Who all calls to them on the limb in the morning vs waiting to hear them fly down before calling?
To my own detriment and fault, I don't usually get to roost birds the night before so i don't get on them until after fly down most times. I've gotten on a few on the limb but not a lot.
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If I set down on one that ant flew down I'm gonna call to him soft and not a lot of it.
I give them some soft tree talk to let them know a hen is there. Then I shut up until they've flown down. Unless there are real hens calling to the gobbler. Then I try to out call the hens.
I call to every one of them on the limb. Talked the one I got this morning straight off the limb into my lap, I feel if I didn't call on the limb, my success would go way down
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Quote from: RutnNStrutn on April 16, 2025, 02:02:10 PMI give them some soft tree talk to let them know a hen is there. Then I shut up until they've flown down. Unless there are real hens calling to the gobbler. Then I try to out call the hens.
This is exactly what I do. I have more than once turned them on the limb towards me.
Very Soft tree yelps to let him know where I am and when he gobbles, I won't call again until I know he is on the ground.
Same as most have replied, very soft tree yelps to let him know a hen is there waiting for him. Especially so if there are several hens around.
In the open, it's just a " look at me", but in the woods, I will be more vocal until they fly down. Then it's snafu, lol. Z
Years ago I hung several on the roost by over calling.
Today it is Very minimal and Very soft when at all. If I suspect no hens around I make 0 calls
I like to let them know I mean business .. I'm the hen he wants ..
Just a little bit
To me, the issue is not WHETHER you call to them, the issue is WHEN you call, HOW MUCH you call, and WHAT you are saying to them. Calling when you should, how much you should, (and saying what you should be "saying" as a hen turkey on the roost) is not a bad thing...but knowing that "when, what, and how much" stuff can be pretty tricky at times, even for those with lots of experience doing it...much less for the guy that doesn't have much experience.
From what I have seen, too many (newer) hunters think that calling to a gobbler on the roost is a function of when and how much he is gobbling. They start calling when the gobbler starts gobbling (often way earlier than hens start talking), and they think "if the gobble is gobbling back at my calling, I should just keep calling to him".
Sure, there are times when a gobbler is so hot that he will fly down and come to that sort of thing. From my experience having gone through the learning process, calling too early and too much is a sure-fire way to put a gobbler on the alert that something ain't right.
More importantly, if that gobbler has hens with him, even if he is impressed with the calling, those hens most certainly are not going to be. They know full well when their sisters in the trees will start talking to each other...and if they hear a stranger start lighting up way sooner...and way more...than she should, they ain't gonna buy it. Even if the gobbler is more than willing to come take a look, those hens are going to say "uh, uh, junior, we are flying out of here and goin' the other way".
In summary, calling to one on the roost is okay...you just have to know when to do it, how much of it to do, and what to say...both to the gobbler and any hens he might have around him. :icon_thumright:
Quote from: GobbleNut on April 19, 2025, 09:05:47 AMTo me, the issue is not WHETHER you call to them, the issue is WHEN you call, HOW MUCH you call, and WHAT you are saying to them. Calling when you should, how much you should, (and saying what you should be "saying" as a hen turkey on the roost) is not a bad thing...but knowing that "when, what, and how much" stuff can be pretty tricky at times, even for those with lots of experience doing it...much less for the guy that doesn't have much experience.
From what I have seen, too many (newer) hunters think that calling to a gobbler on the roost is a function of when and how much he is gobbling. They start calling when the gobbler starts gobbling (often way earlier than hens start talking), and they think "if the gobble is gobbling back at my calling, I should just keep calling to him".
Sure, there are times when a gobbler is so hot that he will fly down and come to that sort of thing. From my experience having gone through the learning process, calling too early and too much is a sure-fire way to put a gobbler on the alert that something ain't right.
More importantly, if that gobbler has hens with him, even if he is impressed with the calling, those hens most certainly are not going to be. They know full well when their sisters in the trees will start talking to each other...and if they hear a stranger start lighting up way sooner...and way more...than she should, they ain't gonna buy it. Even if the gobbler is more than willing to come take a look, those hens are going to say "uh, uh, junior, we are flying out of here and goin' the other way".
