and then use a diaphragm, friction, or
Air driven call?
I normally set up and listen and then if I hear a bird I see how far he is away and normally start out with a pot call normally a slate over glass soft talker, I hardly ever use any type of locator call.
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Keep it simple....
A hat or wing that can mimick a fly down, and some super soft yelps from either my diaphragm or a slate call. Less is more off fly down, but just as TJ said, as soon as you know they're going the other direction get aggressive. Do another fly down wing beat, cackle, aggressive purrs and some sassy snappy yelps, then get quiet.
I dont do anything most of the time. I will let the owls around me start up and I will let the gobblers start on their own. get in tight and use a wing for a fly down followed by a couple of soft yelps and a cluck. Then I let the bird tell me what he wants. As far as calls , I use every type from a trumpet to a box . I will use what ever I am feeling that morning. I dont like to throw all my calls at him in one day. I constantly change types from day to day and I am constantly changing calls out in my vest all season long. If I have a particular call that the birds in the area respond to well , that call stays in my vest.
A couple of yelps on box call for me.
I may try an owl call if I am going in completely cold, but most of the time I just wait until the toms start gobbling first, and make a plan from there. Once I get in close enough, I'll sit down for about 10 minutes and let things settle down, and then maybe let out a few quiet hen putts & clucks just to let them know I'm there, and then I shut up until they are on the ground.
First, Locator call use: This depends on the situation. If you already know where a gobbler is roosted and/ or you are hunting a small property that you would be able to hear any gobbler that is on that property, there is no reason to use a locator. If you don't know where a gobbler is, and you are hunting a large area that may have widely scattered gobblers, it is best to use a locator to find one of them before starting your hunt.
Calling:
Roosted birds---
If you call at all, wait until a) you either hear hens starting to tree call, or 2) you think it is time for the gobbler to fly down. Call sparingly with "soft stuff"...yelps and/or clucks. Combine your calling with other natural turkey sounds,...a good tactic: at fly-down time, replicate the wing beats of a turkey flying out of the tree, wait a few seconds and then do more wing flapping to replicate hen "adjusting" her feathers after hitting the ground combined with a little "leaf litter" noise, and follow up with a series of soft/medium yelps. (Note: if the gobbler has hens, you want to be the first one on the ground so he will be encouraged to fly down close by)
here's a summation from my perspective about roosted birds...(put this on another site a while back)
Setting up improperly on a roosted gobbler is bad
Calling too early to a roosted gobbler is bad.
Calling too early and too much to a roosted gobbler is really bad.
Calling from a bad set-up, too early, and too much is really, really bad.
Calling at the right time, but too much is usually bad.
Calling at the right time and the right amount can be good.
Calling at the right time, the right amount, and in combination with other natural turkey sounds can be really good.
If you are not good at judging any of the above, wait 'til he flies down.
Even if you are really good at judging all of the above, if you are on the wrong gobbler, you will still lose anyway.
Even if you are really bad at judging all of the above, if you are on the right gobbler, you may still win anyway.
Calling to "on the ground" gobblers...
Take your time, take their temperature, adjust your calling according to the situation (henned-up gobblers, lone gobbler, multiple lone gobblers)
Note: "multiple lone gobblers"...smile, you are probably "in business" ;D :icon_thumright:
Like Gobblenut said, if you already know where bird is roosted, no reason for locator call. Get in early and close as possible in the complete darkness. Then I wait till he flys down to start light calling - cluck, few yelps, leaf scatching. Remember if your able to get close to his tree, and you call while he's still in the tree, there's a good chance he can see exactly where you're at.
Going in cold and not knowing where one is roosted, I use to just wait and let the birds start gobbling. But often, I would find that I would hear a bird gobble say 300 or 400 yards away, and by then its starting to get a little light. So at that point I'd be trying to close distance and because it was already getting a little light, it prohibited getting as close as possible. So now I at least try an owl call going in cold, right before that first light starts cracking, in hopes that will draw out a gobble and give me a little more time to get closer. If I can, same thing I wait till he hits the ground to call. When I'm not able to get in real tight on a bird, I may do some light tree calling right around fly down time. This is just what seems to work for me.
I never use a locator call. I'm looking for the bird that is feeling his oats and gobbles well on his own. If I hear multiple gobblers in different locations, I will go to the one gobbling the most--even if it is the one most distant. I'll get as close as I possibly can without spooking him and set up. I listen for hen talk, and if there is, I'll try to be the first hen on the ground.
