# I think i made a pretty big mistake huh?



## SteelEFever04 (Apr 9, 2010)

Well im still pretty new to turkey hunting this will be my 3rd year. Surprisingly ive been successful every season! But im laid off this year and have had time to do some scouting and apparently ive made a big mistake using turkey calls already..just the other day i called in a tom to 20yds, the hens or gobbler didnt spoke or see me so thats good but im just wondering how bad i may have screwed up that spot or chances at calling him in again now?


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## WALLEYE SEEKER (Nov 30, 2009)

Probably not much but dont mess with them anymore they get cal shy fast.


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## SteelEFever04 (Apr 9, 2010)

yeah im definatly keepin the turkey calls outta the woods till my season starts, im gonna go get some locator calls and only try those to locate some more birds in other spots. Im fortunate to live around a ton of public land and i also have a couple private land spots to hunt within 15min of where i live. Im kinda wishin i wouldve gotten a different tag the private one i believe 301 or 234 that starts the 19th. I got the 121 that starts may 3rd. Hopefully they wont be call shy being a later season, cause im not a pro caller by any means haha


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## Firefighter (Feb 14, 2007)

Don't worry about screwing up the bird for your hunt, worry about screwing it up for others (I'm speaking of public land of course).

Educating birds preseason is unfair to those that are also working hard to get them. 

I'm glad you realized your folley! Most folks that call birds pre-season could give a damn and only think about themselves.


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## SteelEFever04 (Apr 9, 2010)

Yeah i gotcha.. once i found out its not a good idea i told a friend of mine thats been doing the same at random state land spots, his excuse is how u gonna know ur calling is up to par if ur not in the woods and gettin em to respond. I see what u mean that ur screwing it up for others and realize its not cool, ill try and get it through his thick head! haha. Dont ya think it should be in the rules and regs that u cant use calls in the field before season if its not a good thing to do? i guess it would be pretty hard to control that though..


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## ezcaller (Feb 21, 2009)

Got to admit I have to get my gobble fix on and have to hear one go off. Usually use my turkey calls on private and locator calls on public. I know one state Kentucky says that it is against regulations to mimic a wild turkey sound from March 1 to opening day. Dont know if it is meant for public land only .


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## EdB (Feb 28, 2002)

You really don't need any calls to scout turkeys and hear them gobble, just need to get out of bed early. Just be in the woods about 6:15-6:30AM. There is great tree gobbling action from 6:30 to 7:00 right now as long as you pick some nice mornings-calm and mild. They are flying down just before 7:00AM right now. I've located dozens of gobblers so far around here and haven't blown a call except in my basement or car to practise. Plenty of time to get out every good morning for about a 1/2 hour or an hour, find a few birds and still get to work. If it's bad weather, sleep in. Locators calls probably won't hurt but I don't even use them pre-season. They don't hear my calls till I'm hunting.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

I have no problem in doing what you did, their is no call shy turkeys when you sound real.. Turkeys become people shy, just dont allow them to see you tromping in the woods everyday..


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## EdB (Feb 28, 2002)

> I have no problem in doing what you did, their is no call shy turkeys when you sound real.. Turkeys become people shy, just dont allow them to see you tromping in the woods everyday..


Do you think if lot's of people go bopping around from pull off to pull off calling turkeys that the turkeys won't ever see them? Call it people shy or call shy, doesn't matter what you call it, the gobblers in the area are going to wise up and become less responsive if it happens constantly. I sure would not be condoning or encouraging people to go out pre-season turkey calling. You just don't need to do it to locate lots of turkeys.


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

EdB said:


> Do you think if lot's of people go bopping around from pull off to pull off calling turkeys that the turkeys won't ever see them? Call it people shy or call shy, doesn't matter what you call it, the gobblers in the area are going to wise up and become less responsive if it happens constantly. I sure would not be condoning or encouraging people to go out pre-season turkey calling. You just don't need to do it to locate lots of turkeys.


Oh I agree, but I think the guy "bopping" through the woods looking for scat scratchings, roost trees, dusting areas etc Do just as much damage as the guy going out and pre season calling.. The whole trick to either is not being seen.. I have stated numerous times I do not believe in call shy turkeys if you sound real..


