[TPlank]

Thoughts on calling to a gobbler on roost?

I have been told not to that a smart gobbler will just stay up there until he sees the hen calling before flying down, wait until fly down.

Have also heard to call lightly to let him know you are there.

This morning I had one roosted & gobbling on his own, watched him fly down and then watched hens take him away up over the mountain. Thoughts on how you would have called to this one?

 

[jk6140]

I like to use some soft tree yelps. I try not to do it before its getting light enough to shoot. Ive called a bit too early before and had the tom pitch down right in front of me and it was too dark to see exactly how big of a tom it was. I like to just le him know im there. Very soft yelps with a little bit of purring.

 

[dce]

There's nothing wrong with giving a gobbler a few light tree yelps or light clucks while they're on the roost.However,I think the biggest mistake most hunters make is calling too much to them while they're on the roost.

I wouldn't have wasted much time on a gobbler with hens if the hens are content with taking the gobbler away.If possible,I'd simply come back to the same spot after 10:00am and hope he's alone.Either that or I'd come back the next morning and set up in the direction they walked to the previous morning.

 

[Fairchild #17]

I'll usually give them some very muted 3 note yelps on the roost. Hens are often very vocal in the trees.
If hens take them the other way it's a tough row to hoe. I'll either get really mouthy with the hens or simulate a gobbler fight. The fighting purr is my all in move. It works often enough for me that I use it every time right before I give up.

If that doesn't work. Lace up your boots and get to where they are headed.

 

[fingerz42]

Tree yelps. Just soft yelps and only 3 to 4 notes in a row. Just enough to let him know you are there.

 

[Born2Hunt]

All good advise and SOMETIMES works to perfection. I have tried all of those methods with some success..except the fighting purrs never tried it yet.

Nothing works every time. Another method is to flush the the gobbler and ALL the hens off the roost the night before or even that morning.

They will most likely call to get back together at or near the spot they were flushed. It is important that when you flush them they do not fly off together whereas, if they can get back together by sight they may not call or return to the flush location to reassemble.

If flushed in the morning I would not call until I hear them call which maybe an hour or two. If flushed the night before calling at first light from the flushed location may work.

If the hen(s) come in first (which has been the usual case) and the the gobbler is sounding off from some distance, you are certain he can not see you...run the hen(s) off in the opposite direction of the gobbler. Wait a few minutes and make the exact same call the hen made that provoked the gobbler to gobble.

It is best to use this method when you are certain you are the only hunter in the area.

I first learned this technique in 1973 when in an attempt to set up on a roosted vocal gobbler I flushed 4 hens from their roost, but the gobbler did not flush or see me. He never gobbler again, sat for quite for 10 minute, flew to the ground under his roost, I made a couple of soft clucks and the mature gobbler strutted in on my location within 5-6 minutes or less.

If the gobbler fly's down to be with the hens the chances of calling him in at that setting is greatly deceased. I say this as yesterday I called in two curious hens with 20 feet of my location with three gobblers in tow. Unfortunately they were all Jakes.

Pick any one of the a fore mention methods on the RIGHT day and it will probably work....

Good luck be safe.