When you bow hunt turkeys whats your favorite call. Ive never taken a bird but shot and lost one. Long story. Also would I be wise to hunt way back in the publ I c forest on a ridge/fire trail? Theres some clearings back there and its where I hu n t mushrooms. Havent turkey hunted in years due to no where to hunt but Im just going to try publ I c land this year cause Ive got the fever and its been 20 years since I have tried.

Call not Dall LOL

Crow, I use diaphragm ,scratch bow and a box call. It depends on the day which one they like. I keep changing til I find "the" call for the day. Some days they pay no attention to you and then boom they come in on a string. Don't get discouraged but don't over call either. I like to call softly til I get an answer then I get quiet, only calling enough to let them know I'm still there.

Crow, I use diaphragm ,scratch bow and a box call. It depends on the day which one they like. I keep changing til I find "the" call for the day. Some days they pay no attention to you and then boom they come in on a string. Don't get discouraged but don't over call either. I like to call softly til I get an answer then I get quiet, only calling enough to let them know I'm still there.

Crow it really depends on how close the birds are to me. If there off in the distance I'll usually use the loudest box call I have. Once there committed I may change to a slate or mouth call. If there not bugging I might try fighting calls or a gobbler call. As you can see it really depends on the mood of the bird. If a hen answers I'll usually try and piss her off because ol tommy three toes is usually not far behind. Good luck buddy it's all good !

A diaphragm is going to be tough to beat for bow hunting. Every bird will be different and where that bird is in the pecking order will effect how he calls.

My best advice for public land is to call sparingly until you strike a bird, wait a couple minutes and try him again. If he's closer and the gobble was facing you,the only thing you should do from then on out is scratch in the leaves every 5 minutes or so and maybe some purring. He knows where your at but you don't want him to know exactly where you are. Just hang tight, he'll show.

Here are a few ideas.

Scout before opening day. Go into your desired area to listen, but don't call. Reserve the effectiveness of calling for when season is open. That will help you decide where to hunt.

On cold, cool, rainy mornings they can be slow to leave the roost. With a cold front they sometimes don't move around or call much - I have found them standing around looking sluggish. They seem to react to a cold front the same way fish react. In those conditions hunting can be tough - you must get extremely close to get them to respond. Sometimes those mornings may be better spent doing chores.

Try different locations and strategies. Maybe hike in in the dark, setup and listen for sunrise gobbles from the roost. A clearing may be a good strut zone. Maybe wait patiently for birds. Maybe run and gun, or troll for toms. Maybe hunt your way out as the morning runs out. First light gobbles are exciting. Mid to late morning can be productive as toms get lonely or desperate for a hen.

For calls, sometimes one call works and another doesn't. Next day reverse. Box calls, slate calls, diaphragm calls, sometimes even a crow call, owl hooter, harmonica, or whistle will work. Thunder, fire sirens, or other loud sounds can trigger gobbles. Sometimes nothing works. Sometimes very little calling is best. Other days more calling works.

On a warm rainy morning, I decided to sleep late. The bedroom window was open. Thunder caused a tom to gobble behind the house - it woke me up.

Listen to the real birds. Quite a few times, I have heard what I thought was the lousiest caller who called way too much - and it was a real hen. Call louder to locate a tom, and get quieter as he gets closer. A whisper can be more enticing than yelling.

If a bird hangs up, sometimes it is wise to be patient as there are other birds moving around. Other times, take action. One story - had a bird moving in steadily when it stopped. He continued to answer cutting me off but would not move - for too long. I moved in on the bird and found him stopped by a flowing trickle of water about a foot wide and an inch deep. He was pacing back and forth but would not cross. I crawled and made the shot.

I hope you have a very successful and satisfying turkey season!

The main thing you should know is that you don't have to be a professional caller to bring a bird in. Turkey will respond to many different calls depending upon each birds mood. On a loud and aggressive tom you can be the same way. On a bird that's more cautious you may have to be just as subtle. It's all fun and I guarantee you will learn from each bird you have an encounter with. Enjoy the hunt and good luck. There is nothing like a big tom gobbling fifteen yards away. It will vibrate your chest!

Diaphragm's by far.I have a couple box calls and both slate and glass pots with a few strikers.They just dont get the birds to come near as often as the mouth calls do.

Box call ,ain't that the truth!!

