So who's done the scratch???

[Mainer]

I'm wondering how many of you have resorted to scratching the forest floor when hunting?
I did once, and I'm glad that I did it, because I was able to kill a real nice Tom who had hung up on me.
Kind of a strange one. I was all set up on a nice ridge, in the woods, about 50 yrds away from a clear cut opening, which is maybe 20 -30 yards wide, and goes down a hill to the left, to the right, it ends a few yards further at the wood line.
After about an hour hunting, I finally have a bird coming in, so I get situated and prepared for his arrival. After some careful calling, there are two birds gobbling back, and slowly making their approach, this is getting good.
Suddenly from behind me, and to the left I hear something coming, damn it, they back doored me, can't do anything now, just sit tight. The noise is getting louder, here they come...what the F*&k?
A tabby cat comes jumping in right next to me, and lands on a pile of blow downs a few yards away from me, and lays down, twitching it's tail. All this time, while I'm watching Morris do his thing, the Turkeys had showed up, and were looking in my direction, from the small clear cut, behind a stone wall, great I thought, busted, as one of them started to putt a little, but was still walking around out there.
I think he saw the cat, within a minute or so, they are walking down hill out of site, what to do, mind is racing, damn cat is just laying there, doesn't even know I'm there. I kept calling every so often, and the birds would answer back, but would not come back. Finally the cat jumps up, and leaves through the woods to my left, away from the birds.
I get real aggressive on the call, and start to cackle real fast, and then I started to scratch the leaves around me. I stopped calling, but kept scratching, like a Turkey would when they would feed, and scratch, so I tried to mimic that. Low and behold, I see a red head show up in the clear cut, I stopped scratching, put the red dot on his head, and pulled the trigger, the little 20 gauge did it's job, I had a nice Turkey down.
So, how many of you have tried the scratching technique? Did it work for you?

[longspur]

I've done it. Its a pretty good call to make.

[Byhalia]

Do it all the time.....learned that lesson a long time ago !!     

[mikejd]

Always. Usually when I set up I try to put a stick maybe 3-4' next to me so I can reach down to my side with little moovement and just scratch a little. Its perfect when he just wont break that line you need or if you need him to pick his head up for a shot.

[tomstopper]

I try and make my calling just like that in nature (dont I wish that I could perfect this). Turkeys always kick around leaves so I try to mimick that as well. The more you sound like a turkey, the better you will be IMO.

[tomtamer25]

I do it every time that I set up on a turkey or if Im blind calling.

[TrackeySauresRex]

Scratch..........scratch,scratch............. Scratch.........scratch,scratch. 

[runngun]

Yeah this is a mostly under used tactic. I have a Preston Pittman "Flap and Scratch" it is super realistic and has worked for me several times.

[Spring_Woods]

Non vocal calls are great! I like to use leaf scratching and wing flaps/stretching all the time. It works imo extremely well in higher pressures areas where less communication with the bird is for the better.

Last year I setup on a bird just after he gobbled for the first time on the limb. The only calls I made that day was a couple soft tree like clucks and one to two soft yelps. Then I used my hat to imitate a fly down, but I did it as to make it sound like there was more than one hen hitting the ground. He gobbled harder at that than he did at any of the tree calling. I know it's not leaf scratching but its non vocal calling.

In my experience the leaf scratching is great because it gives the approaching or hesitant birds confidence that the hen is just content where she is and it's safe to approach.

[HARDCORE]

I wouldn't recommend that tactic, doesn't work, especially in Bama.

HC

[ziggy]

heck yeah i use it.  if a bird is interested bug hangs up just out of range, i'll get to scratching.  killed a few birds this way.  of course, i don't mention this tactic to any of turkey hunting buddies 

[Skeeterbait]

It can seal the deal on a close but hung up gobbler in timber.  Stop answering him and just scratch the leaves a bit.  It can get him frustrated that you wont answer his gobbling and bring him into sight.  Just be careful not to let him spot your movement though.  Like any other calling, you need to be familiar with how a hen scratches to memic the right sound.

[jblackburn]

Do it all the time.....learned that lesson a long time ago !!     

Absolutely!  It is more rare for me to NOT scratch in the leaves?  How many turkeys actually stand in one spot and yelp their heads off? 

[870FaceLift]

I do it every time that I set up on a turkey or if Im blind calling.

X2

If I can't see him, I'll throw out some scratching.

[Ded Goblr]

Do it all the time.....learned that lesson a long time ago !!     

X3.