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## dsconnell (Aug 29, 2007)

Firefighter.. I know you wont like it but I will say the same thing.. I have also before when I could not get them to respond to a crow call rapped a few times on the mouth call at different spots I have hunted and #1 there usually wasnt anyone else hunting there that I knew of and #2 when I would get a response I would immediately back out. And if anyone on here wants to tell me that this will make a bird call shy I will tell you your full of it.. If you are long gone before that bird gets anywhere near you he just thinks he knows he heard it come from there and comes lookin and when he does not find her he goes on about his business. I have many times went right back in mid day... Hour later or days later and been successful at the same spot.. If you get busted while doing this or pinned then I will tell you shame on you and good luck getting that bird unless you sitting in the path of his normal travels back to his roost..


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## blood trail (Mar 31, 2010)

Hey man, I think as long as you learned something every time your in the woods than no mistakes have been made!! Your calling in birds and educating yourslef on being a better turkey hunter/caller. Is it better to pratice in the comfort of your house or vehicle for a while, I think so. Go out and grab a dvd about calling and try to mimic the sounds on that...it will help. But I agree with the majority here...try not to educate the birds early, especially if you want to invite them home for dinner!!


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## ezcaller (Feb 21, 2009)

Ive heard enough callers in the woods to know that each caller sounds different and few sound like a real turkey . A wild turkey would have to file away alot of sound bytes in that very small size brain then recognize which are real and which are not. I agree its the pressure that can shut a bird down or just his diposition- they will shut off at some point whether its a turkey call or locator call. I dont call much on public land just out of respect for the guys that hit the woods before the late hunt comes around. And I call on the private I hunt to see how many birds are around. My hunt area is two and a half hours away and dont always make it up there at the right time to hear birds so we make do.


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## melvvin (Nov 21, 2007)

I agree with firefighter its not fair to other hunters to call preseason. Most hunters that do this don't back out after a bird responds but want to call them right in. Regardless whether you spook them or not a tom that comes to a call and finds nothing is probably gonna want a live hen visual or a hen to come to him from then on. EdB was right, on get out before daylight in your area and listen it is the best scouting you can do. I don't hunt around my house but have been listening on my front porch before daylight and have 3 groups of toms roosts located without setting a foot in the woods. I wish Michigan would make it illegal to call preseason like Kentucky did.


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## dsconnell (Aug 29, 2007)

melvvin said:


> I agree with firefighter its not fair to other hunters to call preseason. Most hunters that do this don't back out after a bird responds but want to call them right in. Regardless whether you spook them or not a tom that comes to a call and finds nothing is probably gonna want a live hen visual or a hen to come to him from then on. EdB was right, on get out before daylight in your area and listen it is the best scouting you can do. I don't hunt around my house but have been listening on my front porch before daylight and have 3 groups of toms roosts located without setting a foot in the woods. I wish Michigan would make it illegal to call preseason like Kentucky did.


I can assure you that you are wrong on the live hen visual.. If I were hunting public land surely I would agree but if someone else is hunting where I am hunting on private land this is not something i am concerned about because they should not be there.. I would also agree that to get out and just listen is the best way to locate your birds and get an idea on how many birds your working with.. The one thing that I will tell you is tha when I go back to hunt birds that have already responded, the first call I will use if I know I made it out without being spotted at all, is the same call and if they just wont work into range.. Let them go for a bit, back out go to another property and see if I can get something to fire up there and if nothing go right back to the other property sneak in and use a different pitched call from a different location and that usually does the trick.. If they are not spooked they wont go far.. So dont be afraid to let them sit for a while if you dont call one in I have seen alot of people just pop out another call and I wont tell you that this wont work and if you are in a pinch time wise have at it but if you have time. I personally would give it an hour or two come back mid day and get back after him.. I will also say this.. When I have done this I have had many of those toms come in tight lipped for clarification but they are killable!


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## SteelEFever04 (Apr 9, 2010)

hey guys thanks for the advice and replys


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

melvvin said:


> . Regardless whether you spook them or not a tom that comes to a call and finds nothing is probably gonna want a live hen visual or a hen to come to him from then on. .


