Told myself I would never...

[turkeydancer]

   Yep they show the guy drawing the bow ... it's called "re-enactment"  ... then they spice it in like it really happened that way.   

[fishunt247]

I really do get it, I promise. I know "private land" doesn't mean there won't be other hunters. I just know for me, I'd gobble. I'm not going to ignore a successful method simply in fear that some idiot would mistake my camo clad 160 pound frame for a 20 pound bearded turkey. Most of the stuff I hunt you can't see 40 yards, and it would be pretty tough for somebody to sneak in that close without me knowing (noise). I don't use decoys for people to shoot at either. But hey, we all can do as we please, right? Just don't cut me down; I'm not 8 years old. Aside from that, point taken.

[turkeydancer]

FH -

Hope you didn't think I was cutting you down - I don't have a problem with using different calls or methods,but believe that everyone should know any and all risks that may be involved, so they can make an informed decision. These birds don't have a set rule book that they play by and that is what makes it so much fun ... there is a need to be versatile and inventive at times.  I don't strictly sit in one place and hen call (note: if I do sit, I throw my voice instead of having it sound like I'm sitting in one spot motionless for 2 hours ... not natural). I use quite a different variety of calls, change up volume and frequency, try to add realism, use jake and tom calls as well hen and immature bird calls, do bird fights, or whatever else will make the turks play my game (versus their hide and seek).     

I always have and use my tube call (to gobble) as needed and find it's also been quite effective ... I do use it sparingly especially early and late day if on public land (usuallly wait until everyone else leaves the woods and goes for breakfast or back to camp). When on public land I would call in at least a dozen "stalkers" a day.  Still seemed to get a fair amount coming off public to the private land in search of the gobblers they were hearing. They would cross a posted fence line and come walking up plowed and planted field edges while stalking my dekes ... then would try telling me they didn't know they were on private property. Better than that were the ones that would come thru the posted gates, leaving them open/down to let the cows out, pull their trucks into the midde of the plowed and planted fields, and sit in their running trucks drinking coffee until it would become daylight and warm enough for them to get out and go hunting (huh???). Then they act like you are the criminal when you would ask them calmly and fairly politely to leave before you had to call the sheriff. 

Definitely encourage anyone to be more versatile ... it will make them better hunters especially with these turkey birds. 

[fishunt247]

Dancer, no it wasn't you, it was the "obviously I don't get it" comment. Like most people, I'm just trying to post things that have worked for me in the past. And I always sit in my truck until at least 6 am drinking Budweisers, by then its warm enough to hunt. 

[turkeydancer]

I think he was just trying to express and stress concern and safety ...  and it may just be me, but I never disagree with anyone stressing safety and concern. Since I'm not always the best at carefully choosing my words or seeing if my comments can be taken other than what I actually intended, I usually try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt ... so I just take everyones comments and use what I want to and ignore the other ... LOL.

Myself, I like to get out and setup before the birds stop "snoring" and stay out until dark, so I usually pack my vest with tons of snacks and drinks. But Bud and Corn Flakes, aka the Breakfast of Champions, does sound mighty yummy.    Then again I still prefer Crown and Whatever, but that's usually one (and only one) just before bed to calm me down enough so I can sleep (not that I'm very excitable when it comes to being out turkey hunting).     

Anyway, I thought yours was a good idea ... 

[EastWaViking]

I heard they were not coming in to calls at all right now.  A turkey guide from up near Colville told my Dad that
they will come in to frog calls!!??  I guess turkeys like to eat frogs... or maybe he was pulling my Dad's leg.

Anybody else hear of this before?

[tlbradford]

Turkeys love frogs, but I have seen them really chow down on crickets and grasshoppers.  No idea if a frog call would work. 

[turkeydancer]

Turkeys are notorious scavengers and will eat almost anything edible to survive ... grains, nuts, berries, insects, small amphibians, small reptiles, or what have you ... but a frog call ... measure dads legs, they may have been pulled on hard.

Of course I take all the responding/ not responding talk with a grain of salt.  Depends on the bird, the caller, the moment, etc ... funny how if you're successful the birds were responding well, and if not successful they were henned up, etc.  I have always found that the birds moods will change daily and we just need to figure out what will make him respond. Most of us call too loud and too often ... call from the wrong place ... move at the wrong time ... or one way or another mess up a perfectly great hunt.  The trick is to be versatile with more than one call, one style of calling, one type of hunting, etc ... add realism (flap hat, scrap leaves, etc) ... be patient and listen to the birds on how to call to him or watch his body language ... he will tell you everything you need to know and do to give him a piggyback ride back to your cooler and truck.

[SpokaneSlayer]

Well I gave it a shot this past weekend.  After fly down and me battling wits with a hen, which I lost, I decided to pick up the gobble shaker.  Gave it a whirl and just behind me no less than 4 gobblers all fire off.  I had my mouth call in so I yelped...hit the gobbler...and the toms went nuts.  After a few minutes of this, I hear some clucking behind me.  So I pick up the bow and get ready.  Out of the side window, I see a bright red, white, and blue head.  Sweet!  I see him move behind a brush pile, then out in front of me.  One thing is wrong, barely a beard.  More like a soul patch than a beard.  Just a small jake.  I cluck at him to make him stop at about 10 yards away.  I think I see spurs, but not positive.  I let him walk.  He ended up doing a complete circle around me.  Fun morning.

[fishunt247]

Sweet deal. I've had it work on jakes too. But I've also had it work on some big ol' longbeards that wouldn't answer or come to anything else.

[turkeydancer]

Sweet ... file that away for future use ... I prefer the tube call, but a shaker ain't bad ... big thank you to FishHunt, he did not steer you wrong ....

[Machias]

No one ever said it wasn't effective, but is a gobbler really worth your sight or your hearing???     You guys do what you want, don't be bitchin and moanin when your laying there bleeding from your own silliness.

[SpokaneSlayer]

OK, just so we are clear.  I'm sitting in a ground blind, not full camo against a tree.  I really don't think someone is going to mistake a 5 foot tall glorified tent for a turkey.

[Machias]

I want to be clear as well, I'm not saying DON'T use the gobbler call.  It can be an effective call, I have used it in the past as well.  What I'm saying is what the young man from CWU posted is just asking to get shot.  Constantly moving and gobbling, gobbling multiple times, escpecially in thick cover like he was describing is just asking to get shot.     Particularly in this state since alot of folks think it's just fine to sneak in and jump shoot a bird.  Imagine a guy sneaking in, your gobbling, he peeks out of cover and you THINK he should see the blind, but what he's fixated on is the live bird, a gobbler, standing outside of your blind.  He should see it, but will he    Would he be in the wrong, sure, but your the one picking shot out of your body.

[SpokaneSlayer]

Ok, I'm trackin'.  And the only reason I even considered using one is that I am virtually the only person that hunts this area.  I haven't seen or heard anyone for at least a month.