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 Need a recommendation on a Locator Call 
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Jake

Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:19 am
Posts: 24
Post Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Hello VA Turkey -

Great Forum and Community you have here. I used to Hunt in Central Va as a youth for for Dove, Quail and Deer. I turkey hunted some, but not as much as other game.

My son, now 12 is a budding Hunter and this year, we decided to hunt deer and turkey.

We've been out scouting and walking several times since the new year. We've found a lot of signs of birds and have seen gangs of turkey in fields the last 2 times out. (Saw a nice gang yesterday, but did did not see any gobblers strutting yet)

Questions:

1. What is a good locator call to use in Virginia?
2. Typically, how early in the Spring should I expect to hear shock gobbles from one?


Thank you and Best Regards,
SwampFox


Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:33 am
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Boss Gobbler

Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 10:59 pm
Posts: 2851
Location: Roanoke
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Hello Swampfox and welcome to Va Turkey! :mrgreen:

Several of us here are fond of the Haydel’s TC-87 I also use a Gibson custom walnut crow call.

I don’t use calls on turkeys until the season has begun. I’ll go out and listen pre-season and leave my calls at home so I, not tempted to call :mrgreen:

I haven’t been out to listen yet but will start around the first or second week of March.

_________________
"What gets us jangly is the suddenness of everything. We hunt turkeys because we want to hear them gobble, watch them strut and all that, and we hunt them with shotguns because we want to be close to them when those things occur." - Jim Spencer


Mon Feb 26, 2018 1:05 pm
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King of Spring
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Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:12 am
Posts: 2451
Location: Midland, VA
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Hello and welcome. Sorry can't help on locator calls since i use my voice for owl and crow. But am sure you will get some great suggestions here.

Sounds like you and your son are primed for spring turkey. Best to you both on youth weekend and the regular season.


Earl

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God, Family, Country, Corps and then the Wild Turkey.


Mon Feb 26, 2018 3:57 pm
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Jake

Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:19 am
Posts: 24
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Thank you both the response. I will check out the crow call.

For the Owl Call - Is it the Barred Owl that works best in VA?

This time of the year can I expect to hear a shock gobble with a locator call, or is depandant more on the hens starting to bread?

Thanks again,
SwampFox


Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:20 pm
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King of Spring
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Joined: Sun Mar 27, 2005 11:01 am
Posts: 600
Location: Bluemont, VA
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
I don’t really get out to scout and listen till mid-late March. If you get there at sunrise you may hear some roost gobbles. Know the place you are hunting and key in on big trees along creeks (Sycamores are favorites). Don’t get too close to suspected roost areas before sunrise or you may bump birds off roost. You are gonna bump birds eventually, it’s inevitable, but try not to do it intentionally.
Crow call works best after the first hour of daylight & thru the day.
I have a very old P.S. Olt Perfect Crow Call M-9 that works great for me. Had it since I was a teen. I used to use a walnut Faulks crow call w good results & if you blow on the reed sideways you can do a Redtail hawk scream which will get a gobble if you are lucky.
I also like the Harrison Hootin’ Stick for a Barred Owl call. You can get a response the first part of the morning w/ it but crow works best after flydown.
I tried the Pileated Woodpecker call (still carry in my vest) but responses were few and far between.

Whatever you do, DO NOT use hen calls until season starts. You don’t want to call in a bird and not be able to kill them. They are already smart enough. They don’t need you to educate them any more.

Good luck! And welcome to the addiction

_________________
"If turkeys could smell, you'd never kill one" - Bud Trenis my turkey hunting mentor & dear friend


Mon Feb 26, 2018 9:08 pm
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Jake

Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:19 am
Posts: 24
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Thank you and this is great advice. It is still a little early. We've mostly been scouting, looking for signs and getting to know the area, but we have started seeing a few gangs.


Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:06 pm
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King of Spring
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Joined: Fri Dec 03, 2004 1:33 pm
Posts: 3008
Location: Powhatan, VA
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Barred owl is my favorite call when they are still on the roost at daylight. I just use my voice.. I have a Palmers hoot tube but haven't used it in years..

After flydown switch to the Crow call.. but I sometimes blow a crow call at them on the roost too if they don't respond to an owl call.. I use the Haydel crow..

Good luck man.. you still in Central VA?

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RB

Take me Home Country Roads.


Thu Mar 01, 2018 4:36 pm
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Jake

Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:19 am
Posts: 24
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
WVBOY wrote:
Barred owl is my favorite call when they are still on the roost at daylight. I just use my voice.. I have a Palmers hoot tube but haven't used it in years..

After flydown switch to the Crow call.. but I sometimes blow a crow call at them on the roost too if they don't respond to an owl call.. I use the Haydel crow..

Good luck man.. you still in Central VA?


Sounds good and thank you for the info. I did buy a Harrison's Houting Stick. Nice call and easy to use. I've had my work cut out for me getting my mouth call back in shape, so my locator calls need to be easy to use.

