I watching a Knight and Hale video last year and Harold made a comment that I thought was odd...to me anyways.....he says on a roosted bird to set up in position, but not to call to the bird until you know he's on the ground....see, I'm just the opposite, When I have a roosted bird, I don't like to use an owl call or anything, just let him Gobble on his own.....BUT, as soon as he gobbles that first time, I start doing some soft tree calling to him.....I want to be the first hen he hears in the morning.....anyone have a comment to say yae or nae?

In our line of work, we must be able to play Dixie and the Battle Hym of the Republic, With Equal Enthusiasm.

I would agree with you. If I'm close to a roosted tom I will not let him hit the ground without first hearing my sweet tree yelp from my slate call. However I do not call to him right away. Most of our toms will gobble for 30-45 minutes on the roost before hitting the ground. I try to time my call in the last 10 minutes before fly down. A few times I have heard another hen on the roost beat me to him and I immediately respond back when that happens.

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Good question, and I'm sure that this one will get many responses as well. Each hunt is different. I'm sure we tried almost everything at this particualr moment in the morning. Like BB mentioned, if you call too early, it's a 50/50 thing. Some birds depending on how &quot;hot&quot; they are will flydown asap and work right in, and some will hang up in the tree till almost 9am!!! WE all love those flash-in-the-pan hunts but, more often than not these days, he will be near hens, and I have found that hens will fly down while it's still pretty dark out and start slowly working into the gobbler. If you know which way they will be headed after flydown, I would in this situation, set up as close as possible but in the direction they will head for. How many of us heard that familiar gobble early in the morning, get set up, let him know we are there, only to have him go off in the opposite direction!! HENS, are getting to be a real pain in the rump, there is simply way to many of them. The last three spring seasons the toms were henned up right to the very last day. They are a factor that we now have to deal with more often than not. I forgot what it's like to set-up and have a hot gobbler run right in!! HENS, did I mention HENS!!! By all means, shoot them if you can each fall season, just to try an make &quot;your&quot; spring hunt less stressful!! LOL!!<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

&quot;Spring Season....the Best&quot;!!!

BByou give out to much info ! <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>kiddin-ya

Maytom this is why I hunt with someone else. I find a friend that is the wirst caller and tell him he sounds real good. Then I say lets set up in different spots and put him on the other side of the roost,tell him he sounds good on the call and when the gobbler flys down call like crazy! I'll be on the other side of the roost and sit quiet and let him do all the callin because he sounds real good! then the bird flys down and comes my way !<img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle> <img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Only foolin here, I will only do a soft Tree Yelp to take the birds Temp. this will tell me what mood the birds in and what to do next. Calling to a roosted bird tends to hang him up in the roost...BT

Edited by - BOSSTOM on 12/20/2002 14:53:45

i dont call or do anything until hes on the ground...them littlebeady eyes can see great..you never know where he is for sure and where his buddies are unless you see them..and if you see them they see you..so i just sneak in sit and wait until i hear them fly down...but i pattern them so i know which way they normally go so im already there waiting when they come....

A series of tree yelps,just to let him know a hen is there is how I like to play it but sometimes circumstances call for a diffrent strategy.

A few soft tree yelps until i hear him on the ground!!!!

I like to take the birds temp with a series of tree yelps and maybe a real soft cluck or two!Really though it does depend on the circumstance!If I have more than one gobbler vocal from the roost or maybe one of those early season flocks I'll hammer them while there still in the roost.If I have a hen that is vocal and not roosted with the gobbler I make sure I'm as vocal as she is also or i'll garuntee she'll outcall ya if you dont.Patience is a real key here and being able to read gobblers mood and interest in your early morning conversation is important in having him pitch down your way!Hens,huntin pressure,whether he's the boss, all play into how I approach my first set of calls to a roosted gobbler! <img src=icon_smile_wink.gif border=0 align=middle>

Monarch isn't a butterfly it's the King of the Spring!

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