Locator call in fall !!!

[Cut N Run]

A few years ago while deer hunting in November I heard one gobble more than 15 times.  A few minutes later a decent-sized Gobbler came up the draw, but he was looking back nervously as he passed.  A minute after he passed another bigger Gobbler was on his trail looking like he was spoiling for a fight.  They both went out into the cut-over & I didn't see them again.

I sat in that area during our Fall season, but never saw or heard a gobbler.  We had a bad ice storm a day later which made hunting the last couple of days of the season pointless. 

I hunted that same area in the Spring and killed the bigger Gobbler (23.5 lbs., 11.75 inch beard, 1.25 inch spurs).  It was near a favored roosting site for that bird.

I've always heard to keep Fall calling to a minimum unless you have a flock that has been busted up. I have had no success Fall hunting (partly because I don't work as hard & don't have much confidence in it), but I prefer to hunt the Spring when Gobblers respond better to calling.

Jim

[turkeydoghunter]

i have great sucess in the fall at first light by tree yelping....lets face it there in the  trees...it works great try it before you commit on your direction of travel esp in steep country......[:D]

[hoosierhunter]

I agree that a little tree yelping is a good idea in the fall when tryin to locate a group of birds, but I also believe a tree yelp must be very quietly done and not very often either. I might start with 1 low raspy yelp and in a minute or two call with 2 or 3 quit yelps, and then nothing for maybe 5 min. just listening intently. I might run this scenario 2 or 3 times in 30 min. then its boot leather time. I locate most of my birds by being quite, moving stealthly while keeping my eyes moving ahead, glassing if the weather is permissable very often. Later on in the morning I'll yelp a couple of times or some form of KeeKee but not much. Woodsmanship vs calling= woodsmanship wins!
 
GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS, AND STAY SAFE!
L.K.LESLIE
HOOSIER HUNTER CUSTOM CALLS
MOSSY OAK PROSTAFF
 

[turkeydoghunter]

whats a good woodsman larry someone being able to find something you left behind[:D].....first of all why do you make calls if your not going to use them....thats why we hunt.....maybe in time with more experience and kills you will learn that[:@]

[hoosierhunter]

Well, Well, Well, if it isn't Mr. Ron Maguano,bringing his insulting philosophy to the T&TH forum. Thank you for your kind words Ron. They are appreciated now, as much as they were in Tn. I will not engage you on woodsmanship skills, because I don't believe in engaging an unarmed person. 
    As far as why I make turkey calls, well Ronny, its because I enjoy doing so, and in doing so, from time to time, I have wonderful oppurtunities to meet many NICE people, who appreciate the quality of my work, share their hunting experiences with me and their tales of hunting success. Its also been a wonderful oppurtunity, to be called upon to do dozens and dozens of seminars on both calling, calls, and strategies of turkey hunting. I've been blessed to have the oppurtunity to, donate many hunts to youths in the NWTF jakes program for both turkey and whitetail species. I also enjoy serving as a prostaffer for Mossy Oak, specifically turkey prostaffer, and all their wonderful licensees. IF you ask any veteran hunter or guide, they will tell you, woodsmanship kills more prey than calling ever will. If you don't beleive this, just ask them, I'm sure their reading this.
    Now for your little quip on my experience as a hunter or my lack of filled tags. WHATEVER!  A wise man once said," Only a fool will lay a snare for the birds, while they sit on the limbs above watching." I trust that those with wisdom, know my meaning.
    Ron, you walk a fine line, as does the copperhead during the dog days of August, striking at whatever moves without thought to the consequences of its actions. Ron, I'll be prayin for you.
 
GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS, AND STAY SAFE!
L.K.LESLIE
HOOSIER HUNTER CUSTOM CALLS
MOSSY OAK PROSTAFF   

[silvestris]

I don't know either of you two gentlemen or what your beef with one another is, but it has been my position for the past thirty-five years that calling trumps woodsmanship by a very wide margin.  Woodsmanship is merely your approach to a workable calling position.  After that, calling is everything.  If you can't walk quietly and unseen to your calling position, then please do everyone a favor and stay out of the woods.  If you can't reasonably mimic the proper sounds of the wild turkey in a proper context, then please leave your callers in your pocket.  Not to offend anyone, but in my experience, those who tout woodsmanship over calling, lack confidence in their calling.  I have never deer hunted them and I refuse to start now.

