Use Locator Calls Effectively

Hunters spend most of their time locating game and getting in position for that shot that looks so easy after a lot of hard work! Roosting turkeys and knowing their travel patterns gives you a good start toward that final step - the shot.

We've all heard the stories of toms so hot they come on the run to your hen call. That probably happens occasionally, but it's much easier to call birds into range along their travel path. Undisturbed turkeys will often travel the same general route between feeding and roosting areas. If another hunter spooks the birds, all bets are off.

You can start scouting roosting birds up to 1-1/2 hours to two hours before dark. Pick a locator call that will seem natural to them. Don't use a crow call after dark, for instance. Coyote and owl hoot calls often work well. Once you've located the turkeys, move in a little closer and call again after 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

Beware of coyote howling close to the birds, especially if you're roosting them in the dark before the hunt. They will tend to fly down away from the predator. You can use a gobbler call as you move in closer, but cautiously, lest you become the hunted.

Turkeys have excellent hearing and vision, but they're not rocket scientists. Plan to be set-up 30 minutes before daylight to give the birds time to forget anything they heard or saw of your approach. Depending on available cover, no closer than 100 yards is a good general rule of thumb.

The best tactic is to be the first hen on the ground. Start with leisurely, well-spaced tree yelps. The hen is just waking up and stretching. Imagine how you feel after a long night in the sack. You're probably not talking real fast yet. You can add realism to the fly down by slapping a ball cap against your leg as you do the fly down cackle. Call even if you wouldn't win any contests. Turkeys can be less forgiving than judges.

Don't be afraid the birds will figure out the decoys aren't real. Dominant toms will repeatedly throw a decoy in the air and pounce on it. The toms grab each other's neck feathers and test one another just like young bucks.

There are days that no call is worth a response in the turkey's eye view of the world. Maybe the birds are waiting to hear a familiar sounding hen, especially if it's late in the season. Sometimes, a call that sounds completely different may be effective. The more turkey noises you can make, the better your odds. Combination calls that sound like more than one hen lend a the more the merrier atmosphere to the enticement. Try calling with a mouth diaphragm and box call at the same time.

Roosting and locating birds may be the most important calling you do to bag that tom. Pay your dues scouting in the days before the hunt and you'll end up looking like a pro.