Custom Turkey Tips

No two gobblers are likely to act alike, even if these two seem to be thinking the same thing.

A Trinity call-maker shares fool-proof ways to put your tag on a gobbler this spring.

In his shop in Trinity, Greg Longuillo of L&L Custom Calls makes some of the premier custom turkey calls in the country. Longuillo has won several awards from the National Wild Turkey Federation for his woodworking abilities, but he may be an even better turkey hunter.

Not only does he know to make calls, he knows how and when to use them — and when to be silent. And he knows how to choose areas to hunt, studying turkey sign and learning the birds’ patterns and habits.

He readily dispenses a series of 11 tips that all turkey hunters should heed if filling those two gobbler tags is your goal this spring.

Caution Counts

One of the first Longuillo lessons comes before he even stops his vehicle. Before pulling into a tract of land in Caswell County two years ago with hunting buddy Darren Brown of Trinity, he dimmed his headlights and shut off the interior light so there would be total darkness when he opened — then carefully and quietly closed his door.

“There may or may not be a gobbler roosted nearby,” Longuillo said. “But I’m always going to assume that one is. And any wild creature instinctively knows that bright lines shining on or near him in the darkness can’t be good.”

That same caution applies to how Longuillo enters an area where he plans to set up. He always operates as if he’s close to a gobbler. He takes the following steps:

• Analyze the terrain in front of you. Is there a chance that a tom is on the other side of a rise or thicket? If so, set up and call before proceeding.

• Enter a potential setup area in a stealthy fashion. That means no talking with a buddy and no noisy cutting of branches or loud removal of leaves or other debris around the tree where you plan to sit.

• Caution extends to calling, which leads to the next tip.

Soft Calling is Better

Longuillo believes that soft calling almost always trumps the loud version.

“Look, I sell turkey calls, I work sport shows, and attend calling contests,” he said. “What I hear at those shows and contests, where folks are cranking on their calls all the time, has very little to do with what I hear from birds in the woods.

“I would say that 80 percent of the time, hunters will be more successful if they call softly. Real hens are that way the vast majority of the time, so why shouldn’t we try to imitate them.”

Call Infrequently

Longuillo also emphasizes that calling only occasionally goes together with soft calling.

“I would guess that 90 percent of the time, waiting 15 to 30 minutes or maybe even 45 between calling sequences is better than letting loose every few minutes,” he said. “Are real hens constantly yapping? The answer, of course, is no — except on rare occasions.”

The Common Cluck and Purr

Longuillo is a steadfast fan of two common turkey sounds.

“The common cluck may be the best call to use anywhere in North Carolina,” he said. “And the purr isn’t far behind.”

What do clucks and purrs, mixed in with a little simulated scratching, communicate to a longbeard?

• That a hen is nearby.

• That there’s no danger.

• That there’s food close by, too.

• That your gobbles are very impressive, big boy.

• Come join me.

Diaphragms Are Overused

Longuillo emphasizes that he employs diaphragm calls and has obviously called in birds with them, but….

“Diaphragms are the most overused calls in North Carolina,” he said bluntly. “You don’t have to master every kind of pot or box call to be successful. But if you can learn how to use two or three friction calls really well, I think you’ll be a more successful hunter.

“For example, a hunter might want to concentrate on becoming very good with slate and aluminum pots and, say, a push-pin. It doesn’t really matter which combination of calls that you master — just as long as you are competent with more than one.

“My go-to call is a scratch box. Not many people use a scratch box anymore — and that’s a plus for me or anyone else who learns how to run one.”

Take a Tom’s Temperature

Turkey hunters often read or hear the phrase “taking a tom’s temperature,” which means analyzing a gobbler’s aggressiveness or passivity based on his gobbling volume and frequency, Longuillo said.

“I strongly believe that soft, infrequent calling is the best game plan most days,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean that that strategy will be the best one the next day you hunt. Do take a tom’s temperature. Some birds on some days like it soft, but the very next day, some of those same birds will want loud, obnoxious calling.”

Realize Every Tom is Different

In military terminology, generals often make the mistake of “fighting the last war,” meaning using the strategies and technology from the previous conflict, although both the enemy and his strategy have changed. Hunters often commit a similar snafu.

Longuillo maintains that even though a hunter might be at the same stage of the season on the same property and even at the same spot where a certain tom came over a certain rise and was killed one year, that doesn’t mean that that scenario will ever repeat itself.

“Every gobbler is different. Every morning is almost always different, even when you’re working the same bird two or three mornings in a row,” he said. “On those rare occasions when a gobbler does do the same thing or goes to the same place two mornings in a row, that’s when you kill him.

“But you can’t count on a gobbler’s behavior being consistent. There are too many unknown factors in nature that can cause him to act a certain way or go a certain way. Be flexible — there are no fixed set of rules for turkey behavior.”

Scouting Matters

Longuillo relates that one of the most important things a hunter can do is conduct in-depth scouting trips right before the season opens. Locating birds in February and March really has very little to do with where they will be in early April. Hunters should search for certain places and sign:

• Potential roost sites. That might mean stands of white pines in the northwestern corner of the state, hardwood creekbottoms in the Piedmont, or commercial pine stands in the flatlands.

• Potential strutting zones. Possibilities include young clearcuts, food plots, pastures, and corn and soybean fields.

• Potential travel areas. Turkeys use funnels, just like deer do. They may follow a fencerow in farm country or pass through a saddle in the mountains.

Some ‘Truisms’ Aren’t True

Every past-time, from thumb twiddling to hunting, has its share of truisms — but also its portion of myths and misinformation. Here are a few of both from Longuillo:

• Mostly true: The belief that you should position yourself above or on the same plane as a gobbler. Hunters will usually have a hard time calling a gobbler downhill.

• Mostly false: Contrary to popular belief, turkeys will cross creeks anywhere in the state.

• Debatable: The belief that turkeys won’t fly across a pond or small lake to reach a hen. There’s no telling what a gobbler will do in this circumstance, he said.

• Debatable: The belief that the best action is early in the morning. Come across a red-hot tom at daybreak, and oftentimes, he will ride home with you. But many times, gobblers will also be quite willing to come in during the mid-morning period.

Locator Call Wisdom

Longuillo disputes the notion that crow caws are great locator calls.

“Everywhere I’ve hunted in North Carolina, the places have been overrun with crows,” he said. “I think that’s why crow calls have largely lost their shock value. And that’s why more and more, I rely on hawk or pileated woodpecker sounds instead.”

Go Every Day You Can

Want to know how to tag out every season and be the envy of all your turkey hunting buddies? Here’s some can’t-miss advice.

“One of the smartest things a hunter can do is go every day of the season he can, even if it is only an hour before or after work,” said Longuillo. “Even if you don’t kill a gobbler, you might pick up some tidbit of information that will help you later in the season. Sometimes a stick-to-it attitude is better than all the calling and setup strategies in the world.”

For information on Greg Longuillo’s custom calls, access: www.llcustomturkeycalls.com.

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