NEW TO TURKEY CALLING NEED HELP!! I got back to the spot this morning where I had the encounter with the gobbler yesterday and d

[drewbeman]

NEW TO TURKEY CALLING NEED HELP!! I got back to the spot this morning where I had the encounter with the gobbler yesterday and didnt spook anything. I had about 4 gobblers gobbling in their roost. The fartherst was probably 100 yards away and the closest was inside 30. I didnt call back, Is that a mistake? Should I call back then? If so what kind of call should I do and on what kind of call? Right now all I have is a push button call and a gobble shake tube. Any advice on calling and or calls would be great guys! Thanks!

[Morgan64c]

Use a flydown call early in the roost to make them think you are the first hen on the ground. I found that a slate/friction call works well with the fly down call. The most important thing is to not call too much.

[Morgan64c]

Look up the flydown call on youtube.

[Gary Devine]

Drew, my friend Wayne called me yesterday evening and had the same scenario as you. He said the turkeys were roosting about forty yards along side his ground blind at first light. He could see many birds up in the trees. He said he did a hen call and they all flew down surrounding his ground blind. One hen was four feet in front of his blind. He didn't shoot because he only saw Jakes and he is waiting for a mature long beard tom.

[vasportsman]

I use a mouth call or a slate to do either a fly down cackle or just some light yelping and then shut up. They know where I am at that point, and will usually come find me after fly down. After fly down is when I get to calling more aggressively.

[DEER30]

I think you may have set up too close to them. Back off a little so the closest is around a 100 yards. If they are gobbling good in the tree, I don't say a word until they hit the ground, then some excited yelping with a few mixed cuts will get them running to you. Here are some more basics that I follow that may help you.
www.deer30outdoors.com/how-to-hunt-spring-turkeys/

[drewbeman]

what about decoys? any thoughts?

[DEER30]

I have rarely used decoys, but when I have it was usually because I was hunting more open woods where the gobbler could get hung up out of range if he didn't see the "hen" calling to him and to help keep his focus elsewhere.

Not to say that they wouldn't work here. Decoys can be very effective and may just be the ticket. However, again setting up decoys under the roosted birds or that close is a big risk that one may open his eye and the jig is up. I don't like to get that close, but that's just my preference.

Also, I have only heard a live hen make a fly down cackle 3 times in the last 6 yrs. Not all hens do this but it can be effective. I have also found that keeping a wing from a previously harvested bird and flapping it to immitate a hen flying down has worked very well.

[DEER30]

bottom line: be creative, try new things, and if it works or not, its a learning experience

[drewbeman]

Thanks alot for all the feedback guys! Ive got the gobbler fever this spring! Ive got to get my first gobbler this spring! If I do you best beleive you guys who have helped with tips and advice will be getting a big shout out and alot of the credit!!

[scratchgolf72]

should try a tree call in the morning before flydown...a very quiet, short sequence of yelps just to let him know your there. only do this once, twice at most. fly down cackle is another option. if done correctly it should be done with a diaphram call. only having a push button and a gobble tube your really at a disadvantage for calling.

[drewbeman]

yeah im starting to figure that out. You think a box call would be best? I feel the push button sounds good its just not got quite enough volume. But I am within about 30 or 40 yards from his roost.

[scratchgolf72]

30-40 yards is quite close to the roost, your really risking bumping him out of it in the morning...i prefer a diaphram call for beginners. not the easiest to master, but gives you a hands free ability that you will enjoy when you have a bird coming in. its what i use the most of any of my calls. i carry around 5 different types of diaphrams at any given time in the turkey woods. and as far as sound, those birds 100 yards away can hear you on that push button call, do not be fooled into thinking they cant, they know exactly what tree you are sitting under.

[drewbeman]

He gobbles and everything like hes not spooked. When I get set up in there its still pitch black dark. And the forest floor is really clear and quiet. How far do you recomend me setting up away from him? Ive got a strut zone and a dust site about 15 yards from where I put my blind up.