Using a turkey call while scouting

[okiegobblers]

This morning I was scouting some public land. I found a great spot that looked like perfect turkey habitat. Didnt see much sign, but it had the food plot, creek, roosting trees etc. I tried a locator call and didn't hear a thing. Pulled out my mouth call and BAM a gobble about 100yds away. I waited for about 5 minutes and tried again, BAM he gobbled again. He hadn't closed much distance so I hurried and left the area. I always heard it was taboo to call while scouting. I'm glad I did cause now I know where to concentrate my efforts opening morning. What say you?

[jblackburn]

I would rather not turkey call while scouting, but since you backed out of the area and did not spook him, you will probably be ok.

What kind of locater were you using?  Sometimes a variety of locators is useful to have as well.

[Spring_Woods]

Not a good idea imo.

[okiegobblers]

I would rather not turkey call while scouting, but since you backed out of the area and did not spook him, you will probably be ok.

What kind of locater were you using?  Sometimes a variety of locators is useful to have as well.

I tried a crow and an owl. Maybe I should get a hawk screamer.

[okiegobblers]

What is the concern with doing this? Call shy, bump them, etc?

[Longbeardfever4ever]

I was practicing in the woods yesterday and accidentally called up a hen. I wasn't prepared and spooked her. So be careful!  But that sounds sweet.

[jblackburn]

What is the concern with doing this? Call shy, bump them, etc?

I would be most concerned with calling one up and spooking it. You run the risk of condition him to not come to the call.

[PANYHunter]

I don't like doing it. My thinking is that you run the risk of spooking them. Also if a you are calling to a turkey and he comes in he is expecting to find a hen if he doesn't he may become wise to your calls. That being said I usually can't wait for the season to start and call a little bit from the road near my hunting areas to see if any are around.

[okiegobblers]

What is the concern with doing this? Call shy, bump them, etc?

I would be most concerned with calling one up and spooking it. You run the risk of condition him to not come to the call.

Yeah I agree with you guys. By the way I was using my Gooserbat Hillbilly. Can't wait to call him in with it on opening day!

[jblackburn]

What is the concern with doing this? Call shy, bump them, etc?

I would be most concerned with calling one up and spooking it. You run the risk of condition him to not come to the call.

Yeah I agree with you guys. By the way I was using my Gooserbat Hillbilly. Can't wait to call him in with it on opening day!

Well, I'm glad to hear he liked the Hillbilly!

[gunnerj]

I was out this morning on a spot. It was a bit later. I tried the owl, nothing. I tried the crow, nothing. I broke out the K&H ghost cut mouth call. Gobble! Do what it takes, but don't get busted, or let him come in on you to nothing. We boot scooted out of there and they were none the wiser. 

[mightyjoeyoung]

Our season isn't for over a month.  I see absolutley zero problems with a little calling early in the year to get a bead on where the groups of birds are.  I was out with a friend scouting yesterday morning, right at daylight.  Nothing to a crow (as usual around these parts), nothing to an owl call.  A couple clucks, purrs and a flydown cacle and BOOM 5 different answers from 5 different birds still on the roost at &:00 am.  As soon as the hens started talking and belive me they were talkin, we moved out to another area and did the same routine to have 5 more answer a short series of fast yelps and clucks.  I made ZERO calls after that and we just sat still as I had the camera with me and wanted to get a few pics if the opportunity arose.  About 5 nimutes into our sit, the furthest west bird that answered could be seen comming at a half trot/half strut through the timber, cutting along the bottom edge of the bench we were on, looking for the "hen".  He got withing 65 yards of us from over 350 yards out with ONE short call series!  Exactly why I DID NOT make another call after I got those answers.  He messed around for a couple of minutes poking his head up and then going back into half-strutt occasionally until the other dominant bird chimed in from off to our east about 150 yards out along the same bench we were on.  As soon as the first bird heard that second gobbler he lost all interest in looking for that "hen" and made a bee line for the other gobbler, half strutting the whole way.  I think some guys on here and other sites give these birds just a little bit too much credit in the "intelligence department" than they should.  They have a brain the size of a PEANUT!  They are a wary bird yes, but you are simply not going to "condition" a bird or spook a bird permanently by calling to them this early in the season!  They aren't a deer, that will give that stand a look every time they go past it because the doofus that was in it 2 weeks ago stunk of cigarrette smoke and coffee and couldn't sit still to save his life.  They will come to within TOUCHING distance of you in a blind that was popped up that morning, where litterally ANY other animal will freak out over it.  They ARE NOT SMART...at least not the way people think they are.  They have a genetically ingrained wariness and incredible eyesight atuned to movement that keeps them alive in a harsh and deadly world.  Nothing more.  Sometimes I do wonder though if maybe they are smarter than some of the folks that chase after them in the spring.  Ever wonder where the term "Bird Brain" comes from???

