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Best owl locator call for turkey

Posted on 2/27/23 at 10:58 pm
Posted by The Levee
Bat Country
Member since Feb 2006
11685 posts
Posted on 2/27/23 at 10:58 pm
I can’t seem to find any worth a shite online or at the big box stores. Does anyone know of a good one from a smaller retailer?
Posted by TutHillTiger
Mississippi Alabama
Member since Sep 2010
49830 posts
Posted on 2/27/23 at 11:13 pm to
That stupid puritan plastic round call is best for me. A whopping 10 bucks, I can light up a whole forrest or swamp with it
Posted by TutHillTiger
Mississippi Alabama
Member since Sep 2010
49830 posts
Posted on 2/27/23 at 11:16 pm to
Sorry it’s called Quaker Boy, I have about 8 or so calls but it’s the only one I really use
Posted by EF Hutton
Member since Jan 2018
2366 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 2:23 am to
The best one ever is going to be the Knight & Hale one with the back pressure thing attached to the end. Once you get the hang of just how to cup your hand, you will sound real. You can even do two owls laughing.

On public, they have heard it all, so be conservative. Wait, let it turn daylight. Let the natural owls and tuffed titmouses crank up. Just listen.
Posted by tenfoe
Member since Jun 2011
6952 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 6:07 am to
quote:

On public, they have heard it all, so be conservative.


Public land turkeys are still turkeys. Don't act like they are some unkillable and ridiculously intelligent animal.

quote:

Wait, let it turn daylight. Let the natural owls and tuffed titmouses crank up. Just listen.


I don't disagree with this though.

OP - this is the best one I've ever heard myself. I actually went and bought one after I heard a friend use one. I never use it though. I just use my voice if I need to.

LINK
Posted by Da Hammer
Folsom
Member since May 2008
5970 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 6:15 am to
I am of the opinion it doesn't matter too much how you sound.

Get the cadence right of "Who cooks for me who cooks for you" and let it rip. Practice right now while listening before the season starts. I can almost guarantee you won't have a noticeable difference between a call and your natural voice.

Not to say one turkey may prefer one over the other but I have an owl call I have had in my vest for 20 years or more and I can't tell you the last time I used it.

Also agree with Tenfoe better to let nature make it happen if you can.
Posted by Theduckhunter
South Louisiana
Member since May 2022
1364 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 7:25 am to
Yep, hooks is the most realistic I’ve heard. But I’ve heard more turkeys gobble at the one that sounds like a toy train lol.

Let nature do its thing though. I usually use the hooter just before I’m ready to move to another spot if I haven’t heard anything.
Posted by EF Hutton
Member since Jan 2018
2366 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 7:31 am to
quote:

On public, they have heard it all, so be conservative. Wait, let it turn daylight. Let the natural owls and tuffed titmouses crank up. Just listen.
tenfoe did not say that. I did. Tenfoe just 2nd’ed it in agreement.

Public birds who have heard it all, will stop gobbling if the same racket appears over and over. It is the very reason why big lake has so many. Person a gets messed up by persons b and c, and the Toms hear all this , clam up , and live another day.
This post was edited on 2/28/23 at 7:36 am
Posted by tenfoe
Member since Jun 2011
6952 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 7:51 am to
quote:

Tenfoe just 2nd’ed it in agreement.


I seconded the part about waiting for it to get daylight. I do not worship public land turkeys as unkillable like you do though. It's almost March so it's time for you to start responding to and downvoting every post I make. I get it. You started shitposting about a year ago and at first everyone thought you were genuine, but after 12 months of your shite and continued trolling and general asshattery we've all come to know you are a turd.

Go on and reference turkey hunting purists of the 1970s and 1980s and how they would be disappointed at me and others on this board that are better turkey hunters than you. Let's hear about how you are going to follow turkeys around and pattern them to hunt like deer but then how others aren't true turkey hunters.
Posted by oleyeller
Vols, Bitch
Member since Oct 2012
32600 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 7:54 am to
I rarely if ever use locator calls... owls will hoot on their own by daylight, if not the crows will get them going. I will take a crow call and try for a mid day or afternoon shock gobble. Thats about it
Posted by EF Hutton
Member since Jan 2018
2366 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 7:58 am to
Please quote me where i said unkillable.

