Does it only work when the gobblers have just gone to roost, or can you get them to gobble an hour or more after dark?

Thanks!

Basically, toms gobble for 3 reasons:

1) Attract hens

2) Exert dominance

3) "Shock" gobbles...vocal responses to unexpected, loud, foreign, or irritating sounds.

Anyway, to answer your question. I've had gobblers sound off at midnight to car horns, owl hoots, coyote yips, etcetera. I've had gobblers sound off flying up to the roost. I've also been surrounded by multiple toms, and could not get them to shock gobble at all times...and probably a grenade blast wouldn't stimulate them to reveal their location.

Personally, I prefer to owl hoot in the morning, well before light...say ~4am. I prefer to let them feel comfortable when they go to roost. If I do call at night, I find that ~2hrs after sunset, which is about 1 hr after nautical twilight (when the horizon is not visible), tends to work the best. And actually, I find that if I call right after flyup a soft hen cluck usually gets the best result...sunset is a little early for owl activity.

S&R

Thanks!

Each hunter has his own tactics but I disagree with Strut and Rut. It could just be a difference between where we live though. In my area I hear tons of owls just before dark and as the sun is setting.
also many times, the toms in my area will gobble on there own right when they go to roost, or respond well right after fly up time. I actually had a similar question to this answered by Mark Scroggins on The Fever last spring. He repeated basically what strut rut said about somtimes turkeys will gobble at anything or nothing at all. He said he has been out west and they gobbled all night long. I think it just depends on the turkey and the area your in.

Wholelotta,

Yeah, I will agree and add to what you said. The response to any natural sound, whether it be owls, coyotes, hawks, pileated woodpeckers, crows, etcetera---really depends on the what's out there in your area.

If I coyote yip, back in my hometown of NY, I can pretty much be guaranteed of ruining the hunting in that area for about a week---the coyotes are slamming the birds good, and the birds have learned/bred to not to respond to coyotes.

Owls here, in CT, generally are much more vocal in the early am than late pm. So, your observation and statement would be accurate---ie., regional differences.

In conjunction with that, Doug, let me add the best scouting tool:

Nothing but getting out there and listening. No sound, no calls, just a warm set of clothes, a nice hot cup of java, and a keen set of ears. The less you have to call, the better your chances come Spring.

S&R