[sugarray]

Our season isn't for over a month.  I see absolutley zero problems with a little calling early in the year to get a bead on where the groups of birds are.  I was out with a friend scouting yesterday morning, right at daylight.  Nothing to a crow (as usual around these parts), nothing to an owl call.  A couple clucks, purrs and a flydown cacle and BOOM 5 different answers from 5 different birds still on the roost at &:00 am.  As soon as the hens started talking and belive me they were talkin, we moved out to another area and did the same routine to have 5 more answer a short series of fast yelps and clucks.  I made ZERO calls after that and we just sat still as I had the camera with me and wanted to get a few pics if the opportunity arose.  About 5 nimutes into our sit, the furthest west bird that answered could be seen comming at a half trot/half strut through the timber, cutting along the bottom edge of the bench we were on, looking for the "hen".  He got withing 65 yards of us from over 350 yards out with ONE short call series!  Exactly why I DID NOT make another call after I got those answers.  He messed around for a couple of minutes poking his head up and then going back into half-strutt occasionally until the other dominant bird chimed in from off to our east about 150 yards out along the same bench we were on.  As soon as the first bird heard that second gobbler he lost all interest in looking for that "hen" and made a bee line for the other gobbler, half strutting the whole way.  I think some guys on here and other sites give these birds just a little bit too much credit in the "intelligence department" than they should.  They have a brain the size of a PEANUT!  They are a wary bird yes, but you are simply not going to "condition" a bird or spook a bird permanently by calling to them this early in the season!  They aren't a deer, that will give that stand a look every time they go past it because the doofus that was in it 2 weeks ago stunk of cigarrette smoke and coffee and couldn't sit still to save his life.  They will come to within TOUCHING distance of you in a blind that was popped up that morning, where litterally ANY other animal will freak out over it.  They ARE NOT SMART...at least not the way people think they are.  They have a genetically ingrained wariness and incredible eyesight atuned to movement that keeps them alive in a harsh and deadly world.  Nothing more.  Sometimes I do wonder though if maybe they are smarter than some of the folks that chase after them in the spring.  Ever wonder where the term "Bird Brain" comes from???

Dag-gone, I couldn't agree more!!

[jblackburn]

