Shock calls and follow-up

Experienced turkey hunters know there's more to calling toms during hunting season than making hen sounds from random setups in the woods. Success, most times, hinges on locating a tom or two to before the hunt, which can be accomplished with a locator call.

Using calls that duplicate odd sounds, such as those made by owls, crows, peacocks and even coyotes, to evoke a shock gobble from a tom lets you know he's somewhere in the area. Why toms answer sounds other than those made by other turkeys is beyond me — but sometimes they do, and it's something you often can capitalize on.
Locators have an advantage: They do not cause a tom to react as if he heard a hen. So, he won't show up when you least expect it and, quite possibly, catch you off guard.

Try and try again

Some toms answer shock calls repeatedly, some only once and others not at all. If you try shock calling and don't get an answer, keep trying, but stay focused. Sometimes, when a distant tom answers only once, it's difficult to figure out from which direction the reply originated. You know there's a tom somewhere, and that's a start.

In the case of a one-answer tom, ask yourself if he sounded near or far away. If he sounds near, wait a few minutes, set up where you are and call. You may be surprised with the results.

But if a tom is way out there it won't hurt to let go of an intermittent series of shock calls in hopes he'll answer again, giving his approximate location away.

It's a blessing when a tom answers repeatedly. The more he gobbles the better your fix on him. I have followed a few vocal toms over hill and dale by shock calling to them, and occasionally I've gotten close enough to set up and finally call one in with standard turkey talk.

To be or not to be — the tree

Moving in on a tom turkey is always a dicey operation but sometimes it's a necessary part of the hunt. Just remember to exercise caution at all times. Here's an example of what not to do.

I was attempting to guide a greenhorn turkey hunter to his first gobbler, and we located a vocal tom on the far side of a rocky basin. By keeping low, I figured we'd have enough cover between us to get within 100 yards or so and call. I was shocked when the tom suddenly clammed up and vanished. Unknown to me, my companion, who was following my lead, had climbed several yards uphill where he stuck out like a pine tree in a desert.

"Sorry," he said. "I just wanted to see better."

I imagine the turkey was glad of that as he performed his disappearing act. — J.H.

Late morning last spring, while hunting a small piece of private land in the foothills of northern California, a friend and I located some toms with the shrill blasts of a raspy crow call. We had a good idea where the turkeys were after the first reply, but their second response sealed the deal. The birds traveled slowly along a dirt path parallel to a wash we were familiar with, so we got ahead of them and set up unseen. A few hen yelps coaxed the three adult toms into take-home range.

Another time, I pegged a Rio Grande tom roost with my version of coyote howls, and moved into what I thought was a good spot to call from. However, after a brief two-way conversation at dawn, the turkey flew down and wandered in another direction. After several futile attempts to entice him back with hen talk, he fell quiet.

Unwilling to give up, I dug out a crow call and blew it hard, and the tom opened again. He answered the shock call every so often, and I was able to keep track of him for the next half hour. Eventually, he stopped walking and gobbled several times from roughly the same place — perhaps a strutting area where he picked up hens. He wasn't far so I quickly set up and yelped with a box call. The tom practically ran me over within seconds.

Can you hear me now?

Getting a tom to react to a locator call — while not always a sure thing — usually isn't too difficult. It's what you do afterwards that contributes to or subtracts from your odds for success. When the answering tom is close, usually the best bet is to sit tight and tell him where the hen of his dreams is. But if he's a long way off, you'll want to get closer before calling, and it can take some doing.

Always respect a turkey's eyesight, even if the bird is hundreds of yards away. Approach his location as you would if you were stalking a white-tailed buck. Do everything you can to remain invisible until you're close enough to set up. Sometimes brush or trees will hide your approach, but whenever possible I like to put some sort of land contour between a tom and me so I know for sure he won't see me coming. Remember, the idea is not to stalk into shooting range, which isn't safe, but merely to get close enough to call.

I often scan ahead with binoculars while closing the gap between a gobbler and me. I've seen more than one tom in the distance without them seeing me by using optics. The object is to be as sneaky as you can. If a tom sees you coming, it won't matter how you located him or how willing to come in he might have been.
It's the final inning of the ball game — and you're out. — John Higley