wakie wakie

[daniel ripley]

hey guys get up out of your winter beds and start talking , Daniel

[charlie elk]

[grizzly]

What do you want to talk about Daniel . Have you been out doing any scouting . how are you doing on your calling . have you decided on what kind of calls you're using this spring . have you been out and pattern your gun .I'm willing to talk on any subject and try to help you bag that first tom in any i can.....wayne

[daniel ripley]

havent souted yet. i think i'm doing ok with my calling. have yet to pattern my gun also. any tips on scouting would be helpful it's my first year trying to do this. also if i do scout any it will most likely be very little. so how can i scout well enough for the season with little time in the woods? thanks, Daniel

[daniel ripley]

also if you use mouth calls what brand is your favorite. thanks, Daniel

[grizzly]

on scouting daniel with limited time i would walk though the woods looking for signs of scratching see if you can locate where the turkeys are traveling for food and water where their gathering maybe see if you can locate their roost once you got an idea where they are then you need to pick a good setup spot make sure you have good shooting lanes so when he comes in you will have a clear shot ... as for mouth calls i was born with a defect that doesn't allow me to use a mouth call but by all means if you can use one learn to. being that you don't have to move your hands when they are comeing in but you can still can give them a call if needed . any of the major brands would work well it just a matter of finding what works best for you. hope that helps you out....wayne

[daniel ripley]

also what oth er calls do you use? whatare they (like brand and model)?thanks, Daniel

[retranger]

Dan for what it's worth, I can't use a mouth call. I have tried several over a couple years and just can't make them work. When I started a fellow told me to have a box call and a friction call and learn to do a cluck and a yelp and that was all you needed. He was right!!!!! I do have different friction calls, a box call and my wing bone call I make from my harvested turkeys. 95% of the time I use my Quaker Boy "Grand Ole Master" box call once I get him coming I set up and use the premio "freak" frictionite. Works for me

[JeffCrez]

Daniel, Some good input there from Grizz and Retranger. If you have limited scouting time, by far the most effective strategy is to get in the woods early (before daylight) and get to a high spot where you can hear gobbling from a distance. This time of year the Toms gobble on the roost nearly every morning depending on weather conditions. A still, windless morning will let you pinpoint where the roost spots are. Keep in mind that some mornings they may not gobble. (why? Who Knows?) A couple of these early morning scouts are all you need to home in on a good set-up spot. You can even be home in time for breakfast. Once you have located a potential spot for opening morning, it's best to keep away until season opens. To many scouting trips in and out of an area can spook birds. Retranger, my favorite call is also the Grand O'l Master. It sounds incredibly real and it will really carry out there even on a windy day. I've also found that one or two series of yelps right after they fly down is all it takes. Once they hear it, they will usually come to investigate even several hrs later. It is a big box call (large and in-charge as they say) Daniel, good luck with your scouting it can be as much fun as the actual hunt. JeffCrez.

[cat396]

Daniel, You will get alot of good advise on this forum. The thing to remember about diaphram calls is the more reeds there are the more air it takes to run. If you are just starting out it is best to start with a single or double reed call. I have used many calls over the years and my favorite mouth call is the MAD High Ball. Terry