Do locator calls spook turkeys? Places to use locator calls ?

[Bobby5]

  Ive really never used a locator call and was curious if they ever spook turkeys? Figured a coyote howler or anything that threatens them would spook them. I have a crow call and would like to see if i can get one to gobble one evening. Where and what time do you guys go the day before and try to find them roosted. I just dont want to get in there spook all the birds.

[Spitten and drummen]

  Personally I would leave the locators in my pocket and let all those wonderful critters God put on this planet do the locating for you. I dont believe locators scare birds away but I believe a area that has alot of people blowing on the same types of locators un naturally does affect the way birds respond to them over a period of time in a season. Same can be said with certain calls. Turkeys are not the smartest but they are probably the most paranoid. They become suspicious very quickly. Anyway , to answer your question , in my opinion they do not spook birds but can have ill effects over a short time if over used.

[silvestris]

Crow caller or voice crowing at dusk is an unnatural locator as the crows have long gone to their roost.  Owl or cackle is the natural locator when the gobbler has flown to his roost and you should only do either one time at the right time.  It can tell you where to be the next morning.  If he doesn't gobble, you are no worse off as you were had you not owled or cackled.  Sound natural.

[GobbleNut]

If used properly, locator calls can be one of the greatest assets in a turkey hunter's arsenal.  Conversely, if used improperly, they can be useless, and sometimes counterproductive.  Just like learning to use a turkey call correctly, there are "right" ways to use a locator,...and also "wrong" ways to use one.

There are also circumstances where locators are not needed,...small properties on which the person hunting is very familiar with the turkeys and their habits or where the hunting area is limited in size.  Just as assuredly, there are places where knowing how to use a locator properly is nothing short of essential,...large areas with widely scattered turkey flocks such as is found in many areas of the west. 

And finally,...and importantly,...there is a proper etiquette involved in using locators.  Just like the accepted etiquette of not interfering with another hunter that is "on" a gobbler, hunters should not go around blowing on a locator call when they know someone else is in the area and has gotten there first.

[howl]

Unless you are pressed for time and able to cover lots of ground doing it, skip locators and let them gobble on their own. Can't tell you how many times I have witnessed a hoot flute or six-foot crow shut a gobbler down. This is pressured birds. Un-pressured birds...have at it, but the one you want to go after is still usually the one gobbling unprompted.

[shatcher]

Owl hooting is not all that effective in my neck of the woods.  Crow calling is ok about an hour after daylight.  Like S&D said, just listen at daybreak.  There are plenty of geese, Indian hen woodpeckers and even woodies in the creek bottoms to make them gobble.

[GunRunner]

Totally agree with GobbleNut.

Great asset when used properly.

GunRunner

[roberthyman14]

Love an owl hooter all day long.  But, use it gently. My goal is to eithier get a gobbler to hit or get responses from owls.  If I can get an owl to hoot back I stop and let them do the work. I keep a crow call with me but no always used.  Kids train horn works great, peacock works good and a few others.  But those are truly shock gobbles. 

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[High plains drifter]

I don't use them.There are geese, ducks, pheasant, blue herons,  all kinds of stuff out in the woods.

[RutnNStrutn]

I use them successfully all the time. I use them not only to locate tight beaked gobblers, but also to move in on them by producing shock gobbles to keep track of their location.
I use an owl call in the morning. I often call in other owls, and let them take over. Later in the morning I switch to a crow call. Gobblers often shock gobble to them. I also used a screaming hawk call, but I lost it in the woods.
Just last week I killed a gobbler using owl and crow calls. The gobblers weren't roost gobbling much that morning. So I located a couple of toms on the roost using an owl call. They skirted me off the roost. I used a crow call to follow them at a distance. When they went into a field I worked into position, and killed one of the gobblers. So, yes, they work well.

Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.