I seem to be the minority, but I hardly ever carry a locator call. It has been my experience that if they aren’t gobbling on their own then they aren’t gonna do a bunch of gobbling with a locator. If they do want to gobble on their own then we have enough crows and owls that I generally don’t have to worry about it. A locator rarely, if ever has gotten a gobble from me. But like Nate alluded to, the wmas I hunt sound like a crow/owl convention starting opening day so they may just catch on to them

Owl call and coyote howl works here before sun up the crow call after sunrise never short on crows it seems like. If he’s sounding off nothing then until I set up and start with clucks just clucks go a long ways often.

Picked up this Eastern in WI this morning not very hot yet just starting to drag his wing tips. It took about 45 minutes to work him off one ridge to the ridge I was sitting next to on a trail. I had to stop calling for long periods then soft call to get him to budge in my direction.

Do you use an owl call at all? Good to have in your bag of tricks?

Am I the only one who gobbles to get them to gobble? I have a shaker tube but usually just use my box call.

I rarely, if ever, hunt public for turkeys. Permission is obtained far too easily for turkey hunting. I feel like the guys crawling behind strutting decoys have a far greater chance of getting shot that throwin a gobble off anridge to get a response.

I'm blessed to have access to several good private turkey properties.

Anyone that only hunts public will have a much different outlook and very different techniques than those of us that are "private land privileged."

You public land-only turkey hunters (especially in the Southern US) have my respect!

Same goes for private vs public mature buck hunters. A good public land mature buck hunter has my utmost respect over someone that has access to good private land deer.

I'm blessed to have access to several good private turkey properties.

Anyone that only hunts public will have a much different outlook and very different techniques than those of us that are "private land privileged."

You public land-only turkey hunters (especially in the Southern US) have my respect!

Same goes for private vs public mature buck hunters. A good public land mature buck hunter has my utmost respect over someone that has access to good private land deer.

I’ll share a trick that’s worked for me on public land.
Most “turkey hunters” will hunt a couple hours and call it quits. If my first 2-3 spots have a truck parked at the gate, I’ll either move on or pull in behind them and sleep. When they come out, I go in. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked to the hunters, and walk in as they were pulling out and struck a bird. I’m guessing they call as they walk out and unbeknownst to them a gobbler is in pursuit.
I also think the birds become accustomed to their routine. You get a gobble about 10 or 11 and it’s generally a workable bird.
I kill a majority of my public land birds between 1000-1400.
Something else that works and I can’t find any research on it so this is just my observations. If I roost a bird on public land, I will find a set up spot and do a fly up cackle like a hen going to roost. If that gets a gobble I don’t make another sound and ease on out. The next morning I won’t make a sound and set up. After fly down I’ll get a gobble when he gets close to where he thinks he heard that hen and it’s game on.
The biggest thing with today’s numbers are just finding a turkey.