Crow or Owl Call

[BKhunter]

I've heard people saying to use a crow or owl call to locate turkeys. I have never used this method and am probable missing out on opportunities by not using them, but I rather have an idea of what I am doing prior to messing up a hunt. If you use these methods, which do you prefer, and when do you use them? Thanks for the advise.

[jjb4900]

I use an owl hooter, an absolute must have in my book...........just to locate in the morning well before shooting light, just keep in mind, that like any other type of call, you can over do it.

[LI OUTDOORSMAN]

Generally owl calls are used in the early morning as a locator call although I prefer to let them gobble on their own and will only use it on unfamiliar lands. The crow call is effective later in the morning and midday..The crow call is also good to locate a bird thats call shy and once you pinpoint his location you can use the terrain to swing out in front and intercept him without ever using a hen call that might spook a savvy tom.

Edited April 9, 2015 by LI OUTDOORSMAN

[HectorBuckBuster]

I have a peacock call, that works pretty good. The owl call used to work awesome years ago, but seems less effective now since alot of people just hoot away on them.

[Lawdwaz]

I try not to be the first crow calling in the morning. After I hear the first caw caw caw from a feathered flyer then I'm tooting on the old wooden Faulk's call.

Gobble gobble........

Edited April 9, 2015 by Lawdwaz

[Pygmy]

Owling is effective IF it is authentic...Contrary to the opinion of some hunters, it works as well at mid morning as it does at dawn. I have often heard barred owls calling later in the morning.

At dawn, I never run a crow call until I am pretty sure that a bird is not going to

gobble on his own. If he gobbles then, fine..If he does not gobble I do NOT assume he is not there..

IMHO the greatest value of a crow call is to get a gobbler to sound off when I am trying to make a move on him.

Locator calls are NOT a part of my everyday gobbler stratedgy. However they are a tool that comes in handy on occasion, and they have added a few gobblers to my bag over the last 40 years or so.

[G-Man]

Try a silent dog whistle, it shocks them to gobble and it's not used to much by others

[dbHunterNY]

both serve different purposes so I use both but I've had way more luck with an owl call.

[WNY Bowhunter]

I have never used an owl hooter...but locate with a crow call from preseason scouting all the way through season. Once you hit the call in the morning and all of the real crows in the neighborhood respond to your calling then you can put the call away and listen for the gobbles.

[wildcat junkie]

I'm going to try the owl call just after dusk to locate birds on the roost.

[nyslowhand]

In theory, an owl call is for locating roosted gobblers either pre-dawn or after sunset. I use the owl call mainly the week before season opens in the pre-dawn hours. As smart as a tom is, he'll generally roost in the same vicinity during the breeding timeframe, if...undisturbed. Hooter is put away after the sun comes up and the crow call comes out. In my experience, they do NOT always respond to a locator call! Have heard toms gobbling at fire or police sirens, car horns, neighborhood dogs barking or any noise that will evoke a shock gobble. Toms will (generally) respond to a gobble, but use with extreme caution and only if you absolutely know you're the only hunter around. Definitely not advised for public land use!!!!!!!!!! They'll also usually respond to a hen yelp, but you had better be ready to instantly s/u if you get a tom responding. These locating calls have worked for my style of hunting, walking around trying to locate a gobbler (run & gun) after any stationary sunrise s/u. Suppose different calling stategies are required if you're s/u in a blind trying to intercept them along known travel/feeding routes. The disclaimer to using locating calls is that if not authentic, natural sounding or overused, you may not get a response to them. Secondly, they are wild animals and have moods, each one is a little different Not unlike a buck chasing a doe, a tom with a hen(s) has one thing on his mind and regardless of what you do (calling) he may not want to disclose his location and lose his chance at "love" with his bird in hand! lol

[Twax10]

I'd say any noice thats somewhat loud but natural. I've seen goose calls work. Also had them gobble to my truck door shutting and pretty sure one time to a coffee fart. I didn't get a chance to pursue that bird.

[Pygmy]

G-Man....  I tried the silent dog whistle years ago but I quit using it because I kept calling in my Mother-in Law...

[Uncle Nicky]

When I was first getting into turkey hunting, I had this idea that I needed to learn, own, and use every call that is out there. Experience and time has taught me that all locator calls work sometimes, but not always. Being in a prime location is your best bet, and if a gobbler is going to sound off, more often than not, the sounds of nature or man-made noise (a fence gate or mindmill creaking, a jet, motorcycle engine, or distant gushot) will do the trick.

If I'm trying to roost birds the night before, I'll either try an owl hoot with my own voice or use a coyote yelper call.

Edited April 10, 2015 by Uncle Nicky

[G-Man]

I agree most.times a bird will sound off naturally, and I've used every kind of located call there is including elk bugle and a horn of an 82 Honda moped, after.years of use I've found roost areas used year after year and rarely use them now as the birds are there whether vocal or not..... experiance and familiarity with ones hunting ground has its benifit, if I were to go into new area a owl hooter,elk bugle and dog whistle would be what I took with me.

[WhitetailAddict11]

Authentic owl call works good, not a huge fan of voice hooting, seems to do more harm than good. Never had much luck with a crow call.