# Turkey Hunting Question Concerning Electronic Callers.



## BUSTA'YOTE (Aug 26, 2003)

Ray,

I know it is illegal to hunt turkeys using a electronic caller using any calls made by the wild turkey. 

My question is can you use an electronic caller that produces locator sounds such as the owl hoot, crow calls or coyote howl for locating turkeys as long as it has no actual turkey calls? 

The reason I ask this is because the 2006 Spring Season Michigan Wild Turkey Hunting Guide states the following sentence in the Hunting Methods paragraph of the General Rules.

_"The use of dogs or the use or possession of electronic devices *that imitate wild turkey calls* is illegal."_


Just to show contrast to the above sentence I went to my file and pulled out the 2003, 2004 and 2005 Spring Season Wild Turkey Hunting Guides. The language is different in every one of them concerning this matter. I will add the exact sentence for all three years below.

2005
_"The use of dogs or use of, or possesion of, electronic devices that imitate wild turkey calls is illegal for spring wild turkey hunters in the field."_

2004
_"The use of dogs or electronic recordings is illegal for spring wild turkey hunting."_

2003
_"Dogs or electronic recordings are illegal."_

The way I read the 2006 version is that electronic locator calls without any turkey calls on it just may be legal to use, yes or no? The part in the sentence that says *that imitate wild turkey calls* begs this question. 

If a caller using locator calls are legal, what about the sounds of a "fly down" using only the wing beats without the cackle or scratching in the leaves? These are not actually wild turkey calls but are sounds made by the wild turkey.

Thank you for your time and dedication to this board!


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

First remember, the Hunting Guide is just that, a guide. The law itself has not changed but questions and comments from hunters has changed the wording in the guide to hopefully make it more understanding to the majority of hunters.

The exact wording of the law is; Sec. 3.301. (1) It shall be unlawful to use an electronic recording or an electronic, mechanical, or live decoy to aid in taking a wild turkey.

It has been the interpetation that any type of electronic call used to aid in taking a turkey is unlawful. Keep it mind that is only for hunting purposes. An electronic call may be used prior to season to aid in locating and scouting purposes for turkeys.

I believe the wording of the law also anwsers your question about the wing movement, the word would be "mechanical" and illegal.

Part of the reason that the wording has changed in the guide if you noticed, dogs are legal for turkey hunting in the fall.


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## BUSTA'YOTE (Aug 26, 2003)

Thank you for your answer. 

The guide can be misleading sometimes, the 2003 definition ("Dogs or electronic recordings are illegal.") would be a better answer to me. This is cut and dry illegal to the reader.

The 2006 version of ("The use of dogs or the use or possession of electronic devices that imitate wild turkey calls is illegal.") could lead the reader to believe that other recordings as long as it was not wild turkey calls would be legal.

I know the guide is just a guide, but I feel the wording needs to be more absolute because that is all the average sportsman has to go by. Is there a spot on the DNR site where the sportsman can go to read the exact law? I know Colorado has a PDF of the regulations/laws you can download.

Thank you.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

I agree with you but remember dogs can be used in the fall.

As far as dowloading the laws and such, you can do that in Michigan too. State Laws are carried by the Michigan Legislature Web Site and Wildlife Conservation Orders are on the DNR Web Site


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## BUSTA'YOTE (Aug 26, 2003)

I understand that dogs are legal in the fall hunt, but I am refering to the spring hunt and electronic callers. It just so happens that they lump dogs into the same sentence as electronic callers.

I am just trying to clear up the sentence in the guide as I and I am sure others read it. The way I read it, electronic callers could be legal as long as there are no turkey calls on it. I sometimes wonder if some of the language in the guide is worded to mislead the sportsman into getting pinched.

They can do better with less words just by saying "electronic callers are illegal" period and leaves nothing open for speculation. But they say "The use of dogs or the use or possession of electronic devices that imitate wild turkey calls is illegal." This wording leaves too much open for speculation IMHO and I am sure that some poor soul that reads it the same way will be standing in front of a judge after the spring hunt.

Another option would be to print the law in that spot it really isn't any longer. *It shall be unlawful to use an electronic recording or an electronic, mechanical, or live decoy to aid in taking a wild turkey.
*

I am sorry if I have been a burr under your saddle on this issue, but I wonder where they come up with the language in the hunting guides sometimes. The wording of the law is much more cut and dry.

Thank you for your time and I will let this rest.


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