Question on locating birds

[Takeaim1st]

I enjoy locating turkeys, it is another fun part of the package. I like to use the barred owl vocalizations in areas where they exist. I enjoy the interactions  with the owls about as much as I do hearing a gobbler on the roost. I like using crow calls just to get those black marauders stirred up and if a gobbler responds that is great also. I couldn't  begin to count the pileated woodpeckers that have answered and come in to have a look see at their new neighbor, and I enjoyed that also. I have an old Lohman hawk screamer that has caused old long beard to speak out before He could catch Himself and, a few redtail hawks have flew over to check out new bird in town. All of these encounters are, to me an added blessing. I used these calls to shock gobblers into giving away their location many times during my fist few years of hunting. Now days for various reasons I don't use the tactic so much, I just let nature wake up on Her own. I will occasionally use my voice to get an owl to answer, because I enjoy listening to them and if a gobbler responds then that's an added treat. Having made all these remarks I will say, nothing beats time on the ground making observations of turkey sign and available food, water sources, nesting and roosting areas, likely strutting zones, locations used for dusting. Spending time pre-season at listening posts both in the morning and at roost time will pay huge benefits to your success  and understanding of the Wild Turkey.

[Hooksandspurs]

You could try using hen calls, had a bird a couple years ago on public land, wouldn't say anything till I pulled out a hen call, then he would fire back with loudest gobble in the county.

[Gobble!]

You could try using hen calls, had a bird a couple years ago on public land, wouldn't say anything till I pulled out a hen call, then he would fire back with loudest gobble in the county.

I got a buddy who goes hard with hen calls to roost birds. He has good luck doing it. I'm able to hunt almost every morning but bet I don't get to go out and roost birds more than 3 times a season. I'll normally try a owl and if that doesn't work I call it good.

[g8rvet]

Depends.  If I am scouting preseason and covering more ground, I am a bit more likely to use locators.  An owl in the daytime usually gets nothing.  I was scouting a new spot on a NF and was there at sun up.  I started owl hooting (with my mouth) after waiting for the gobblers to wake up.  Called an owl in literally to the limb over my head.  Got a good video of him calling back.  No turkeys answered.

I have killed several birds thanks to a crow call in the later morning.  I hunt a piece of property that has a bottom run through it.  They never answer a crow call there.  But they dang sure bust off when a red tail hawk cries out in the am. 

If I am in a rush and need to make something happen while hunting, I may owl hoot if it is past gobble time.  I agree with getting the real owls fired up and let them do the work.  I can't call more natural than they do.

[TauntoHawk]

I don't get too fancy try an owl in the morning, crow during the day and coyote howl right at dark in the evening. Just because i don't get a response doesn't mean a birds not there, my best luck is with a crow call works really for me keeping tabs on an intermittent gobbling bird.

I don't use the owl call in the morning unless I don't know there are birds in the area or around and its past the time i anticipated them starting to gobble in the morning.

[Walkerhuntfish]

I like to get the real owls talking with a hoot call. But we have an over abundance of owls in the swamp so it's fairly easy. If that doesn't work I like my wood duck call to set a gobbler off on that squeal. The coyote thing worked well in the Midwest from my limited trip up there. That's my novice experiences so far anyway

[Jmbradt3873]

I hunt on a large piece of public land in north florida, like 250,000+ acres, I rarely hunt the weekends anymore. As far as locator calls I always carry an owl hooter but rarely use it, the real owls usually start on their own, my go to locators are a piliated woodpecker and a Canada goose or wood duck, just because most people don't use them yet. Most turkeys I have killed are roosted within walking distance of the roads, if they hear a call anywhere near a road they will clam up and you won't hear them again. I sometimes coyote howl if I bust one off the roost if I bump one in the dark, I don't know if it helps, but I figure it might make them look for a coyote instead of a hunter. Or maybe I am just crazy, but the amount of pressure this place gets is unreal, 10 or 15 years ago they would gobble to calls/locator calls til around 930-1000, now gobbling cuts off around 745-8. Which makes spotting them going to roost much more important, if I heard gobbling in an area but couldn't close the deal, I will fish in the afternoon til fly up time, then will get out the 20 - 60 power spotting scope and try and find them from a long way off with it, it is amazing how well you can see a large blob moving from limb to limb in a pine tree. Sorry for the long post, hope it helps someone.

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[Ctrize]

Last year we went to a new area that we were told had turkeys. We went in the evening before to roost birds. I threw every locator call I had em em and got no response. As luck would have it, 2 geese came in to this big pond and started honking excitedly when they we're about to touch down. That right there got a gobble from a bird! I do have a good call on hand now to help locate. My question is have you guys known that there are birds in an area but they won't give up their location? Try to owl hoot em in the AM but what if that doesn't work either. Going to a new spot this season too that's pretty far away and don't want to waste my time if there are no birds but I also know they can be tight lipped to

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk There are no guarantees locating. I think louder is better but others like to use a realistic sound like crow or owl. I use a diaphragm and squeal as loud as possible if that don't work I use a short cuts. So I have a high pitch call and a lower end sound. Here are somec tips to locate. Position yourself so the call carries, hills across fields and down waterways. Call in multiple directions.You will be surprised how many toms won't respond unless you hit them in the face. I believe the area your in affects a gobblers response to a locator
,my areas where there is high traffic or slot of every day noise such as kids playing or dogs barking are low success areas.Quiet areas get more responses for me.

[Crghss]

Almost every morning I turkey hunt I hear owls hoot. I've never heard a turkey respond. But I rarely hear turkeys on the roost either.