Pre-season
 

Since I have never been Turkey Hunting before I am wanting to go out several times before the season comes in and use a locator call and see if I can practice calling the birds in. Is this a good idea or not.

RE: Pre-season
 

Bucky10, you'll be disappointed if you think that you can call a bird in by locator calls. Locator calls try to induce a tom turkey to shock goobble which gives an indication of its position. Too much locator calling on public hunting ground can often silence birds as they routinely get harrassed by countless other hunters. Listen for gobblers bellowing on their morning roosts and at fly up time in the evening. Become proficient looking for sign such as droppings, foot prints, scratching and dust bowls. Making hen calls should also be avoided as you can wise up the birds making your hunting season tough.

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RE: Pre-season
 

I didn't mean call the bird in with a locator call I meant locate the birds on roost in the morning and try to call them in with hen calls but if it will wise them up I will just leave it alone. I kinda just wanted to do a locator call in a few locations and find out where the birds are is this alright.

RE: Pre-season
 

Rather then using locater calls, if you can get out there very early in the morning (1/2 hour before sunrise) they will gobble from the roost on their own without any kind of call. Another way to hear them is to be at woods when a thunderstorm approachs, they may gobble at every clap of thunder

RE: Pre-season
 

As the others have said, do not call them at all during preseason. I've stopped doing locator calls during the season because of all the other hunters. Everybody thinks you've got to hoot a few times when entering the woods!!!

Getting out an hour before sunrise and hearing the forest wake up is a great way to pattern the turkeys in your area. They will gobble on their own at first light. You might even be lucky and close enough to hear their tree yelps, fly down cackle, and maybe a boss hen yelp.

Going out an hour before dark is a great time too. You'll be able to hear boss hens yelping to get everybody organized, the wing beats and branches snapping when they fly up, and maybe a tom gobble once he gets situated in his roost.