HuntingNet.com Forums - What's the best owl locator call?

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Quote:

Originally Posted by Bernie P. (Post 3911722)

All I know is I have two owl calls-one wood barrel type one plastic reed one crow and a screaming peacock.I've used all of them more times than I can recall and the only times a turkey gobbled back at one was when it was still dark and I was within 35 yds.Regardless of the call I start with be it loacator or turkey I learned early on (meaning blew it) to already be seated against a good size tree ready for anything.Whether those few times they gobbled to the locator's was due to perceived threat or a "shock gobble" I cant say.

If your getting 35yds, or like you mentioned earlier "look for turkey silhouettes" maybe you trying to get to close to begin with! Not trying to bash or anything, just saying IMO maybe if you back off a little and don't get close enough to bump rooster birds, all your calls will work better. I know it happens a lot, but for the most part if your looking at him in a tree, he's been lookin at you and he ain't gonna answer ***t!

I agree but as I said there have been plenty of times distant birds (100 or more yards away) that never gobbled at the locators but did so when I switched to the hen calls.

I would say with a little practice. Your natural voice works just fine. The last manufactured call I used was a knight&hale barred owl? I think?

H.S. strut owl hooter works almost all the time, when it doesn't I use a coyote call. Gobblers react to many sounds not out of fear just being surprised.

I think that HS is the same one I have.It has the plastic reed so it's good for producing laughs.My wood barrel is the Primos job.More limited but it sounds good.

I personaly have never had any luck with locator calls. I haven't used them the past couple of seasons but when you never hear anything when using them it makes no sense for me to carry them any more.

I have more luck in the morning with soft yelps and as it get more light outside I add a little volume to it and have had alot of success getting them to gobble this way and I have many times after tring to get a shock gabble with an owl or crow call and hearing nothing then hit the slate with solf yelps and get birds to gobble within 100yrds of me.

I think it all depends on the area you hunt and what the birds are use to.

I like to use my hands. What ever you decide to use. Keep it to one note, instead of the four to five note. A turkey might gobble at the first note, and if your still hooting you wont here him gobble.

I carry a crow call and hoot with my mouth. I don't use either much as I hunt a lot of public land. I would rather them not gobble too much on the roost and attract other hunters. I usually like to let them gobble on their own on the roost and then try a locator after what would be normal gobbling times.