So much of the hunt is personal preference--what gives you the most enjoyment. And if it doesn't work out, and it frequently doesn't, you get to keep hunting. I have some of my best luck in the mid to late morning.
More important than the calling is to first set up properly, and by that I mean close to the bird. When I used to do clinics I'd have people tell me about last year's hunt, when their gobbler was gobbling good but he just wouldn't come. When asked how far away the bird was, I'd get answers like " a quarter mile," or "200 yards." I feel I need to get close to any gobbling bird, and yes, I have boogered my share of gobblers.
Styles of hunting play into this too. If you are a blind and decoy hunter, you may not be able to get close. I am lucky that even in my mid 60's I am still mobile and can go to the bird.
I guess my main point is to have fun, play the game you want to play, and don't be afraid to screw up. Some of the screw ups are the hunts you'll remember the longest.
Good points made.
Quote from: Gobspur on March 13, 2018, 09:43:11 AM
Going in cold and not knowing where one is roosted, I use to just wait and let the birds start gobbling. But often, I would find that I would hear a bird gobble say 300 or 400 yards away, and by then its starting to get a little light. So at that point I'd be trying to close distance and because it was already getting a little light, it prohibited getting as close as possible. So now I at least try an owl call going in cold, right before that first light starts cracking, in hopes that will draw out a gobble and give me a little more time to get closer. If I can, same thing I wait till he hits the ground to call. When I'm not able to get in real tight on a bird, I may do some light tree calling right around fly down time. This is just what seems to work for me.
Agree totally. If it starts getting light and that bird has not gobbled so I can confirm exactly where he is, I am going to make him gobble so I can get to him while it is still dark, if at all possible.
Another word of advice to those who try to approach closely to a roosted bird. Always choose an approach and then your set-up such that you have a tree or screen of brush between you and the bird. Under no circumstances do you want to have a direct line-of-sight between you and the gobbler. Too many bad things can happen.
I generally owl to start making my way towards a turkey unless I'm running late and they are already gobbling when I get out of the truck.
I just listen. Some days it may be 10 o'clock before I make the first call. All depends on what's going on. Usually that first call is on a Trumpet style call or a Diaphragm.
I always want to be in the woods before they start to gobble. I always go to the closest or easiest one to get to. I want to get as close as I dare then go 30 more feet. I dont make a sound till he is on the ground. Then its a soft easy call then do what he wants to hear.
I've seen birds shut down at a crow or owl. Let the hot birds ID themselves. Let them fly down before calling. Keep it low. Real turkey volume is less than most people call.
And if you're not within 200 yards, you might as well be on the moon. I've pulled them in on a string from a quarter mile, but the odds are so low I won't try if I have another option.
whichever call I kill the first bird of the year with is usually my go to call for the year.
If I'm in tight with a talkative roost, tree yelps on a purr pot are fun.
My usual is to roost from the night before, I check again in morning (Owl Hooter) and go from there... Timber hunts are different than my field sets. I am less vocal in the timber as I am "on the bird" and call a bit more from a field set as I am calling them to my location. Every bird is a different game and in how he responds, and then there are the hens to deal with, when needed I am calling to them. I call to the situation and over the years have learned what seems to work for me and the area I hunt. I have no set "calling" sequence I do go by a "contact" call while in the tree and after flydown is when I work the bird.
MK M GOBL
The call I start off with depends on the hunting situation...
If I am running and gunning, and looking for a bird, I will often use a box call, cause it is loud and realistic. Once I get a response, I then try to decide if and how I will move closer to the bird. Depending on how close I get will depend on the call I use... Once I am on a bird, I always have a mouth call in, but I might try either a box or scratcher to coax him in closer.
In the morning, the last couple seasons, birds have been very vocal on their own in the morning. I try to get as close as possible to the roost... If I do not hear other hens, I tend to call more subtle (likely a scratch box). If there are hens calling, I tend to call to them, and far more aggressively.
Unfortunately, the areas I hunt all have a very high hen to Tom Ratio (I counted 4 jakes and 2 Toms with 60 hens ealier this winter).
I have had very poor luck calling in toms, cause they are always with hens nearby at first light... Only success I have had is calling in the hens... Later in the season, with hens on the nest, I have had some success calling to a lonely Tom, and calling very subtle, and sparse...
