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Calling Spot (Video Included)

You've got permission to hunt for wild turkeys on a large farm. Where to begin calling? Use these tips to eliminate unproductive areas and hone in on where the birds will concentrate.

Several factors go into having a successful turkey hunt, but perhaps nothing is more important than picking a good calling spot. Pick the right spot, and your chances of calling the gobbler up are good. But pick the wrong spot, and you may as well be back home in bed. Here are some things to remember when picking a spot to try to lure that tom into gun range.

First, get close! Become what I term “the most available hen.” The closer you are and the easier it is for the gobbler to get to you, the greater your chances of getting him to come.

So, how close is “close?” That depends on each individual situation. Sometimes you can sneak within 50-75 yards to call, depending on terrain features and vegetation. Other times you can’t get within 150-200 yards. If you’re in ridge or mountain country, oftentimes you can use rolls in the topography (especially the crests of ridges) to move in close without risking letting the gobbler see you. The same is true in the latter season when vegetation is thicker and offers more cover to screen your movements.

Conversely, if the terrain is flat and/or the woods are open, you probably can’t get too close without risking bumping the bird. So, make a value judgment about how close you can get, but remember: if the gobbler sees you, he’ll bolt, and your chances of bagging him are gone. So, move in as close as you can but not so close as to risk allowing the gobbler to see you.

Beyond getting close, other factors go into picking a good calling spot. If possible, try to call from the same contour that the gobbler’s on or above him. Turkeys generally work uphill better than downhill.

Don’t set up where a gobbler can approach to 60-80 yards of your location and see where you’re calling from. If he can see the spot but can’t see a hen, chances are strong he’ll hang up and wait for the hen to appear. When no hen shows up, he’ll turn and go away.

Don’t set up where there’s any impediment to his easy approach (i.e., creek, gully, fence, thicket, etc.). Again, you want to select a calling spot that’s easy for the gobbler to come to, not difficult.

So again, remember that each situation is different. Analyze the conditions and try to determine how close you can get. Remember, the worst thing you can do is scare him. With this in mind, set up as close as possible in a fairly open area where he’ll be in range before he can see the source of the calling.