{"id":3595,"date":"2019-03-26T20:54:27","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T20:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ammunitiontogo.com\/lodge\/?p=3595"},"modified":"2023-03-15T14:19:47","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T14:19:47","slug":"locator-calls-shock-gobble","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ammunitiontogo.com\/lodge\/locator-calls-shock-gobble\/","title":{"rendered":"Locator Calls and the Shock Gobble Response"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring fever is a real thing. Even <\/span>Scientific American<\/span><\/i><\/a> says so, describing symptoms that range from increased heart rate to restless daydreaming. While doctors and scientists aren\u2019t sure what causes it, most hunters know it has a lot to do with spring turkey season.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turkey hunting is much like a disease. Warmer weather and the promise of big toms is enough to bring on restless daydreaming. And there\u2019s nothing that gets your heart racing like a gobble thundering through early morning fog.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Shock Gobble?<\/h2>\n
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A locator call is a useful addition to your turkey hunting arsenal.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Just like turkey hunters, gobblers are easily excited in the spring. They get so amped up on warm weather and the thought of women that any loud sound will make them send a gobble rumbling through the woods. I\u2019ve known enthusiastic toms to gobble in response to passing trains, early morning thunder, and even the sound of the truck door slamming. <\/span><\/p>\n

Called a shock gobble, this response is a reflex much like the way your foot jerks when the doctor smacks your knee with that little rubber tomahawk. They just can\u2019t help it. Thankfully for hunters, that pea-size brain offers a gobbler very little impulse control. <\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t let the turkey\u2019s tiny brain fool you, however. Having been outsmarted by more than a few gobblers, I can assure you what they lack in brain power, they more than make up for with keen hearing and vision. The wild turkey is such a worthy adversary that only about one-third of us who hunt turkeys this spring will actually fill a tag.<\/span><\/p>\n

A turkey\u2019s senses of sight and hearing are near super power level. You aren\u2019t going to just walk up on a turkey in the woods. Turkey\u2019s see colors more vividly than humans. Their daytime vision is actually three times better than the average hunter. Also, with protruding eyes that allow them to see 270 degrees, a turkey is going to see you long before you see it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sneaking in close before daylight and then calling a turkey to you is the better option. One of the greatest advantages a turkey hunter has at his (or her) disposal is a wide selection of locator calls. Though they are often overlooked in favor of more glamorous turkey calls, a locator call can be a serious tool, allowing you to sneak in close enough to formally introduce him to your magnum turkey loads<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Using Locator Calls for Shock Gobbles<\/h2>\n

Hunters can choose from a variety of locator calls. While some locator calls work better while the birds are still on the roost, others work better after they\u2019ve left the trees. However, both can cause a shock gobble that ultimately leads to an early spring Thanksgiving dinner. <\/span><\/p>\n

Owl Calls<\/span><\/h3>\n

The most common locator call mimics the cry of the barred owl. Although even the largest barred owl isn\u2019t capable of swooping off with a full-grown turkey, these birds are known to regularly pick off young poults. Adult turkeys maintain an innate startle response to these natural predators. Incredibly versatile, barred owl calls work just about anywhere wild turkeys call home. <\/span><\/p>\n

A loud hooting call can usually spark a shock gobble from a roosting long beard, so these calls are most effective before turkeys pitch down in the morning. You can also use them after birds have gone to roost in the evening, pinpointing a gobbler\u2019s location for the next day\u2019s hunt. <\/span><\/p>\n

Morning calls tend to elicit a better response. Birds just seem more willing to gobble as they are getting ready for their day. Before a gobbler pitches down, he starts calling hens to him, so he\u2019s already in the mood for gobbling. In the evening, a tom might gobble on his way to roost, but once he\u2019s perched for the night, he can be a bit tight-lipped. <\/span><\/p>\n

Also, atmospheric conditions are better for calling before daybreak. Just before dawn, the atmospheric ceiling is low because cooler night temperatures create a ground chill. These conditions allow soft owl calls to travel further and reach the ears of more birds, striking gobbles at greater distances. <\/span><\/p>\n

There are two distinct types of barred owl calls, the tube or barrel style call and the reed style call. <\/span><\/p>\n

Tube Style Owl Call<\/span><\/h3>\n

This type is easy to use and a great option for the beginner since it doesn\u2019t take much practice to make an effective call. This style call is set up with a mouthpiece over a hollow tube or barrel. When you blow into the mouthpiece, air is directed over a hole in the side of the call. It works just like flute. Some tube calls have multiple holes that can be covered to change the tone or pitch of the call. <\/span><\/p>\n

Reed Style Owl Call<\/span><\/h3>\n

A reed call takes a bit more practice but is well worth the effort. These calls can reproduce many of the barred owl\u2019s vocalizations with amazing detail. The reed call also has a broader volume range. This produces louder calls that can reach deeper into the woods, but also allows for intricate volume variations that more accurately replicate the calls of real birds. With some practice, a hunter can use a reed call to produce everything from soft hoots to loud, high-pitched laughs. <\/span><\/p>\n

How to Hoot for Wild Turkeys<\/span><\/h3>\n

If we were going to translate a barred owl hoot into English, it would sound something like \u00a0“who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all.\u201d It\u2019s okay to extend that \u201call\u201d at the end for emphasis. Often just vocalizing the first part is enough to get a response. You can even just go with the \u201cyou-all,\u201d letting the squall growl at the end. Acceptable variations are as individual as the birds that make these sounds naturally.<\/span><\/p>\n