And all that rant you keep doing, it is classic non achiever behavior trying to knock down the achievers so as to be equal.
Posted by EF Hutton
Member since Jan 2018
2366 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 8:01 am to
Waiting on quote

( foot tapping floor)

Dude see’s imaginary things.
This post was edited on 2/28/23 at 8:35 am
Posted by The Levee
Bat Country
Member since Feb 2006
11685 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 8:57 am to
I have the cheap one but it just doesn’t seem loud and I suck at making it sound good
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23462 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 9:49 am to
I like to use the call early as often times you can get the turkeys to fire off before the owls are ready. But as said I'll just call once early. Listen. Walk a couple hundred yards. Call again. Maybe once or twice more and then wait for the real owls.

Anytime I'm getting out of the truck and the owls are going off already i'm kicking myself that I'm late getting in that day.

ETA: then you can move in on them when its still dark. Sometimes the owls don't start until its light and you can't get as close.

I mostly use my mouth now but I also carry one of the plastic quaker boy type ones. I don't know the brand. But its very high pitched so if there's some wind I feel like it travels well?



On the same note, I've found when the owls don't hoot the turkeys don't gobble. Not sure why? Its like its a humidity or pressure thing? If I don't hear an owl go off and don't hear a turkey within 30 mins of sunrise I'll often just go home unless I'm scouting also or need some space from the wife and kids lol.
This post was edited on 2/28/23 at 9:57 am
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23462 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 9:55 am to
quote:

Public birds who have heard it all, will stop gobbling if the same racket appears over and over. It is the very reason why big lake has so many. Person a gets messed up by persons b and c, and the Toms hear all this , clam up , and live another day.




I've heard plenty of owls on public land just absolutely go off for 10-15 mins at a time. Ive been sitting under them watching them do this.

I don't think you could convince me that turkeys would get turned off by owl calls. There's some terrible sounding real owls.

Maybe if you sounded absolutely nothing like an owl?
Posted by tenfoe
Member since Jun 2011
6952 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 10:15 am to
quote:

Anytime I'm getting out of the truck and the owls are going off already i'm kicking myself that I'm late getting in that day.


Owls hoot all night long. Just because they are cutting up doesn't mean it's time for turkeys to wake up.

Also, turkeys don't necessarily sleep all night then wake up right at gobbling time. Sometimes they'll move around in the tree at night. Sometimes they'll move trees in the middle of the night. I've watched a turkey strut on a limb in the moonlight over an hour before what most people would consider "prime gobbling time."

quote:

If I don't hear an owl go off and don't hear a turkey within 30 mins of sunrise I'll often just go home unless I'm scouting also or need some space from the wife and kids lol.


I don't start to worry until 10 minutes after I hear the first crow. At that point I shift my plan to what I am going to do later in the morning. Sometimes that means just going to the truck and going to work.
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23462 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 10:25 am to
quote:

Owls hoot all night long. Just because they are cutting up doesn't mean it's time for turkeys to wake up.

Also, turkeys don't necessarily sleep all night then wake up right at gobbling time. Sometimes they'll move around in the tree at night. Sometimes they'll move trees in the middle of the night. I've watched a turkey strut on a limb in the moonlight over an hour before what most people would consider "prime gobbling time."


Absolutely, there's almost no sure or absolutes in the wild. But on average right at daybreak when the Owls general do their short little thing.
Posted by The Levee
Bat Country
Member since Feb 2006
11685 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 10:37 am to
i've found that barometric pressure above 29.5 and under 31.0 is best for gobbling in my area

if its not like that, go to waffle house lol
Posted by jimjackandjose
Member since Jun 2011
6673 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 11:52 am to
I use my mouth and have had success. I’ve also found some mornings they won’t gobble to a normal hoot cadence but hit a higher pitch haaoooaa and they will light off

Turkeys wake up different everyday. Go with the flow.
Posted by ccard257
Fort Worth, TX
Member since Oct 2012
1455 posts
Posted on 2/28/23 at 12:42 pm to
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