Locator Calls

[Mayfly]

I was reading an article about what you need in the field and everyone said that one thing they always have is a locator call which would be either an owl or a crow. What are these?

Thanks!

[JD]

Well, when I lived in Missouri, my buddy and I had a electronic caller of a wounded coyote that would make this obnoxious screaming call and the crows would come in and circle, this may be what they are refering to.

[Mayfly]

Ok....did a little looking around and forund an answer.....

Turkey Locator Calls
Locators are calls used to force a tom turkey to gobble, thus giving away his location. Mature male turkeys will "shock gobble" at loud noises such as an owl's hoot, a crow's caw a hawk's scream - even thunder or a train's whistle.
 

[JackpineRob]

In my opinion, locator calls are vastly overrated.  I've spent a lot of time chasing after turkeys, heard a lot of owls and crows and coyotes (the real thing) and seldom heard a turkey answer.

They are much more likely to answer another turkey than they are a predator.  Both owls and coyotes are the turkeys' enemies.

My favorite locator is a simple hen yelp.

[thunderpout]

Hey guys... I think Jackpine is pretty much correct....theres always exceptions to the rules, unless you know there are turkeys roosting everywhere in your scouted area,  Ya need to have direction as to where to start your set up in the morning, and thats where locating comes in...the evening before you go out,to really pin gobblers down, ya use a locator call to get em to tellya where they'll be come sun up.  some times owl calls work but I always liked using a loud resonating box call. A few yelps is all ya need, and yelp at different locations to make it seem a tom is moving in on there territory!  If youre going to hunt the Black Hills for Merriams turkies,  the coyote calls work better out there...sometimes it seems ya gotta piss the toms off to get em to answer back when theyre kickin back in a tree.  Locating during the day when covering ground and searchin,  always use a turkey type call of some kind.  The toms will shut up real quick when they hear a predator calling close to em...                                -thunderpout 8)

[thunderpout]

It doesnt hurt to have a bunch of different calls though, just as fish learn that a certain lure means trouble after getting caught on it a few times,  turkeys get wary to calling also, especialy after so many bad callers have been running around the woods all spring.  Change stuff up, dont get sucked in to using the same damn call(or lures!) all the time!  I have heard them go nuts gobbling at thunder many times....someone better come up with a thunder call....             -thunderpout 8)

[Ice_Hole]

quite a few years ago I was turkey hunting and 2 geese flew over honking and it made a tom shock gobble.  After that I started bringing the goose call along.  There are so many crows where I hunt that the goose call seems to work better.

[thunderpout]

Heres another good one and I swear its true.  It was kinda windy so not many turkeys were movin around or gobbling,  but I kept calling...three toms come running at my decoys making no sound, at least not loud enough to hear over the wind on top of this huge bluff.  I drop the biggest tom, and as the shot booms three other toms down the bluff start goin off big time! one hopped up ontop of the bluff trotting to my decoys and I heard all kinds of movement in the woods behind me...Two things learned: just because you dont hear em answering back, dosent mean they aint comming.... and toms will shock gobble at the sound of a 3" max load active turkey shell,  are they called turkey shells cause turkeys will answer to em? ::)  Another time while scouting one eve, my goofball buddy slams the truck door to loudly and a tom went off from that!  Go figure, huh?                      -thunderpout 8)

[Model12]

I agree on the door slamming. I hunted the mts of Arizona for Merriam's and owl hoots weren't generally effective because of the distance the birds were. However, a slamming car door echoed a long way and would almost always work if they were going to gobble. That's not to say it always works and I doubt if it would be effective here in the midwest unless you're in some rolling country. It's just a little tough on the truck!
Another good one to shock gobble is a peacock call. It's a bit obnoxious but that's what it takes, sometimes, to get them to give up their location. The general rule of thumb I follow is to get the response and make your way to where you think he is. Once the red birds to start singing/chirping then I switch to what they are likely to hear such as yelps, crow or owl hoots. Once you have a response, tuck it away and git er done!

[DeadGoose]

Any noise that is louder then the chirping birds should provoke a tom to respond, I have heard of guys clanging garbage can lids together to locate the roost.