Turkey Calls

[fourfive8]

Turkey hunting is all about figuring them out. Observing them early on roost before light and late on their way to and after they’ve gone to roost and what they do in between during the day. And by the season, year around. Learning how they think. Then calling them close.… 30 yards or so and shooting head/neck with shotgun. Close is where the low volume slate calls shine with the subtle putts and purrs.

I guess nothing happened without pics. My backyard.

Group of hens, jakes and drumming tom. They’re safe, I don’t hunt the turkeys, deer or elk on my property… but do shoot the coyotes, prairie dogs and rock squirrels.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

Kind of new to turkey hunting. Nothing new or 'custom'. I have diaphragm, box, push button, and slate calls. I primarily use the box and diaphragm calls......use the box call to bring them in and then use the diaphragm so they don't see my hands move.
.....but one of the best calls I have is a small garden rake......the tines are about as wide as my hand. I added a 12" handle to it and use it to rake the leaves where I'm sitting.....makes it sound like turkeys scratching in the leaf litter looking for bugs, acorns, etc. It's actually fairly effective.

 

[503]

Slate call, gloves, face mask thing. 12 gauge 870 with a jebs .675. Still doing some tss testing but it patterns well. Pocket knife, can of monster and some dekes.

I use the foam ones that fold up. They spin and move in the wind. Really makes the gobbler focus on them and not me.

Never leave home without them.

Cheers

503

 

[HankBuck]

Tss, binoculars, thermocell with extra pads and juice. 1 aluminum call my brother made with scratch pads. 1 small knife. 1 small little hand snips. I don’t leave home without my mouth call and if I do I go back home to get it. Been turkey hunting 32 or 33 seasons. Spent more time in the turkey woods then 99% of the people out there. Our season used to be 45 days and I spent 45 days before that scouting hard. But that was back in the day of no trail cams or fancy decoys and when you could kill 5 birds here in SC.
I used to sit in the woods scouting and stay close to birds to try to see their spurs and would hunt the biggest bird I could find opening day. Back when I would literally have 75+ longbeards scouted out preseason but had lots of access back then that has dwindled to not much now.

@3chunter - why do you think the “hunting - or was it ‘access’” Dwindled? Is your area getting built up with development or have you lost permission to hut some farms? Lastly, has the turkey population declined?
My area seems to have fewer turkeys then 5-7 years ago and the States published harvest reports support that theory. However, my Son hunts in NJ and his best spot is only a 15-20 acre patch of woods surrounded by homes and small “farmette’s”. The turkey population is consistently 15-20 birds including 4-6 Gobblers.