Locator Calls

[charlie elk]

what I do know is most locator calling is done without context. If you're out there long enough, you know there is a rhythm to the sounds in the morning. There is a flow. I try to figure out that flow and work with it. The crow that sounds off is already part of that flow. When I sound off, I can be subtly off from the flow and it will probably sound that way to the gobbler.

Exactly right in my humble opinion.
My preference is to use more subtle turkey talk rather than sudden loud locator calls. It is that close tom who is most likely to be pleasantly surprised to hear an out of place hen nearby. He may gobble or he may just yelp and cluck in response; many times a quick setup by the hunter yields a gobbler in short order.

[turkey junky]

i have to say im on the other side of the fence guys i rely on & use my locator calls when needed i dont like to make turkey calls until im set up on & an ready for a turkey to come in or at least in close proximity to a decent set up... i will cut 3-4 times sharply on a call to try & get a gobble out of a tom but that is about it for turkeys sounds unless im like charlie said kinda trolling threw a area i know holds birds trying to get to a set up/better area i like to hunt...

i hunt a lot of out of state public land areas & i have to rely on a gobbler sounding off many times for me to have any idea of wear a bird is if i havent scouted or laid eyes on birds in a particular area B4 hand... a major part of my turkey hunting game & a big reason why i love turkey hunting the is the chess game of hearing a turkey gobble off in the distance forming a plan of attack & trying to lure the gobbler into range... many times the birds wont sound off on there own so i must then try & shock a gobble out of them & then continue the game as mentioned above as many times as needed..

i understand you dont want to interrupt the natural flow of things in mother natures spring time woods by blowing a locator call in a un-realistic fashion but sometimes i have to use a locator call to let me know wear a player in the game is they help me find/locate many more birds at fly up time & many times early in the morning dark at a strange out of state peace of public land i dont want to use turkey calls to locate a bird so i have to rely on the gobbler sounding off on his own witch may happen when its still dark or may not??? a chance i dont like to take!!! or i can try & shock a gobble out of one on the limb using a locator call & then plan my attack from there...

even on a peace of land im used to hunting & know pretty good i will use locator calls quit a bit trying to get a gobbler to sound off as i feel i know the area & if one sounds off i know wear i need to get to be in the game, rather then bumping birds blind calling my way threw the woods... that happens to me more when blind calling my way threw the woods rather then meeting a gobbler at close range & me taking him home with me...??? lol