I am in Tidewater now and close to Virginia Beach. We hunt both private and public land. I grew up near Blackstone and used to hunt mostly family land, and some on Fort Pickett. Lot's of great places to hunt and great memories.

My 12 yr old son loves to hunt and shoot. Like many fathers, I take him about as much as he can stand without burning him out. In the off season, we target practice, then scout, or visa-versa. We scout almost as much as hunt, and that gives ample time to pass on the skills he needs, and at a time when the pressure is not on.

I appreciate the help with this and Good Luck to everyone as well,

SwampFox


Thu Mar 01, 2018 9:35 pm
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Co-Owner/Dog Feeder

Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:20 am
Posts: 3774
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
go find a Haydels crow in the model Scott suggested. You ve got plenty of crows in the area where you live. Mimic what they do until you can call them to you or get then to respond to it. . Many people buy a crow call and dont practice with it. If you can mimic crow correctly and call crows to you, you can make a turkey gobble back at the same calls that the crow respond to.

My long time motto repeated on here way too many times, especially when I was hunting mountains heavily: " I've killed more with a crow call than a turkey call."

_________________
"even after almost a half-century of hunting of the noblest game bird I am going to confess that I am still in the kindergarten; and I doubt if any human being ever acquires a complete education in this high art."
- Archibald Rutledge


Last edited by Gobblenow on Thu Mar 08, 2018 11:22 am, edited 1 time in total.



Fri Mar 02, 2018 8:38 am
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Jake

Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:19 am
Posts: 24
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Gobblenow wrote:
go find a Haydels crow in the model Scott suggested. You ve got plenty of crows in the area where you live. Mimic what they do until you can call them to you or get then to respond to it. . Many people buy a crow call and dont practice with it. If you can mimic crow correctly and call crows to you, you can make a turkey non[blle back at the same calls that the crow respond to.

My long time motto repeated on here way too many times, especially when I was hunting mountains heavily: " I've killed more with a crow call than a turkey call."


Great advice and we have plenty of crow in our area. We have been calling them in.


Thu Mar 08, 2018 9:22 am
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Jake

Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:19 am
Posts: 24
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Also, redid the camo wrap on my 1100, and added a Carlson turkey choke, which I have testing with different reloads. ...

I will see if I can attach a few photos of it...

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Thx,
SwampFox


Thu Mar 08, 2018 9:25 am
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King of Spring
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Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:27 am
Posts: 1907
Location: Roanoke, VA
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Take Scott and GN's advice, Haydel crow call, learn to blow it. Will get most gobblers to disclose their location and also help you determine the difference between a courtesy gobble and a workable bird.


Wed Mar 28, 2018 12:46 pm
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Longbeard

Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:47 pm
Posts: 283
Location: Halifax County
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
Nice looking gun. 1187 is what I use. A little heavy but that weight certainly helps make the sighting in and patterning less brutal, and probably l little easier to hold steady when shooting at a bird.
Agree with using barred owl before flydown and crow thereafter. Main characteristic for a locator call is you want it to be loud and abrupt so he shock gobbles. I called in and killed one a few years back after he gobbled at a gunshot on an adjacent property. I carried a peacock call last year but never got a single response, although it is pretty raucous sounding.


Wed Mar 28, 2018 1:03 pm
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Jake

Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:19 am
Posts: 24
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
playin' hookey wrote:
Nice looking gun. 1187 is what I use. A little heavy but that weight certainly helps make the sighting in and patterning less brutal, and probably l little easier to hold steady when shooting at a bird.
Agree with using barred owl before flydown and crow thereafter. Main characteristic for a locator call is you want it to be loud and abrupt so he shock gobbles. I called in and killed one a few years back after he gobbled at a gunshot on an adjacent property. I carried a peacock call last year but never got a single response, although it is pretty raucous sounding.


Thanks for the info. I have been practicing with the crow call and are able get a response. Also have had times when the scout crow comes in and lights in a tree near me.

Also, I have been using trail cams and see birds in one location late in the day, so I am headed back in there this weekend at Zero-Dark-Thirty to use the H&R barred owl call.

My son, age 12 and I have scouted a lot on new land for deer and turkey habitat and signs. We've seen a lot of signs of both. It is an investment and will probably take time to pay off. Fun but challenging. Honestly, if we can just locate birds this season and practice calling them in, I will satisfied. If we cannot, it will not be for lack if trying... A good life lesson for him, as in today's world most kids (and many adults for that matter) get instant gratification in most areas of there life. Many give up on their dreams to soon and just stop trying.

I have some trail cam videos and will try and post a few as I get enough to look at.


Thu Mar 29, 2018 6:48 am
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Longbeard

Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:47 pm
Posts: 283
Location: Halifax County
Post Re: Need a recommendation on a Locator Call
You are going about it the right way. Besides adding to the enjoyment, scouting is key because it is much easier to call a turkey to a location where he is already inclined to go.


Thu Mar 29, 2018 2:25 pm
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