Pre Season Calling

[perrysbirds]

Not in a million years would I go out before the season and call to the birds!
They get smart real fast!

[Jay]

Before the opener you go out to your honey hole and call to the birds.. They answer and maybe even start to come in.. You get the heck out of dodge with them having no chance of seeing you.. You might do this once, twice or a couple more times..

Have you hurt your chances on opening day?

I don't have too many honey holes.

[Shotgun]

Where as I usually call one or 2 up before season every year just because I can't help it.  I be dang if I'm doing where I hunt 

[Spurs]

I don't like that idea.  I don't have enough birds to take a chain on getting busted.  That is why I got scouting in full camo just in case.

[Basser69]

I would do it on your land but not mine that I am going to hunt

[FLAhotdog]

Not on private land...but on public land, you better believe that 50 yahoos have already been in the woods and called and shocked birds to no end

[chatterbox]

I remember my FIL and myself were setup in a blind observing a field we hunt. No calls, just binocs. We had a hen walk right in front of the blind, yelping her head off, and walk off. About 20 min later, a big gobbler came out right to the middle of the field and strutted and gobbled for 15 min, looking for that hen. He finally lost interest, and walked off.
So, had that been us, he wouldn't have been any wiser, but I still think all you need is a chair, some camo and some binocs. The turkeys will gobble anyway. Why screw up your chances?

[harvester]

I have done it before and had birds respond but I have heard them gobble first. Didn't have no effect on them. If you only call once or twice, I don't think it has any affect on the what so ever but don't set there and try and work the bird like you do when your actually hunting them. I don't even take a locator anymore. I just go and listen a couple weekends before the season opens up and I am out of there before flydown time.

[loner]

i never take a call to the woods until i am ready to hunt.why let a gobbler hear a hen and come to it when you can't kill it?they are wary enough to specific calls,why risk a hang up or putting caution in the area?

[hunts4ever]

I ABSOLUTELY DO NOT BELIEVE IN PRE SEASON CALLING. ANY WAY THAT YOU MIGHT TIP THEM OFF IS NEVER GOOD. IM A BIG FAN OF PRE SEASON SCOUTING AND I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF US MYSELF INCLUDE, GET LAZY ABOUT OUR SCOUTING BECAUSE WE CAN JUST RUN TO A GOBBLING BIRD AND CALL IT IN WITH SOME REGULARITY. SCOUT MORE AND CALL LESS. GOOD LUCK!

[cahaba]

I dont do it cause it doesn't help me any. Since there is no such thing as call shy what effect does it have on them ifin they dont bust you? If they think its a hen that is calling and walkin away he might run over you when the season comes in ,of course all things in moderation.

[INDY]

No way am I going to educate the birds i'm hunting. Why take the chance. You maynot be the only one doing it, or you might bump one coming to you who knows. Not worth it.

[3chunter]

Turkey hunter's 1st Commandment, Thou shall not call turkey's before the season. 

Unless you are on a hunting club where others cant hunt well and you are really selfish and know the land better than anyone else!

[shootumindaface]

Some of the best turkey killers in the country run a call before season

[GobbleNut]

Some of the best turkey killers in the country run a call before season

Seriously, I think the point to be made here is for those average guys that aren't the "best turkey killers".  If the newbies or less experienced here think they can go out before the season and call in birds in the areas they hunt, we are doing them an injustice by not telling them the truth,.... that they are, in all likelyhood, hurting their chances of calling in those birds later during the season.

The "best turkey killers" are often those guys that have dedicated themselves to becoming the best callers they can be, and spend lots of time finding birds to hunt, and hunting lots of days in a lot of different places.  They are the exception, not the rule. 

We, as a group, need to try to help those people that come on here by giving them good advice.  To tell them, or let them think, that it is okay to go out and call their birds before the season is doing them a disservice.