What to say and how much to call to a roosted Tom

[Turkeyman]

OK you have a big tom roosted you know right where he is at how do you start off on your calling? Do you keep calling to him every time he gobbles? Do you let him wake up and start gobbling on his own? How close do you get before you set up?

[Diehard0123]

Right before sun up start with a flydown cackle and some putts.  A good thing to do also is mimic the fly down by slapping your ball cap on your leg to imitate the hens wings flapping as it flys down to the ground.  then just make some clucks and yelps with your call.  Usually a good 5-7 sounds and then wait a while 10-15 minutes before doing it again.  If the Tom takes to the calls switch to light purrs followed by a cluck (purrrrrrrrr, purrrrrrrrrrrr purrrrrrrrrr, cluck)

[Wacenturion]

A couple very...and I mean very soft (as soft as I can make them) tree yelps.  If he responds or better yet cuts me off, I shut up, wait for fly down and resist making another call, all the while awaiting his arrival in front of my barrel. 
Of course that may vary depending on circumstances......but being in those same situations many times before will be the best roadmap for what to do on any given bird and how it reacts in the roost, upon fly down and what he does on the ground.

[turkey slayer]

when i have a bird roosted, i like to get within 80 to a 100 yards. this is were scouting pay off noing were the bird are roosting. no where the hens a roosted also, they don't always roost together. I like doing the first call in the morning wich is a soft yelp if he cuts me off, then i will lay off and just call to him every 5 or so minutes. i'v shoot 10 to 12 bird within 10 minutes of flydown, this works for me

[Machias]

First off, if I've done my pre-season scouting I already know where he lands when he flys down most mornings.  I try and roost him the night before, right at dusk I will slap my hat on my leg to simulate flight and then I'll give him a couple of soft yelps so he thinks about the pretty little hen roosted over there.  Next morning I try and set up near his fly down spot, usually 150ish yards away.  I let things settle down once I'm in position, then I give him very soft yelps.  If he answers me great!  If not I'll wait a few minutes and then give him a slightly louder call.  Then I shut up.  Shortly after that I will slap my hat on my leg to simulate the flydown and another set of soft yelps and then that is pretty much all I do until he hits the ground, hopefully he lands a short distance away and walks in double and triple gobbling.


One thing I see guys saying they putt, the Putt is an alarm call, I'm sure you guys are not putting in that since, but you might be confusing some of the newbie turkey hunters.  The Putt is a bad call to make.

[tlbradford]

First off, if I've done my pre-season scouting I already know where he lands when he flys down most mornings.  I try and roost him the night before, right at dusk I will slap my hat on my leg to simulate flight and then I'll give him a couple of soft yelps so he thinks about the pretty little hen roosted over there.  Next morning I try and set up near his fly down spot, usually 150ish yards away.  I let things settle down once I'm in position, then I give him very soft yelps.  If he answers me great!  If not I'll wait a few minutes and then give him a slightly louder call.  Then I shut up.  Shortly after that I will slap my hat on my leg to simulate the flydown and another set of soft yelps and then that is pretty much all I do until he hits the ground, hopefully he lands a short distance away and walks in double and triple gobbling.


One thing I see guys saying they putt, the Putt is an alarm call, I'm sure you guys are not putting in that since, but you might be confusing some of the newbie turkey hunters.  The Putt is a bad call to make.

+1.  You should try to locate the flydown area, their feeding area, dusting area if you can find it, and strut area if possible.  Don't bump them off the roost by trying to get too close.  Just like deer hunting, try to be between where they are and where they want to go.  I like to use an old turkey wing to simulate the flydown.

[Turkeyman]

Get set up as close as the terrain allows have your calls and wing out ready to go before you get to your set up spot. Get comfortable have calls and wing close by, let the morning unfold let him gobble on his own a couple times. Then take wing and scratch the side of the tree you are setting by and flap the tree a couple times. Then give him two or three soft clucks and tree yelp. If he gobbles game on he will probably start gobbling like crazy hold back the temptation and do not call to him again till he is on the ground. As soon as he hits the ground flap the turkey wing harder against the tree or your leg and do a fly down cackle. What a minute cluck and yelp a little louder. Should be game over if the real hens dont screw it up. If you can always try to set up between a tom and his hens.

[yelp]

You could take the approach my buddies used to and jump up and yell "Hey I thought you said we were all alone..there are hunters over there I hear them calling"  Pointing at the roosting area...Then after that all you hear is crickets...My buddy didn't realize it was a Jake yelping from the roost.  I told them you are going to learn a very valuable lesson today....

Knowing the terrain..its all about position and woodsmanship.  Location, Location Location.  Knowing where the birds may go after they fly down.  Remember most Toms when courting hens know what tree each one of them is in and where.  It is funny when guys start calling when on the ground when all of the turkeys are still in the trees.  Most of the time the JIG is up.  Those birds will hit the ground and go away from you. 

I have killed birds in the mornings and 80% have been two year old satellite toms. Sometimes it seems the tom gobbling on the roost is subdominate and when he hears a hen in a different tree that he knows she didn't exist last night...some of these toms (I call them FAG's (no offense)) will figure out thats the big guys girl and I don't want any of that... Many times the damn hens make the rules..not the toms..You may sound like a slut (no offense) and those Toms get an ass chewing from their lady..just thinking about it..

I will have to say there is nothing better in this life than waking up with gobbling turkeys...

[Pathfinder101]

Lots of good advice here, I am making a post just so I can keep up with the thread...

[Intruder]

The 3 things that are important and that have been pointed out a lot already by folks:

1. Know your area and how the birds use it / don't get too close
2. Be subtle with your calling
3. Mimic the fly down... can be really effective