Do you all use locator calls? I VERY seldom use them. Back 10 years ago i used them more seems these days that don't work as good as they did. One locator call that i have never tried but hear in the woods and seems to work good is the Pileated Woodpecker just might have to order one to use especially up in the midmorning hunts!
Doug
I have great luck with them.. In the morning if I go in blind and can force a gobble a fewminutes early, I am that far ahead getting closer with darkness as my friend.. After flydown if I can get a bird to gobble to a non turkey sound, I can be patient in getting where I need to be to kill him.
I don't use them much in the morning; I like to let the morning unfold naturally, hear what happens first. If its quiet, I try to hoot and crow call as the morning unfolds to help get something going, but the birds are already quiet...so I don't find locator calls to be that useful on those types of days.
Evenings, I find locators to be more effective for birds heading or on roost already.
I have had a ton of luck with the Hooks/Harrison Hoot n stick in the morning. I will not go to the woods without it. I carry a crow call and a pileated woodpecker call as well. I have had some luck with these....but my best results have been with the hooter !!!
I have also seen a decline in the effectiveness of locator calls. I seem to get my best results with owling. I have used a Hadell crow with great results in past years but not so much now. When things get tough I throw it all at them. You never know what will shock them the best. I have carried Hadells pileated woodpecker for a few years but I can't say its worked well. I am going to try to change it up this year and check out a few calls from Hooks that I have read about in other posts. I tried their mouth calls last year and was very pleased.
I like a goose call.
Squealing Hen Rocks!!!!!!
Just kidding fellas. Dont get your feathers ruffled. I prefer to let them gobble on there own when on the limb but if I'm in a new area and not sure where the birds are, I like to hit em with a hooter. Where I live there are so many cotton pickin crows that if you dont catch em real early in the morning with a crow call more than likely they wont shock gobble back at ya.
I find that locator calls just do not do the trick they once did, I usually let the morning unfold. I carry an old Lohman crow call and a HS strut Barred Owl w/ me but anymore I just use my natural voice to imitate both. Took some practice and some wear on my throat but it sounds good now. Plus my wife likes to get me to hoot like a owl or caw like a crow for people when we are out. ;)
I think just about anything will make a turkey shock gobble. I carry an Owl,crow, coyote,woodpecker,hawk, and even a spit and drum call I got years ago, made by Lohman Calls.
called up 2 different owls sunday while scouting with my harrisons hootn stick. I mimicked every sound they made and the turkeys were going crazy.
i had a few birds gobbling to my owl hoots this past saturday. one would gobble every time it hooted on it.
Wjere I live and hunt for the most part, there are very few barred owls. That being said there are a butt load of crows! I have an old Lohman barred owl call that will shock em EVERY SINGLE TIME. It's loud and raspy and doesn't take a tank full of air to run either. I have honestly never once hear a gobbler shock to the call of a crow here...ever. They jsut don't work yet guys buy em by the truck load up here every spring. My buddy got it in his head to try a dog wistle once. Thought he was off his chain until, through the ringing in my own ears, I actually heard a shock gobble. Go figure...
One that works great for me is mocking a dove. Get a gobble everytime in the morning