Locator Calls for St Lawrence Valley Turkeys

[wildcat junkie]

I'm going to try a new tack hunting turkeys on my property this year. In years past I just set up in my meadow & called blind.

This year I want to try roosting a Tom, then relocating it in the pre-dawn to set up a calling location. I'm hoping to intice a bird to fly down near my set-up location.

In Southern Indiana, a Barred Owl sequence was very effective to get a gobble at dusk & again in the dark pre-dawn. Will it be effective here? I haven't heard any Barred Owl calls in my area.

What are effective shock gobble calls at dusk & pre-dawn this far North?

Edited March 31, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[reeltime]

barred owl calls will work in the right situations, as will crow calls ( after daylight not like the guy wailing on a crow call an hour before light last year) peacock calls, woodpecker calls, coyote calls will all work in certain situations.

 

I rarely ever use a locator call, I feel birds get wise to hearing a locator call and then after they gobble all of a sudden there is a turkey calling there.

 

when I put one to bed I get into the area in the morning well before light and let it unfold naturally, what I have found in each passing year is that with hunting pressure and predator pressure birds don't seem to gobble much especially when dealing with older mature birds.

 

[MACHINIST]

This year I am going to try roosting them with a coyote howler as well as the old standby's the owl hooter and the crow call.I have also hear of using a hawk screamer and a peacock call.I never had luck with the peacock though

[G-Man]

I've used a owl hooter (can type is my favorite,),and silent dog whistle, and elk bugle to get them to gobble night before,

silent dog whistle to get them in am or owl call.

during the day crow call,peacock,elk bugle,horn off my 82 Honda scooter,hawk, dog whistle and cutting on a large boat paddle,

don't use any when you thin your close to rooted bird I stop using when about 100 yards away in early spring and maybe 75 when fully leafed out.

[wildcat junkie]

I've used a owl hooter (can type is my favorite,),and silent dog whistle, and elk bugle to get them to gobble night before,

silent dog whistle to get them in am or owl call.

during the day crow call,peacock,elk bugle,horn off my 82 Honda scooter,hawk, dog whistle and cutting on a large boat paddle,

don't use any when you thin your close to rooted bird I stop using when about 100 yards away in early spring and maybe 75 when fully leafed out.

Yeah, I have a can type owl hooter. That's my favorite. I only use a crow call during the day. A coyote call sounds interesting for evening, but I would think it would send the birds the other way when they fly down in the AM.

[grampy]

I still have good luck with the "who cooks for you....who cooks for you..aaalllllll" barred owl call. We have a good population of barred owls here. And sometimes,they will do the calling for me,to locate a roosted bird. Have also used the crow and peacock call with success from time to time. But my best locator call is to use a single reed mouth call,and make a high pitched "Keeee.....Keeee.....Keeee" with each Keeee getting higher in pitch. It's kind of like the key key run call but more drawn out,higher pitched and louder. It's something a bit different than what everyone else uses. So kinda keep it to yourself. 

[jjb4900]

I don't think turkey are aware of what other animals or birds live in the area, especially if they're answering peacock calls.........I've always had the best results with an owl hooter. 

[wildcat junkie]

I still have good luck with the "who cooks for you....who cooks for you..aaalllllll" barred owl call. We have a good population of barred owls here. And sometimes,they will do the calling for me,to locate a roosted bird.

Yeah I've called in singles & even pairs of Barred Owls in the past. I inadvertently had them help control my neighbors "free range" chickens at my home once.

I don't think turkey are aware of what other animals or birds live in the area, especially if they're answering peacock calls.........I've always had the best results with an owl hooter.

The owl hootter was my standby in Indiana, I just haven't employed it here & was wondering if it would work as well as it did for me there.

Sounds like a plan. Maybe I'll even dabble W/a coyote howler.

Edited April 1, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[ATbuckhunter]

Id have to say that you should use an owl hooter like the others said. 

[Pygmy]

The barred owl call works well wherever barred owls are common.  However, I've hunted areas where barred owls were absent or scarce, and they don't work as well there...Crows are everywhere...My go to locator call is a LOUD, open reed crow call... Having said that, I don't use locators too often, pfrefeering as reeltime said to let nature take it's course... The times I DO use them is to try to get a gobbler to reveal his location if I decide to move on him, or as a last resort to entice a gobble before I move to another location.

[mattman77]

Barred owls are prolific in st Lawrence county. I call more in than I get gobbles, but they work.