When to start calling

[brimmyfish]

Just wanted to see when everyone thinks it's ok to start calling when a bird is still on the roost in the morning. Do you wait until you know he's on the ground? Or do you call to influence his direction of flying down? Also, figured I'd ask on this same thread. How close do you feel comfortable getting to one on the roost? I understand it may be different if you know where he is way before daylight but what if it's just at first light? We had a couple of birds this morning that were roosted where we've never seen them roost before. We had just enough light to see a little in the fields and I'm afraid he saw us setting up because he gobbled several times but when he pitched down he kept gobbling but worked diagonally away from us.

Thanks in advance!

[MouthCaller]

I killed one last Wednesday and I started calling right after I heard the first hen start calling and I brought one home now other times I've called to them on the roost and on the ground and it didn't make a difference....in my opinion there is never the same answer for every situation.

[stinkpickle]

I feel comfortable letting out some soft tree yelps when...

1.  Turkeys start making noise.
2.  Right before I would fly down if I were a turkey.

...whichever comes first.

[Greg Massey]

 Agree I start soft calling if I hear a bird or not...when it starts breaking light. I like to let nature wake the birds up I don't use a owl call or crow call. I must be doing ok.. I kill my third turkey today at 12 clock in Tenn.

[TRG3]

Like some others have already noted, I open up with a few tree yelps when it's just breaking dawn. Nothing aggressive, just some light calling to let other turkeys, whether heard or not, know that I'm there. When I think it's time to let out a few louder yelps, I do so and eventually give a fly down call when I think the time is right. For all I know, there may be a silent gobbler in the area that I'm unknowingly calling in. Last year, I had three jakes silently come in to this type of situation as well as a couple of hens. There's nothing like some live decoys to boost your spirits and enhance you odds of a gobbler also coming in. Throughout the morning, I continue to yelp about every 15-20 minutes, often answering with my Primos gobble tube. I've had gobblers come in after 11 a.m. For me, turkey hunting is finding a good spot, sparingly sounding like a hen/gobbler, staying vigilant, and most important...staying put.

[Greg Massey]

Well said TRG3...The bird I kill today hear me calling this morning at first light. I stayed put and by 12 clock he made a big circle back to me. Patience is the name of the game.

[jlewis4390]

I start calling when the little birds are chirping...I will just give. A yelp to see where they are at and assess from there

[jblackburn]

Depends on the bird and how hot he is, but in general, I'll give some tree yelps when I hear other turkeys or crows cawing.  I''ll do  a flydown (sometimes with a cackle and sometimes just beating my wing) when I think it's time or if the hens are pitching down.  Hens seem to (usually) be the first ones down.

[zelmo1]

 

Depends on the bird and how hot he is, but in general, I'll give some tree yelps when I hear other turkeys or crows cawing.  I''ll do  a flydown (sometimes with a cackle and sometimes just beating my wing) when I think it's time or if the hens are pitching down.  Hens seem to (usually) be the first ones down.

+1

[Snoodsniper]

Don't talk til they talk.

[howl]

If he's alone, I wait until he's on the ground. Calling to a bird on the roost tells him your exact location way too early in the game to give up that information. He hears you on one end of the limb and then the other, he knows your tree. Knowing your tree makes it more likely he will circle to get a line of sight on you so he doesn't have to walk in to see. This is turkey 101.

Calling to a roosted gobbler usually increases gobbling. Gobbling tells hens the gobbler's exact location and increases likelihood of competition. Only time I call with birds on the roost is if there's competition. If competition is hunters on the other side of a property line I will do all that fancy flydown low odds stuff to try to pull him off the limb. Odds are low but why not at that point. Other competition would be hens  calling. Sometimes I can hush them up. Sometimes I can pick a fight. Sometimes I can call the hen and pull a gobbler with it. All low odds, of course.

[brimmyfish]

Ok thanks guys. I'll keep this stuff in mind when I head out again in the morning.

[gatrkyhntr70]

If he's alone, I wait until he's on the ground. Calling to a bird on the roost tells him your exact location way too early in the game to give up that information. He hears you on one end of the limb and then the other, he knows your tree. Knowing your tree makes it more likely he will circle to get a line of sight on you so he doesn't have to walk in to see. This is turkey 101.

Calling to a roosted gobbler usually increases gobbling. Gobbling tells hens the gobbler's exact location and increases likelihood of competition. Only time I call with birds on the roost is if there's competition. If competition is hunters on the other side of a property line I will do all that fancy flydown low odds stuff to try to pull him off the limb. Odds are low but why not at that point. Other competition would be hens  calling. Sometimes I can hush them up. Sometimes I can pick a fight. Sometimes I can call the hen and pull a gobbler with it. All low odds, of course.

x2.

[g8rvet]

One or two soft tree yelps if I do not know if a bird is there.  Wait until on the ground to call. I don't like my flydown cackle and I have heard it exactly once where I hunt, so I just make wingbeats with my hat-I am skeered to do that if I am too close. Then quiet clucks and purrs and leaf scratching to let him know where I am after I am sure he is on the ground. If he is headed away or has hens, I may get a little more aggressive, cause I have had so many birds get bumped by or shot by other hunters that are gobbling walking away (on the public land).  If on the private, I just sit tight, often he will work his way back to me.  I am trying real hard to employ this more on public and just be danged patient-I know I should, all you turkey killers have convinced me.  Had one shot about 250 yards away doing that this year though, but I just gotta take my chances. I believe that bird would have come back around to me eventually, he just got his loud mouth intercepted from the other side of the swamp.

I may call a little more if I am field hunting.  But I don't usually call at all unless one is roosted close to the field.  If not, then I wait until the hens are, or have had enough time to get to the field then call a little more than I would in the quiet woods. Not a ton, just a little more.  There is a draw that leads in to the field and the only longbeards that have not died on that field after gobbling in that draw were with another gobbler that did die.  They are announcing "here I come" and I call enough to let them know "I am hear waiting Big boy".  There are just no gobblers using that field yet and time is running short here in N FL.   

[strum]

I also try to take in consideration how far he is.. if he is close then ill answer him maybe once while hes on the roost very softly.  and then when hes on the ground same thing very softly. I want him to know I'm there and available and I'm hoping I'm the first thing he hears so his attention is on me. If he is farther of then ill amp up the sound.