Locator Calls

[mrklean]

How many of you guys use locator calls like an owl or crow call?

[Cheetah]

Owl is my go-to locator call in the dark and early morning hours. Crow has never really worked for me in MN, sometimes works in SD though.

[zzammon]

I have a crow call but never use it. Seems like nature provides plenty of locator calls.

[mws4dux]

I've used crow and coyote calls.

[Powerstroke]

Owl and coyote for the "darkness" locators and then I use a crow call during the day when I'm walking around. I find it works well to use the crow call often and then add in some hen yelps in between when I'm moving during the day trying to find birds on the move.

[Archerysniper]

I just wait for the cranes to start them in the morning. My only real successful locator has been the owl ever in the dark I have never really had great results with the crow.

[benbosh]

Owl or coyote in dark/low light, crow or goose call during the day.

[Borch]

I've had a lot of success with the crow call tuned as high as I can get it to go.

Both the owl and coyote have worked well at times as well.

[mrklean]

i was going to pick up an owl call just in case the real owls aren't helping me out in the mornings

[Cheetah]

Benbosh, interesting idea on the goose call, I hadn't considered it before but it makes sense that they might gobble to it. Do you have any tips on how to get the best results? Does it seem to work better for you in areas with fewer or more geese naturally flying overhead? Thanks.

[DonBo]

Best call I've ever used to get a response/shock gobble is a loud cackle from a diaphram call. Of course you need to be ready for a quick set-up in case you get a gobble from a close by, fired-up tom.

[Lund79]

I haven't had muck luck with crow calls. Owl call works late evening and early morning. When the geese fly overhead...I listen intently but have not heard a response.

Don't forget the peacock call. There is a farm on the neighboring property that has a pet peacock. Always listening intently when it sounds off.

[DonBo]

Train whistles and thunder work awesome! Have yet to see a call that mimicks them though. I bet an air horn would work great!

[Borch]

I also have not heard any responses to goose calls and I hnt near water frequently so maybe they're used to it. Like I mentioned earlier I've had good response to my crow calls but I take them apart and retune them so they are a higher pitch. Just a hint for those who have them and found them to not be very effective.

[goblueM]

Train whistles and thunder work awesome! Have yet to see a call that mimicks them though. I bet an air horn would work great!

when I roost birds I frequently use the car horn if I show up and they aren't visible but I suspect they're in the area. Works great

And my favorite all-time hunt was when we had 3 gobblers coming in to the call and a thunderstorm cropped up... they were gobbling in response to the calls and also every time it thundered, all the while less than 75 yards away.

[benbosh]

I've gotten a few responses from it and heard responses from live geese coming in to land but it is not my "go-to" locater call. I hunt on a property that they have about a 2 acre horseshoe shaped pond that wraps around from their backyard and back probaby 250 yards from the house towards the river bottom/woods and there is usually 8 or 9 pairs of geese nesting around it.

I read about using one for this purpose some where a few years ago, figured it can't hurt anything since turkeys will shock gobble at just about any loud noise. I've had the best luck it seems when its calm and quiet and the sound carries/echoes through the woods better with one or two basic honks. Might try my duck call that is real loud this year and see how it works.

And I agree with Borch, a crow call seems to be most effective for me when it is tuned correctly, as with any call, and is my "go-to" locator.

[Cheetah]

Thanks Benbosh, I am going to try a goose call this year just to see if I can get it to work.

[benbosh]

No problem. I try to go with a less threatening locator call before I use a coyote call unless its real early in the morning or when they've roosted for the night and didn't see where they roosted at.

[KMR85]

Coyote call during dark/low light in the mornings usually works for me. During evening low light it seems I always do better with a soft yelp from any of my turkey calls. I have a crow call, but haven't used it much and just got it last spring. Thanks for the tip on adjusting the pitch Borch. I'll have to try that out this year.