When do you guys start using your owl hooters or crow calls in the morning? You're supposed to get there real early so the turkeys don't see you setting up, but if you don't put some birds to bed so you're not exactly sure where they roost, how early do you locate them before the sun comes up?

within 30 min of legal shooting time i will use an owl call. owl are nosturnal anyway

I have mine patterned so I don't use a locater call in the am unless I think another hunter is coming in, then I use an owl callto tell him I am there with out spooking the birds.
I prefer locating them the night before if I need to so I can make a plan for the next mornings hunt.

I usually will use a locator call in the morning, if the turkeys aren't gobbling themselves. Usually it is about 20 minutes before shooting hours that I will use it.

The turkeys will gobble themselves, but if you havent located one the night before or you need to find out exactly where he's at, or if you want him to hurry up and gobble, then by all means owl hoot. Sometimes he'll answer, other times he will wait and gobble when he's ready.

Wait to use crow calls until after daylight.. but they can be used all day.. A close bird might just shock gobble to it..

I will hoot earlier than most people. I will hoot as soon as the sky starting changing colors. My philosophy is that the earlier I can get him to gobble, then the faster I can get to where I need to be. If there's alot of hunting pressure on that peice of land, then I will hoot later or not at all. Wait for them to gobble on their own & try to figure out where they are wanting to be.

Not to hijack a post but what would you do on public land with a lot of pressure?

This is what i do. Here in Pa I have been going out every morning since March 5 about 40min before daylight which the this morning was 5:45 am. I either owl hoot or crow call. The season doesn't start here until April 25 and I will keep going out each morning and listening until the season begins and the only thing different will be that I will have my 870. My point is since march 5 up to now I have gotten a pretty good idea were the birds are roosting. They may move 200 to 400yds at times but they stay in the same area. So even if I don't here one gobble during the season know were to go. I get out early enough to go to more than one spot. Even if you cant go every day you can go on the weekends and listen before your season starts and begin patterning the birds. No one said it would be easy but you just have to be dedicated.

I usually try to let them gobble on thier own. If they dont I will owl hoot sometimes before fly down. I have had better luck with owl hooting during the day over crow calls. We have alot of crows where I hunt so that may be why crow calling dont work much. Try an owl call during the day. You might be suprised.

Let them gobble on their own.

Every time that bird gobbles, it increases the chances that someone else will hear it too and y'all will mess each other up.




As to the originial question: I let them gobble on their own. Seldom if ever will I use a locator early in the morning. When I do, I don't think you can ever really use one too early. As long as their is color in the east you'll be fine. Best thing that can happen is you'll get a whole parliment of owls fired up and they'll carry on their own. You don't want to be too close to a bird when you crank up the owl call either.... be back away from where you think they are at.