[mark hay]

mornin' gents
i ain't going to uphold or defend or argue with any on the subject of woodmanship. but please allow me to print my view on woodsmanship.
wdmnship to me is be MOST familiar with a piece of land whether it is open land or timbered ridges.it is learned by spending time there , studying the ridge tops , saddles , hollers , and every other feature of the place.
wdmnship is quietly moving from one spot to another without disturbing all the residents in the immediate area. woodsmanship is standing on one ridge top , hearing turkeys on the next ridge over and knowing pretty much if not exactly where they are as to what landmark they are in or near.
learning all the sounds of the woods. learning the most common route that other hunters use to enter the woods. knowing where you are by the sound of a dog barking in a barnlot a mile away.
as for calling ,,,i think i can hold my own when it comes to turkeys. i make plenty of mistakes and try to learn from them.
to be able to make every turkey sound known to man would be nice.
 to know the woods where i am hunting seems to hold a little more weight.
i've been in unfamiliar woods ,,,with plenty of calls and leave empty handed. i've been in familiar woods with one call and one sound and one turkey in my hand when i left.
we have to know HOW to call and WHAT  to say to kill turkeys and when we have a knowledge of the woods it always makes the task a lot easier and the taste is sweeter in the end.

[hoosierhunter]

I appreciate your replys, and at one time I may have reasoned as the two of you do, and please understand I don't think either of you are wrong in your opinions of woosmanship vs calling, but I do think there is room for improvement in the thought true woodsmanship.
    I believe that calling, no matter what the species being pursued is, is part of woodsmanship. I don't believe that woodsmanship is part of calling. After all I've never seen a national calling champion demonstrating woodsmanship skills, during a call sequence on stage. The calls that we carry while we are in the field, are tools that we utilize in the pursuit of our quarry. A tool like a turkey vest, or specific turkey ammo, or turkey gun, or decoy, or blind, or headnet, camo paint, camoflauge clothing, etc, etc,. Some tools are more important than others, but a good outdoorsman or woodsman, understands his tools, how to use them and when to use them. In my experiences, I believe that woodsmanship skills help me to know when to call,and when not to. Of course understanding your surroundings is part of woodsmanship, but whom of us as never gotten turned around in the woods, even though it might be in our own geographic hunting area. Some may just wander ainlessly in one direction until they cross a road or other point they are familiar with. There is no skill there, just luck and blessings. I understand many folks call themselves guides, and woodsmen, but can they without a compass or map, with just the knowledge of weather patterns, and geography save themselves and others when things go bad. Can you stop the bleeding, can you start the breathing, treat the shock?
   My point is this; there are many facets to being an outdoorsman, or woodsman and many tools needed to do so, whether they are tangible or just knowledge. Game calls are tools and only part of the arsenal that may be required to attain your description of success in the field. As with any tool, your success will be dependant, for the most part, by the confidence you have in your abilities with that tool. I was not always a confident public speaker, nor a confident caller. When it came to calling contests, I've always learned more than I've ever taught.
    Allthough I make a living making custom turkey calls for hunters and collectors, there is no doubt in my mind that I can pursue the wild turkey, without a call that has been paid for, with reasonable expectations of success. As for myself, my forum brothers, the words kill and success are not synominous, but I do enjoy being a turkey killer.
 
GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS, AND STAY SAFE!
L.K.LESLIE
HOOSIER HUNTER CUSTOM CALLS
MOSSY OAK PROSTAFF

[Gobblerman]

Now, now, fellas.  I believe I speak for most everybody when I say let's keep things friendly here. 
 
As for the woodsmanship vs calling issue, my theory is this.....A good woodsman will kill more turkeys than a poor woodsman, ....and a good woodsman that is a good caller will kill more turkeys that a good woodsman that is an average caller, ....and (to steal this from someone else on here), a poor woodsman/caller on the right birds will kill more turkeys than a good woodsman/caller on the wrong birds.
 
Jim

[hoosierhunter]

Sorry I got off the subject there fellas, hope you'll forgive the ole hooosh. 
 
GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS, AND STAY SAFE!
L.K.LESLIE
HOOSIER HUNTER CUSTOM CALLS
MOSSY OAK PROSTAFF