Diaphragms seem to be the most used, however they gag me. One time I heard Ben play the star spangled banner on one of them.

Diaphragms, but probably because when I started hunting them I only used a bow and thought that it would behoove me to have my hands free to hold it ready to draw. Also, I thought learning to use one was way harder (it was) and you know how us stickbow guys like doin' stuff just for that sake. :o) Regards

And these

diaphram,, but I like calling on all kinds,, as stated,, sometimes a bird will like something different,, so it does not hurt to have that option,

Quaker Boy diaphragm calls.

Derby City trough call. Stabilized maple.

Honestly, whatever call is most convenient for whenever and however I'm hunting.

The call and using it matters very little. What does matter is that you hunt every chance you get. Time in the woods is what kills turkeys; not abstracted ranting about the artistry of talking turkey.

My dad had never called a bird in for himself till last year. He always had me. I couldn't go one day, and knew where a tom was roosted. Told him to go anyway. Tried showing him how to use his pot call. He went, called twice and shut up. Bird flew down, walked over and died to his 500AG. His calling was absolutely terrible - chicken stretching chalk board terrible. Bird still died.

We make turkey hunting, like everything else in life, to be this complex arrangement of variables - over complicated - because it makes us feel better about ourselves.

I tag out every year in TN, because I hunt enough that eventually 4 toms will decide to do something stupid in the course of a spring season.

Turkey hunting is refreshingly simple and uncomplicated compared to deer hunting.

As stated, hunt often and in many different locations. Make sure to create multiple options for yourself. I hunt only on private land and have at least 10 locations and about 2,500 acres. To get permission on that much land takes effort, dedication, and work. I help the landowners in return.

Best wishes.

Mine is slate calls i make . i also make some box calls .it is more rewarding taking a bird with a call you make yourself .

Now that would be cool - killing a bird with a call you made yourself.

I'm not crafty enough, I fear. Now fly tying is a different story ;0)

Longspur Hen O the Woods mouthcall

I do best with the slate calls, wish I could use the mouth calls but I just can't get use to them.

I also have troubles getting use to mouth calls. but like to have one hand free to hold the bow ready and less movement when there in eye site. I have carried a push box call for 20 years it will always go with me you can hold it with drawing hand down low by your side and call. then drop it when time to shoot.

If you're not comfortable with a mouth call, trim the skirt smaller and keep trying. Hands free is the best.

Pot calls are my second favorite, I kill A LOT of birds with just purrs and putts. They're fast to get good on too. Only down side is they're not hands free and the don't do well in the rain or super high humidity.

I pack 4 everytime I go out.

I'm most comfortable with a pot call because I sit with my bow across my lap and wear cargo pants, so I can slip the call and striker in and out of a big pocket on the front of my thigh, between my lower limb and string, then slide the call back in my pocket immediately after I've called . I try to create purrs and putts almost exclusively and dont call much, and even though I'm a ridge runner, I've learned to sit tight for a long time after I call if I think there's a bird within 1/4 mile..they can be coming to me without announcing their intentions.

Lynch Fool Proof.

A mistake that I make every year is not being patient enough to stay in a spot after calling. The slow moving silent toms are fairly safe around me. I prefer to find active, loud, fast moving toms - the foolish birds. They are more exciting and apparently less cautious - and get removed from the gene pool!

A few years ago, I got bored sitting so I left my decoys and went walking. Was gone about an hour. When I returned, a tom was strutting in the decoys. He left hastily.

I prefer a box call when trolling for toms. That has produced the most results. I had a fantastic box call that I gave to a gal who was just getting into turkey hunting. On her first hunt, she used it to call a tom to within 3 feet of the blind.

The slate or pot style calls sound good. Primos made one that has a bracket underneath so you can run an elastic strap around your thigh when sitting. Then, it takes only one hand to use a striker.

When a bird gets close, it seems an occasional sound from a mouth call is sufficient - and I am not the greatest with a mouth call.

Lynch box and will promos signature no.1 mouth call

Preston Pittman black diamond diaphragm and Lonnie Sneed slate pot call. Lonnie is right here in WV. and makes fantastic calls.

Preston Pittman black diamond diaphragm and Lonnie Sneed slate pot call. Lonnie is right here in WV. and makes fantastic calls.

I've got some Sneed stuff, A+ calls. He's fun to talk to as well. Be prepared for at least 20 minutes though.

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