In most situations I try to setup so the bird can not see the point you are calling till they are in gun range.. If you need to give them visual confirmation you are set up wrong.


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## melvvin (Nov 21, 2007)

DEDGOOSE said:


> In most situations I try to setup so the bird can not see the point you are calling till they are in gun range.. If you need to give them visual confirmation you are set up wrong.


 I'm not talking about decoys. I'm talking about a tom thats came to a call and found nothing once or twice in the preseason is gonna avoid anything suspicious. If he hears calling and doesn't see a actual live hen coming to him you have basically made him an unkillable tom IMO.


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## melvvin (Nov 21, 2007)

dsconnell said:


> I can assure you that you are wrong on the live hen visual.. If I were hunting public land surely I would agree but if someone else is hunting where I am hunting on private land this is not something i am concerned about because they should not be there.. I would also agree that to get out and just listen is the best way to locate your birds and get an idea on how many birds your working with.. The one thing that I will tell you is tha when I go back to hunt birds that have already responded, the first call I will use if I know I made it out without being spotted at all, is the same call and if they just wont work into range.. Let them go for a bit, back out go to another property and see if I can get something to fire up there and if nothing go right back to the other property sneak in and use a different pitched call from a different location and that usually does the trick.. If they are not spooked they wont go far.. So dont be afraid to let them sit for a while if you dont call one in I have seen alot of people just pop out another call and I wont tell you that this wont work and if you are in a pinch time wise have at it but if you have time. I personally would give it an hour or two come back mid day and get back after him.. I will also say this.. When I have done this I have had many of those toms come in tight lipped for clarification but they are killable!


 The previous posts were talking about public land and thats what I was talking about


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## Big Reds (Oct 14, 2007)

IMO, I don't think a turkey can (or has the ability to) remember more than a few days back. 
Reason for my statement?
I had taken out a client a few years back who had taken a shot at a big Tom and hit the bird. We trailed the bird (blood drops) for about 100 yards. Bird was hit but not mortally. 
Two days later, in the same spot, he shot and was successful on the same bird. The bird acted like it was never shot at in the first place. The shot wounds were already healing up from the first shot.


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## SteelEFever04 (Apr 9, 2010)

Yup last year i took too long of a shot at a bird probably 40yds or so, thought i had completely missed till i tagged em like 2 days later and found i was wrong. Ya i dont have my own gun yet, im more of a bowhunter for deer, i did buy my first gun this year a cva muzzleloader and got 2 deer within the first week i got it! But anyway so ya ive been borrowing my neighbors gun, this year ill be taking it to the range first and getting to know its ranges, which i should of done in the first place!


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## melvvin (Nov 21, 2007)

Big Reds said:


> IMO, I don't think a turkey can (or has the ability to) remember more than a few days back.
> Reason for my statement?
> I had taken out a client a few years back who had taken a shot at a big Tom and hit the bird. We trailed the bird (blood drops) for about 100 yards. Bird was hit but not mortally.
> Two days later, in the same spot, he shot and was successful on the same bird. The bird acted like it was never shot at in the first place. The shot wounds were already healing up from the first shot.


 Maybe some are smarter than others. Last year we had a tom come in to our setup within a few feet of our popup blind struting and gobbling the whole time the first two days we hunted in a row. He had about a six inch beard so we let him pass both times. You could tell the second time he knew something wasn't right about the setup when he left. For the next 2 weeks we hunted he stayed about a 200 yards out and would never come closer I think he could remember. That bird the first 2 times couldn't get in quick enough but after that he wanted nothing to do with it I think they do get conditioned to stay away from things that spook them or don't seem right. Also we used to hunt state land all the time always scoring nice toms for more years in a row than I counted. This area was just loaded with them and it was easy up until the last 2 years we hunted. It had just as many turkeys but they would not respond to calling. The last day we hunted there I talked to a hunter who asked how I did. When I told him there were plenty of toms but they wouldn't respond to calls he replied how strange that was because a week before season they had called in several big toms. That was when I started looking for private property to hunt instead.


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