When do you start calling?

[ATbuckhunter]

So when do you start calling when the birds are on the roost? Had birds gobbling on the roost all around me last year, but I didnt make any calls fearing it would be too early for them. 

[turkeyfeathers]

I just quoted Bill on his wandering thread seconds ago, lol  

He mentioned he was calling to a roosted bird anticipating a hen being with him. I wait to hear him flydown or hear his gobbles change from tree to ground. I'll then do my own flydown with my hat and a little soft talk with some scratching

Now I learned and never call to a bird still in the treetops. Maybe I'm wrong but I do it. Looking forward to other responses 

Edited April 29, 2017 by turkeyfeathers

[ATbuckhunter]

12 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

I just quoted Bill on his wandering thread seconds ago, lol  

He mentioned he was calling to a roosted bird anticipating a hen being with him.

Now I learned and never call to a bird still in the treetops. Maybe I'm wrong but I do it. Looking forward to other responses 

Thats funny! I also heard that if you call too much on the roost they wont come down till they see a hen. 

[Doewhacker]

I call very softly to let them know I am there then ramp it up a bit right before fly down. Then do my fly down and a couple soft yelps. 

The idea is to be the first bird he hears so he might come check it out or if he is with hens they might come check it out. With a henned up bird I try to call the hens in with softer calls and feeding calls. 

[mowin]

While it may be the way mother nature is supposed to work, Tom gobbles and hens come to him, I've only once had a bird stay on roost well after daylight gobbling now and then. 

If I'm within sight of him but about 80 to 100 yrs out, and foliage comes into play here, I'll tree call to let him know I'm "over here". If he's hot, I'll do a fly down cackle, and call aggressively if I think other hens have flown down already. I want him to pitch down in my direction if possible.  If I know he's alone, no hens, I'll soft call until he's down. Then determine how hot he is and call accordingly. 

[WNY Bowhunter]

My tactic is to get as close to a roosted bird as possible. I'll hit him will some soft tree calls and wait for him to fly down. Then I'll call start calling again. A majority of my birds are taken prior to 6:00.

There is no secret method that works every time.

Edited April 29, 2017 by WNY Bowhunter

[mowin]

19 minutes ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

My tactic is to get as close to a roosted bird as possible. I'll hit him will some soft tree calls and wait for him to fly down. Then I'll call start calling again. A majority of my birds are taken prior to 6:00.

There is no secret method that works every time.

One of my tricks that I've use many times is to know the limb he's on, and get close.. like 40 yards.   Don't call at all, but the second his feet leave the limb, hammer him with a cutting and excited yelps. They will often hit the ground within range, gobbling like crazy. 

Problem is, it sometimes is before legal shooting.  

I've taken my share of gobblers, and I now like the challenge of calling them from a reasonable distance or from hens. 

[growalot]

When I know they are close I always make sure I have a couple of hen decoys out and do soft feeding clucks and purrs...this after a fly down wing flapping..I use real wings and a cackle...even if he pitches away ...hens will see those feeding decoys and come in to check it out...they usually bring Mr Tom back. I map out the highest points around my blinds to set up a feeding hen so she is visible to all.

[turkeyfeathers]

Even if the birds are roosted on property we can hunt, I simply don't have the cajones to get within 100 yards of him, let alone 40. I swear they can hear me blink and consider myself to be pretty quiet in the woods  Especially  when the woods and trees are as bare as they are now and they can see forever.

Edited April 29, 2017 by turkeyfeathers

[WNY Bowhunter]

23 minutes ago, mowin said:

One of my tricks that I've use many times is to know the limb he's on, and get close.. like 40 yards.   Don't call at all, but the second his feet leave the limb, hammer him with a cutting and excited yelps. They will often hit the ground within range, gobbling like crazy. 

Problem is, it sometimes is before legal shooting.  

I've taken my share of gobblers, and I now like the challenge of calling them from a reasonable distance or from hens. 

Every season, at least a couple of times, I'll get TOO close to them in the roost to call. They hardly ever fly down with in range when this happens.

[turkeyfeathers]

14 minutes ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

Every season, at least a couple of times, I'll get TOO close to them in the roost to call. They hardly ever fly down with in range when this happens.

Ever sit directly under the tree they're roosted in ? What's that sound? Oh, dumb arse , it's turkey droppings  Time to pull the hat brim down to  contain my stupid grin and smirk lol   Never had any success the 2 times I've accidentally done that.

[WNY Bowhunter]

32 minutes ago, turkeyfeathers said:

Ever sit directly under the tree they're roosted in ? What's that sound? Oh, dumb arse , it's turkey droppings  Time to pull the hat brim down to  contain my stupid grin and smirk lol   Never had any success the 2 times I've accidentally done that.

