Locating calls for turkey

Koda_

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Tell me about using crow calls to locate turkeys?
Im watching a few youtube videos, havent found a good article, yet. Im not an inexperienced turkey hunter just not that sucessful so I thought Id add more tools to my bag of tricks. Ive never used a locator call.

first question I have is when to use the crow call? Time of day or does it matter?


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In my particular the world El Dorado county ca, it really doesn't matter, however if everyone chasing turkeys is using a crow call that might be part of the problem you are having, they have have been over exposed to that technique, a coyote howl a owl hoot they will all work, I even used a duck and goose call successfully, I pretty much get away with a gobble or yelp, being more aggressive being less aggressive both work under different circumstances, where I'm successful this year I may not be next year, and I have figured out why over 35 years after my first turkey hunt, whats you're approach are you trying to call down out of the roost, trying to call them once they hit the ground, sometimes time of day will greatly improve you changes, I spent almost 2 seasons and on what I'm pretty sure was the same tom, he wasn't the heaviest tom I've taken at 17 lbs they usually loose some weight as the season progress's but he was the largest and from the almost Jurassic look to him he was the oldest, our season generally runs last Saturday in march to the first Sunday in May, Hunted him 2 to 3 time a week for most of 2 seasons, I was finally successful when I approached his roost at around 11 AM, some days I spent hours having him strut around just out of range or never getting clear of cover, twice I shot the wrong bird, finally with a near end of season late morning approach he ran into the end of my barrel perhaps with no more than 10 or 15 minutes of calling, that approach works well when a tom has a large flock of hens to keep him busy, remember the hen is supposed to go to him, we are reversing that senairio, if he hits the ground with a handful of hens its very difficult to call him away from that first thing in the morning, so a later approach may help improve the odds.
 
It's a lot easier to locate turkeys in the trees as opposed to after fly down.

I use owl hoots to locate where they have roosted in the evenings and also use it before sunrise if I don't already have one roosted. Usually real owls will sound off as well.

Crow calls work best if you get the real crows fired up.

Gobble calls can work best to get one to gobble that won't make a noise otherwise.

Good luck.
 
I am not much on a particular type of locator call, however like mentioned the better would be the owl call when they are still on the roost. After fly down, almost any sudden noise will make them gobble if they are in the mood.….a dog barking, slamming a truck door, thunder, coyote howl, siren from ambulance and the list goes on. So, I am absolutely no good recommendations in helping you choose one. Good luck and enjoy the hunting.
 
It sounds like an owl call during pre dawn hours is better than a crow call? And the crow call probably works best during the day or afternoon?
 
It sounds like an owl call during pre dawn hours is better than a crow call? And the crow call probably works best during the day or afternoon?
Definitely owl hoots pre dawn and crow calls anytime afterwards. As mentioned earlier if everyone else is blowing a crow call they usually become less effective and I will usually use a hawk or a pelleted woodpecker call. Any loud sudden noise can get them to gobble if they are in the mood. I've actually shot a gobbler and his buddies nearby gobbled at the shot.
 
Here in North Florida I locate most of my birds by owl hooting….I hoot just enough to get a couple real owls to answer me and then I start listening. Only call more if I have to. I start early before Gobblers generally get going on the roost. I use a crow call occasionally but I let the birds tell me what they want.

To the OP… The general purpose of locator calls is not to give away your position…what I mean by that is that if you start calling to a bird by yelping/cutting or whatever type turkey call to locate a bird that will work too, but he may come in quiet and you spook him away because you wasn't ready, he sees ya or whatever. If you don't get an answer from a bird, it doesn't mean he ain't there. So my approach is if I got to I call and sit a while.
As far as locator calls, I like using an owl first at just before daylight, then after sun is up I use a hawk call. I find it more successful during the morning and mid day. Afternoon hunts I generally locate off of hen yelps and soft calling. Here afternoons can be as good or better than mornings. A lot of old birds that are henned up of a morning get lonely in the early afternoon when they go to nest.
But if everyone in your area is blowing a crow call (public land), I'd try a hawk or something different. Pressured birds get educated quick.
 
Years ago when I hunted WMAs here in GA with a shotgun and had a lot of area to cover I would just use my own "Owl /Hoot" at daybreak. Then after locating I would break out a box/slate call with Hen chirps/calls and maybe a Jake gobble. The last dozen Toms I harvested was on our property and other private land. Took them with a bow. I kind of knew of several patterns the Hens would travel with Toms following. Would mostly use chirps/clucks. But that doesn't pertain in locating when I kind of knew where they were at.
Good luck Turkey season is right around the corner here in GA.
 
Years ago when I hunted WMAs here in GA with a shotgun and had a lot of area to cover I would just use my own "Owl /Hoot" at daybreak. Then after locating I would break out a box/slate call with Hen chirps/calls and maybe a Jake gobble. The last dozen Toms I harvested was on our property and other private land. Took them with a bow. I kind of knew of several patterns the Hens would travel with Toms following. Would mostly use chirps/clucks. But that doesn't pertain in locating when I kind of knew where they were at.
Good luck Turkey season is right around the corner here in GA.
I use my own voice as well for the owl hooting….i can't wait, youth weekend is getting closer by the day and my son is ready. I'm fairly minimal with calls…I take a hawk call for locating, and a few diagrams as that's about all I need. I do have a slate for back up in case I lose the diagrams but my 10 year old uses it more than me. I try and get him engaged any way I can.
 
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