Pre Season Calling

[shootumindaface]

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?

[TRKYHTR]

Why in the world would you want to do that. Just take a camera or video or just a pair of bins so you can scout a little. The more you know about your birds the better chance of tricking them when it's time. I have a buddy that always calls to the turkeys he is going to hunt and I yell at him every time, he just can't help himself. He still kills turkeys. Go figure.

TRKYHTR

[ThicketThrasher]

Nope. Just don't let them see you.

[northms]

I don't do it.  Don't need to smarten 'em up any more than they already are.

[Devastator]

it's tough enough to call these pressured, henned up birds in during the
season without calling to them before it opens here in pa.i went out to
listen for birds 5 years ago over to my uncles farm,came up the hill and
there was a truck half way up it with 2 guys dressed in full camo and rubber
boots on.turns out it was a neighbor and his son,i stopped to ask them
why they were dressed in full camo just to listen for birds and the father said
we are going to go out and call some birds in.needless to say i can not type
the words on this forum to what i said to them both.and i stood right there till
they left.thanks shootum for getting the blood pressure going just thinking
about that!

[knightrider]

dont wanta make em 'CALLSHY'

[dodger]

Big nono... But I like people who do...

[VaTuRkStOmPeR]

If you haven't bumped them, then no.

However, by calling to a bird, you could encounter a situation during preseason where that bird begins to work the call and you don't manage to escape without bumping him.


I guess my question is, why would someone do that knowing that they were taking the chance of compromising future opportunities just by solliciting the bird with the call in the first place?

I've come to believe that calls should only go to the woods when there's killing to be done.

[Cove]

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?

Trouble maker! 

[Crappiepro]

I seen a kid standing on the front porch of a house across the road of the property I hunt, calling birds while waiting on the school bus. I never seen any birds in that area again the rest of the season. So I dont think it helps your changes, at least it didnt help me in that area with youngin callin to the birds.

[vaturkey]

IMO   That is a BIG NO NO. You are educating those birds. Just watch and pattern those birds . Dont call to them until you are ready to drop the hammer on them. 

[TrackeySauresRex]

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

[redarrow]

It probably isn't a good idea. I would however use an owl or crow call.Why I dont like it is. I was hunting the 1st hunt on a power line ,all set up,birds (hens)were yelping all over the place. Gotta be a gobbler in the bunch.Im getting excited.Then I see movement. A grown man with his little boy in tow beating on a box call ,looking for me.He did not have a gun.Probably scouting for the second hunt. He points in my direction as if to say " I think that bird is over there. " I hollered "hunter here" He waved and was gone. SO WAS I !

[Crutch]

Anytime I am out on the farm, I try to enter and exit without been seen or heard, however learning from your mistakes and successes is how you learn.  I would venture to say the guy that did do that might learn something a "play it safe" person like me wouldn't.

[derek]

I'll bite.

If you sound like a turkey, what would be the difference between you calling and getting out of dodge versus a live  hen that calls and gets out of dodge?  Do real hens make gobblers "call shy"?