Usually Ill have a bird roosted and know his location before setting up...i prefer to let them gobble on their own and my go to early morning call is light tree yelps on a slate. If i get him answering and coming my way Ill try to switch over to a mouth call and see if he still likes it..after that its game on till hes in gun range
Boy, I have been doing it wrong for years according to most of the post above. I hunt the mountains in sw Virginia. I hunt a ridge above a pasture which has a deep valley over to another tall hill. The toms will most often roost on the other hill. After he gobbles once I will softly hit a soft note on my pot call. Most often he will instantly answer. I will wait till I think he is getting ready to fly down and litely call again. Most times he will fly across the valley and land above me on the highest part of my ridge. Then its game on as he slowly comes down the ridge toward me. I have hunted this property for so long I dont use any locator call. More often then not they will be on that hill across from me. When he hits the ground I usually just stick to a diaphragm call.
First call out of my vest is typically a tree talker or a purr pot. I'll usually let out a few soft clucks or a tree yelp if I hear birds or are in close on a roosted bird. Keep it soft. Keep it real.
If you're talking about AM locating I just let them wake up natrual unless it's well after gobbling time and I haven't heard one then it's an owl hooter, then a crow, then a fly down cackle spaced out if I'm not getting any answers.
If you're talking about set up on a bird what call comes out first to work the bird it's a scratch box and a mouth call in.
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I very seldom use an owl or crow call in the morning. I let the gobbler naturally fire up when the crows get going. Most turkeys don't gobble from the roost in the evenings around here, probably from coyote pressure, so they can be hard to roost. A couple of the properties I hunt are small and narrow, so gobblers don't often roost on them. When I hunt there, I wait until I get a gobble from the ground, get closer to set up, then cutt back excitedly on a long box, which usually gets a good response. As he works closer, I let him stew by not answering much, calling away from the direction he's coming from on a mouth call. When he comes looking for the hen, I mix in clucks and yelps on a pot or mouth call. Leaf scratching & quiet clucks usually helps seal the deal when he's inside of 150-200 yards.
In big woods, I try to get closer to the roost and work him from there with a slate or mouth call. If he goes the other way, I try to circle ahead of him to a favored area and call from there. Distance dictates which calls I use. Closer = quieter calls, long distance = long box.
I almost never tree talk, because I'm seldom close to a roost. Excited cutts, kee kees, and yelps seem to draw best in my experience. I should admit that I hunt woods 95% of the time and I don't have much experience hunting open fields.
Jim
My buddy does a Barred Owl without using a call that has them following us around the woods on occasion. He's my go to early morning locator. After the sun is up and shining, a Pileated Woodpecker/Peacock call has worked really well for me. As far as turkey calls, Hooks "Enforcer" is my go to. Pot calls somewhere along the line if needed.
this has been a joy to read keep on posting guys
Love me some locators. Early morning it's a Harrison owl hooter. After good light is a Gibson crow call. I'm generally hunting small pieces of ground here and I like to know where they are before I cross an open field. Bumped them off the roost too many times here and once they are across the next field, it's much harder to call them back. I've had to backtrack and walk a hard cap road past a couple houses to get back on the property I hunt just to get the terrain in my favor and not blow birds out of the trees just to have a chance. I've sometimes gotten there a touch later on purpose just to give them a chance to get on the ground in hopes of using the ground cover to help me slip in. The main chunk I turkey hunt is small with very few trees and completely surrounded by open fields. Trying to call them across an open field here is almost impossible and I don't have access to the neighbors farm so discretion is imperative. Once I know where they are and can get set up, I've been known to get aggressive faster than most. I want that bird thinking I'm the hottest lady on the block and in the next 3 counties. Not going to say it always works and often times it doesn't. But, when it does, I'm guaranteed a show. Going in easy isn't my style and I'm sure I'd kill more birds doing that but killing the bird is secondary when more fun can be had. That's why I like a loud, raspy box and either my Yingling slate or brass call soon as that bird hits the ground. I'm cranking it up and getting his temp set as high as it'll go. Got a Jeff White box in an auction this year and planning to run it hard come April 16th.
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I just let mother nature wake the woods up... i will use a crow call up in the middle of the day if needed ... Lonnie Sneed tree talker is my start off call.... If you don't have a tree talker from Lonnie , your missing out on a great simple 20 dollar call.....
Owl,
Turkey wing
Ghost cut diaphragm
Usually in that order
If I don't have one roosted I'll sit and listen. Try to get close but not too close and maybe give a few yelps. After that clucks and leaf scratching once he's on the ground.