Been there. I've had them spitting -drumming right above me in the tree too.

[growalot]

Been there done that...Thought I was so dang smart at camp...spent 2hours clearing a trail from the edge of the woods to the perfect tree the day before...just so I wouldn't make any noise going in Just so proud of my self...just as it started to lighten up a bit he gobbled and I nearly wet myself...then he crapped on my head and pitched down the hill never to return...So much for that!

[growalot]

So today is when I started calling...actually yesterday.....today I went out to work on the new plot for the rain messed up my garden plans. I decided to go to the edge of the farmers hay field to see if any birds were out due to the rain...half way down the trail I shot last years doe off of I look up..That trail is now covered in downed limbs and trees. I see two huge fans 20-30 yrds off my line in his field directly in front of me...I backed out slowly and got about 200yrds away and started clucking and calling...I did that all the way through my clover plots to the road. I'm hoping to not only get them thinking about looking for hens but discovering the plots. To that add a few curious hens...for I tend to call in hens a lot using my natural voice...Trying to compete with these new farm fields has me trying new ways to get them re interested in checking us out...I know they will be here once the wild strawberries, currents,gooseberries, may apples,bramble, and plum start producing but without the usual bugs...these green fields have it over me.

[mowin]

1 hour ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

Every season, at least a couple of times, I'll get TOO close to them in the roost to call. They hardly ever fly down with in range when this happens.

The key is to call the split second his feet leave that limb. I probably should add that sitting in the direction he normally flys down in helps. If they didn't land within range, they were there moments later. I've killed several using this technique.  Doesn't work every time.  Nothing does. 

And yes. I've been sitting under tom's I didn't know were there. Easy to do once the foliage is full.  Always wondered what they were thinking looking down at some big lump clucking like a hen.  Lol

[Buckmaster7600]

Back when I called I would call as soon as I heard the first gobble of the morning, start pretty loud then get softer. I always tried to do a fly down with a cackle before he flew down. I was pretty successful with this approach. I have never rooster a turkey, to me it takes the fun out of it.


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[sodfather]

I call to them when they are roost but it's just purrs before fly down cackle

Edited April 29, 2017 by sodfather

[Pygmy]

I like to wait until the bird flys down before I call..If I do call, it's a few soft clucks and tree yelps...If he gobbles, I shut up until he flies down.

Several times I have witnessed people calling aggressively to a bird on the roost...Often the bird will gobble his azz off and then wait  in the tree for the hot hen to show up, sometimes for an hour or more..Meanwhile, he is gobbling in every other hunter within a half mile..

 

 

[G-Man]

A few soft tree calls .then quiet for true first light..a fly down cackle while.flapping a wing or hat.. Folowed by a frw purrs and  clucks..and scratch the leaves..toms fly down and land in your lap... 

[stubby68]

                         I like to get in close if I know where they are roosted. I try to set up down hill from him if possable. Once he starts talking I will tree yelp a little just so he knows where about I am. After a while I will pick it up with some yelps and clucks. Works pretty well not every time but most. Gets them to fly down in my direction. I have had a few land so close I waited for them to walk out a few yards before shooting. Every Tom is different so you never really know what will bring them to you. But this usually works for me.

[G-Man]

I really think that people tend to stay to far from a roosted bird I like to get around 50 yards a few soft.calls and they land in range...I hear 100 yards a lot that's to far and to much can happen inbetween you and the bird.

[growalot]

Quote

I see two huge fans 20-30 yrds off my line in his field directly in front of me...I backed out slowly and got about 200yrds away and started clucking and calling...I did that all the way through my clover plots to the road. I'm hoping to not only get them thinking about looking for hens but discovering the plots.

So this is the cam I can't get the correct date to stay on...but the time is right It took a couple of hours but I see at least one showed up. Now lets see if he likes the area...ponds where he is headed

Gosh darn it...It said it copied the file...should have double checked!  I delete my cards before ejecting them. If it did I don't know where it sent it! Any ways the pic was my blind in the back ground and him walking past the camera about a 6-7 in beard ...

[Uncle Nicky]

As soon as the first tweetie birds start, if I know where a gobbler is sleeping. I'll let out a couple chirps & putts, just to let him know I am there, then maybe an occasional pop or putt, but usually not until they hit the ground. If I am going in cold, I'll just wait and listen until they start gobbling (IF they start gobbling, LOL), and adjust from there.

[growalot]

I want no gobbling here tomorrow...all the camps are full bordering me...         

[growalot]

PS...only one shot from any of the camps...