In summary, calling to one on the roost is okay...you just have to know when to do it, how much of it to do, and what to say...both to the gobbler and any hens he might have around him. :icon_thumright:
I agree with that. Just like calling in any other scenario. In my opinion if someone on Matt Van Cise's or Dave Owens' level called at the wrong time or said the wrong thing, that turkey is not coming and you're beat. On the flip side, give a 6 year old a box call and they hit what the gobbler wants to hear, when he wants to hear it, he's coming. Regardless of what the calling sounded like. Both turkeys I've killed this year came to very different calling strategies. The first one I got it was incredibly windy that morning so I called with my trumpet loud and very frequently, he was the only turkey to gobble and he gobbled once, less than two minutes before I shot him.
The second was gobbling on the roost, I slipped in tight and gave maybe 5 or 6 very soft tree yelps with my trumpet, I mean I could barely hear them and he burned them up, when he hit the ground I scratched the leaves and gave a couple more very soft yelps with the trumpet. He was strutting about 130 or so yards away and I gave him a couple clucks with the OG pushpin and he came in on a string. Very soft and sporadic calling killed this one. But both ways were right in the respective moment. You're spot on with this answer!.
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Not very often, and if I do, it is very little.
Tree yelps and fly down.... Nothing more . I've killed far far more letting them hit the ground the first though
Calling to them on the limb is more a function of the hunter just can't stand it than sound tactics.
Quote from: howl on April 20, 2025, 11:50:43 AMCalling to them on the limb is more a function of the hunter just can't stand it than sound tactics.
I have pics of more than one gobbler that would beg to differ including one of 3 that came in this morning straight off the roost.
I'm more than willing to let gobblers know I'm in the neighbor especially when distance, obstacles, and rough terrain that allow them to soar off ridge tops to the valleys below are involved.
There are other instances I'll call them to on the limb as well.
Blanket statements don't work for me with turkeys because they've proven them wrong to me plenty of times.
I call a little bit before I fly down, but I try to assess the situation.
Quote from: Paulmyr on April 20, 2025, 11:00:30 PMQuote from: howl on April 20, 2025, 11:50:43 AMCalling to them on the limb is more a function of the hunter just can't stand it than sound tactics.
I have pics of more than one gobbler that would beg to differ including one of 3 that came in this morning straight off the roost.
I'm more than willing to let gobblers know I'm in the neighbor especially when distance, obstacles, and rough terrain that allow them to soar off ridge tops to the valleys below are involved.
There are other instances I'll call them to on the limb as well.
Blanket statements don't work for me with turkeys because they've proven them wrong to me plenty of times.
I've pulled them off the limb plenty of times before I learned it reduced odds overall. Just cos it'll work sometimes doesn't mean it's ever the best idea. In other words, you're wrong. No need to thank me for figuring it out for you, because you couldn't and setting you straight because you'd never have on your own.
Quote from: howl on April 21, 2025, 09:40:12 AMQuote from: Paulmyr on April 20, 2025, 11:00:30 PMQuote from: howl on April 20, 2025, 11:50:43 AMCalling to them on the limb is more a function of the hunter just can't stand it than sound tactics.
I have pics of more than one gobbler that would beg to differ including one of 3 that came in this morning straight off the roost.
I'm more than willing to let gobblers know I'm in the neighbor especially when distance, obstacles, and rough terrain that allow them to soar off ridge tops to the valleys below are involved.
There are other instances I'll call them to on the limb as well.
Blanket statements don't work for me with turkeys because they've proven them wrong to me plenty of times.
I've pulled them off the limb plenty of times before I learned it reduced odds overall. Just cos it'll work sometimes doesn't mean it's ever the best idea. In other words, you're wrong. No need to thank me for figuring it out for you, because you couldn't and setting you straight because you'd never have on your own.
30 plus years under my belt says "whatever"! You do you!
I never did call to them much on the limb until I started hunting steeper country. Get close to a tom gobbling on the roost, don't call at all, and he pitches to the next ridge that is a half day's hike.
That'll change your opinion a little bit, lol
Totally dictated by circumstances.
Quote from: Happy on April 21, 2025, 11:27:36 AMTotally dictated by circumstances.
Exactly! Your not only good looking but have a fair bit of intelligence as well!!!
Real hens call on the limb. Both while they are still on the limb, and while the gobbler is still on the limb.
I agree with Gobble Nut that a gobbler starts his day well before a hen does. He is probably going to be drumming on the limb before he gobbles too. IME gobblers start their day 20 to 30 minutes before the hens do. They are anxious to start the day (of course) and they can see the daylight coming.