I was at the hunting lease checking on the deer killed and ran into an old man who hunts there too. We got to talking deer and turkey and he mentioned that he likes to drive around in the spring and just call to the birds to hear them gobble. He apparently just steps out of his truck and his a box call.

He's well into his 70's and I didn't have the heart to tell him that's not a good idea. It hasn't seemed to hurt the turkey hunting there as far as I can tell but how harmful can this be?

The lease is 5500 acres and me and my friend are the only ones to ever kill turkeys there (poachers excluded if there were any). Two seasons open to turkey hunting, three gobblers.
Is there any harm being done by this old man?

that much land and only one lil old feller doing the calling, i dont see anyharm n it...especially if he isnt spooking the birds that come in....

It may not help your hunting any , but what about asking him to go along for a hunt ? He may get a better charge out of that...BT

Adrian I may just do that. He seemed like a likeable old man and he has a wealth of hunting experience. He's taken more turkeys than I have but he used to live in the hill country and hunted Rios there.

I would not like someone calling in the week before the season opens on my lease. If it's once a week I guess it wouldn't hurt.

I'm 62 and still hunt by myself, but I can see around the corner that those days are numbered. Ask the old man to go with you on a hunt. You'll probably get a bigger charge out of it than he will.

Im Only 15, But I (myself) would take him hunting with you he would probally like that and maybe teach you some things hot spots what not,
I have a buddy that 54 Hunting with me alot and he got me into the sport and i love turkey mor then anything almost (hell if a woman said it me or Hunting Id say Bye) thats how much i enjoy this sport but I enjoy having the fellow with me and teaching me stuff and he was with me when i got my first turkey, and im always hanging out with him on the farm working, going on hunts what not and enjoy having a mentor like him teaching me new things. But he would probally be very delighted for a kind gentalmen to ask him on hunt/s,he's older and probally never really gets to get out with other people and would love it, I know i would...

WELL FOR ME I HAVE SEEN IT TO MANY TIMES.... IN INDIANA ON STATE LAND ABOUT 1 MONTH BEFORE SEASON OPENS LOOK OUT. THERE WILL BE PEOPLE OUT IN THE WOODS CALLING CALLING AND CALLING. A TURKEY IS A VERY SMART BIRD. THIS CALLING MAKES THE BIRD WELL LETS JUST SAY MORE WISE. I DO NOT CALL BEFORE SEASON. JUST LAST YEAR ON STATE LAND I SHOWED UP LATE AND THERE WAS A GUY SITTING BUY HIS TRUCK, WE TALKED FOR A FEW AND HE SAID, I HAD A TOM FIRED UP. HE FIRST LET LOOSE TO MY LEFT THEN I HEARD HIM AGAIN BEHIND ME AND THEN I HEARD HIM TO MY RIGHT BUT I WAS NEVER ABLE TO SEE HIM. THAT SOUNDS JUST LIKE A GPS TO ME. IT TAKES 3 SATS TO MAKE YOUR POSITION OUT THEN YOU ARE PIN POINTED. IF A TOM HEARS A HEN AND SHOWS UP AND THERE IS NO HEN, AND THEN THE TOM SPOTS YOU , YOU HAVE JUST MADE THIS TOM WISER... BUT IF YOU ARE DOING IT FROM THE ROAD JUST FOR LOCATING ON PRIVATE LAND I SEE NO HARM IN DOING SO. BUT DOING IT IN THE WOODS AND MAKING THE TOMS EVEN SMARTER. WELL LETS JUST SAY I LIKE A GOOD CHALLENGING HUNT ANYWAY SORRY TO BE SO LONG WINDED BUT THAT IS JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION.......TAKE CARE AND SAFE HUNTING TO ALL.

We'll just say way back before the NWTF decided to make everybody in the world a turkey hunter you could locate birds using a call.Now that the woods are filled with hunters and the fact its much easier to get responses and call birds in before season it happens far to much.It doesn't take long once a hunter hits the woods,fires the first shot,and so on for gobblers(who before season were so vocal)to get lock-jaw and shut up or move to another area.Keep your scouting low impact,you can accomplish the same successful scouting trips by just listening,reading sign,using bino's,and just simply being patient.Would you rather have that bird come in front of you before season or during.Quite frankly I prefer during and I can tell you unharrassed birds are far easier to call in than birds that have been chased around,located to death,and called at before season.Definately opt to take the fella huntin and keep him out of your woods than maybe you can explain to him why we need to keep the calls at home before season gets here...Bob

I AGREE 100% BOBGOBBLE2!!!! A TURKEY IN THE FREEZER IS BETTER THAN EATING TURKEY TAG SOUP!!!!!!![8D]

I've had something similar happen to me, only a younger hunter, and he was trying to locate the birds during season before daylight. To my good fortune, if he didn't hear a bird gobble where he stepped out of the truck, he'd move on. Through patience, I found out the birds, on my lease, are pretty much lock jawed until the sun peeks over the tree tops and refuse to answer owl hoots. He's usually sitting in front of his TV by that time. ha ha Just be patient. The birds may get wise, but a change in the normal routine may be enough to fool them for a shot. One more thing. There have been several posts to ask him on a hunt......great idea you probably will enjoy it as much or more than he will.





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