geterdun

hey,

just got back from greenridge state forest in Western MD. I woke up early before dawn and blew some owl calls and then some crows after light. but, i am wandering....

1. do onlytoms respond to locater calls?
2. when a turkey does repond, is it always, and only, in the form of a straight "gobble". i did hear some gobbling for sure...but i also heard what sounded like drumming. im not sure if this was a turkey, but i couldnt think of what else it could be. i heard alot of it too. it sounded just like a drum, ora damn woodpecker bangin on a tree...if turkeys only respond by the everyknown "Gobbleeeee", then it wasnt a turkey....but is there any other sound they could make to respond to my locater? i was frustrating myself to death trying to determine if it was one or not....not having alot of experience in the turkey woods - i thought i should get the heads up
3. ok....i have marked about 3 spots on my map where i was sure it was a gobbler. i marked the point on the road that iheard it and i also marked which direction it came from...now what do i do? this cant be the end of my scouting....i mean i heard what direction they came from, but i probably wasnt even that close to them...im just having a hard time pinpointing where they go....and if they were in one are today, does that mean they will be in the general area next week, and the following (opening day). any help is appreciated, it makes me mad that i take the time and go a few hours up and back, and when i get there i cant even tell if its a darn turkey...lol....but thats life....thanks for any help...

geterdun

im going back next weekend so i am hoping to understand these questions b4 i return.

bradisthebest

I can answer your 2 question the sound of drumming you heard was propaply a Grouse/Partridge

TurkeyStalker

Alright let me see if I can help you out. Now this might not apply to the birds you hunt, but it should. If you know the general direction the gobble came from then the best thing to do is walk through the woods towards it. OK, now understand that when you use a crow,owl,pilliated woodpecker or a coyote howler the birds that respond are shock gobbling. It is almost like you are startling them. I have heard them shock gobble at my truck doors, a boat horn, my truck horn and a donkey sounding off in the morning. Honestly the best thing to do is walk while scouting and look for tall pine trees.The pines protect them from the rain and snow and wind while they roost. I am not saying they will always roost in a pine tree because I have seen them roost in many differenttypes of trees.But I think the tree of choice is a pine with big branches to support their weight. While your walking in the woods it should be easy to find sections that are all scratched up from the birds scratching for food. Also look for droppings. Turkeys are like deer and a mojority of the time will take the path of least resistence. You should also look for dusting bowls, where they throw dirt on themselves to hinder bugs. If you have fields near by where your property is then check the fields often, especially when it is raining. Turkeys do not like the rain dripping on them from the trees, I know it doesn't make sense that they will take direct rainfall in a field but they do like rain dripping on them from a tree. I think it hinders thier ability to hear in the woods and their vision is limited in the woods when it rains,in case a predator comes along the movement from the rain dripping through brush might have something to do with it.In a field they can use the best attribute by visually seeing an intruder far away. As far as the drumming issue , it could of been a woodpecker, do a search on the net for a sound file of a turkey drumming and train yourself to this vocalization, so you will know whether to walk to this sound or to ignore it. I think you are doing the right thing by being out in the woods scouting, just don't get discouraged about what you might not know. Because being in the woods is the best teacher you can have.If you do find a pine thicket look for feathers and droppings, If you find a good pine thicket there should be feathers all around if there are turkeys in that woodlot. Good luck, don't be afraid to ask anything , there are alot of imformative people on here, Hey we all started not knowing much. Great idea using maps also they are a great help.

old longbeards

good questions, geterdun...cant be certain about your first question tho...i've watched hens feeding in the field right along with toms and jakes but i've yet to see a hen 'shock cluck' or 'shock yelp' when those male turkeys would gobble at a pialated woodpecker or crow.
The second one could have very well been what bradisthebest said, a grouse, did it start out slow and pick up it's tempo at the end? they'll beat their wings on a downed log to attract a hen.
That third question is pretty easy too, since you have a good idea of their general locations go there and scout...find scratchings, feathers, droppings and most of all...listen. If your lucky enough to scout the locations correctly you'll know their roosting areas, when you are pretty sure of the roosting areas you can set up on these birds with much more confidence. Half the battle of calling in a turkey is calling to a turkey that will travel to your calls. Being too far away and hoping to call that specific tom to you is almost impossible, especially with the numbers of hens nowadays. If you have enough time for it find out what direction they go after flydown, the scratching may help in your best guessing of their travel. Turkeys scratch to find bugs, nuts, and small plant bulbs that comprises their diet. When they scratch the ground they generally 'toss' the leaves they dig away..you can tell what direction they travel by the tufts of leaves, look at the clumps of leaves, those get piled up on the downwind side or their travel route. I hope i've explained the scratching that you can understand. Its tough to explain without being able to show you.

ultimag

that was all very good advice

geterdun

yea fellas that was great advise, and it will defintely be used this coming weekend. Ill let you know how it went, thanks alot again

geterdun