How would you call to them?

[noodle one]

I live and hunt mostly in (7s) and some hunting in(40). I have noticed that the turkey population is down in all the areas that I hunt. This has been going on for the last three years that I have noticed the population declining.Many people that I know who hunt turkeys are saying the same thing .It has been over two weeks since I have heard or seem a turkey. Hens and gobblers a like. Three years ago I could sit on my back deck and hear 5 or 6 gobblers all spring, today not a peep.The last gobble I heard was almost three weeks ago and it has been a week and a half since I have heard a hen calling, so I know there are a few birds around, but they are not talking. All of my friends are saying the same thing. How would you hunt these birds? Would you run and gun? Would you sit and call? If you sit, how long before you move? Would you call soft or loud? Would you do very little calling or would you be aggressive and call continuity soft and or loud? I have given some thought about maybe throwing some gobbles in with my calling, but I don't want to do that at this time in the season. Please help me out here.

Thanks, noodle one

[Uncle Nicky]

It sounds like you know the area fairly well. I would try & set up in the areas where they feed, strut, or rest, or in travel corridors, you might get a chance to ambush one. Call softly, if you get a bite then get a little more aggressive.

[growalot]

Have you tried finding where they roost? then go in real early and set up...here they usually will fly down to the nearest water in the morning then walk back up hill...I'll be up at 3:45 and out the door by 4:15am and set up by 4:45...Stay quiet until I hear them tree call or fly down...Then the calls are very soft and short with rather long pauses in between...while I'm listening for scratching or feather fluffing...hens here have not been calling...they do cluck a bit and purr some but not yelping...they have a sort of soft whistle that they've been using....even a spit drum is good if you have others around you yelping and cutting a lot ....try sounds no one else is doing...good luck I'm off to bed

Edited May 5, 2012 by growalot

[Fantail]

noodle one has brought up an interesting point - I to have noticed much less thunder chickens sounding off. Very easy to blame the warm weather, not sure thats it though. Anyhow try a different striker on a slate, switching it up making yourself seem like more then one bird. I like the cherry wood & graphite. I usually take 3 different mouth calls as well, you never know if you might need to mock a hen, piss it off and drag a Tom. I like growalots idea on finding the roost. But if you know where they're feeding some mild comanionship calling might do the trick. To luck.

edit- imo skip the knight&hale mouth calls. I had 3 new ones f-up on me opening week.

Edited May 7, 2012 by Fantail