Our season isn't for over a month.  I see absolutley zero problems with a little calling early in the year to get a bead on where the groups of birds are.  I was out with a friend scouting yesterday morning, right at daylight.  Nothing to a crow (as usual around these parts), nothing to an owl call.  A couple clucks, purrs and a flydown cacle and BOOM 5 different answers from 5 different birds still on the roost at &:00 am.  As soon as the hens started talking and belive me they were talkin, we moved out to another area and did the same routine to have 5 more answer a short series of fast yelps and clucks.  I made ZERO calls after that and we just sat still as I had the camera with me and wanted to get a few pics if the opportunity arose.  About 5 nimutes into our sit, the furthest west bird that answered could be seen comming at a half trot/half strut through the timber, cutting along the bottom edge of the bench we were on, looking for the "hen".  He got withing 65 yards of us from over 350 yards out with ONE short call series!  Exactly why I DID NOT make another call after I got those answers.  He messed around for a couple of minutes poking his head up and then going back into half-strutt occasionally until the other dominant bird chimed in from off to our east about 150 yards out along the same bench we were on.  As soon as the first bird heard that second gobbler he lost all interest in looking for that "hen" and made a bee line for the other gobbler, half strutting the whole way.  I think some guys on here and other sites give these birds just a little bit too much credit in the "intelligence department" than they should.  They have a brain the size of a PEANUT!  They are a wary bird yes, but you are simply not going to "condition" a bird or spook a bird permanently by calling to them this early in the season!  They aren't a deer, that will give that stand a look every time they go past it because the doofus that was in it 2 weeks ago stunk of cigarrette smoke and coffee and couldn't sit still to save his life.  They will come to within TOUCHING distance of you in a blind that was popped up that morning, where litterally ANY other animal will freak out over it.  They ARE NOT SMART...at least not the way people think they are.  They have a genetically ingrained wariness and incredible eyesight atuned to movement that keeps them alive in a harsh and deadly world.  Nothing more.  Sometimes I do wonder though if maybe they are smarter than some of the folks that chase after them in the spring.  Ever wonder where the term "Bird Brain" comes from???

I agree they are not smart, but they can be conditioned to be wary of extra loud mouth hen calling. Just like any animal can be conditioned to do (or not do) something. I.e. pavlov's dog experiment

[mightyjoeyoung]

That isn't conditioning to one volume of call over another though.  I hunt some ares that you litterally almost have to out call the hens at flydown or you won't see a bird they call so much and so loud.  Other areas I hunt...the one I was at yesterday...the hens are loud and racious on the roost and then you almost need hearing enhancers to hear them on the ground.  It is ALL dictated by how the hens respond and call to the gobblers in how I call from one given location to another.  I hunted one area a couple springs ago where as soon as the hens hit the ground, they were RUNNING as fast as they could to get to the gobblers.  The only way I could get a shot was to roost them the night before and get in between the hens and gobblers while it was pitch black dark out and then call my @$$ off as soon as I heard the first hen sound off in the roost.  I might not call the same way in one spot that I might in another.  Also, no matter what call you have in your mouth or your hands, you NEED to be practicing with it.  You should be able to get quiet on that bat wing cut raspy call just like you should on that double reed.  It all comes with practice, which I see too many new "hunters" relying on the cut of the call to give them the sound they think they need.  I see so many different calls on the market designed for rasp, or volume or kee kees or what have you.  I can get almost as raspy on my split double reed quaker boy screamin green diaphram as a lot of "hunters" can on that new double jagged cut 4 reed and vice versa when it comes to getting quiet.  It all comes down to air pressure, presentation and mouth/tounge control.  The bird that came in to within 65 yards or so was also a 4 year old bird btw!  He had a ROPE the diameter of my wrist that was dragging the ground and hooks you could see with your naked eye at that range.  Was I woried about boogering him?  Sure, but only if I let him know exactly where I was at when he got within 100 yards or so, which I did not and would not do prior to the season.  Birds (hens) can move around long distances very quickly and feed along and lose interest in one thing to another pretty quickly too.  To me, that gobbler comming in looking for that "hen" just didn't get there fast enough and the hen had fed/moved on...  Guys try to out think these birds when in my mind, they need to dumb it down a little and put themselves in the mindset of a gobbler.  They aren't a bright bird.  they'll do some seriously stupid stuff like gobbling their fool heads off right after you just DESTROYED their buddy with a healthy load of Hevi Shot and stand around kicking and spurring his twitching body until the hunter gets up and scares them off.  I have even seen where dominant birds will decoy to nothing more than the head of a decoy on a stick!  Yup, that's one brilliant bird right there!     Read the terrain, how the birds react to each other, your calls and above all FOOD.  While the gobblers might not eat much durring the breeding season, the hens sure as heck do.  No matter what, find the hens and you'll find the gobblers.  That altruism seems to go for virtually every game species we hunt doesn't it?  Find the girls and you'll get a shot at their boyfriends.  That didn't sound right but you know what I mean.