Little Creek Calls

SOLD

SOLD

I put in for Gould’s too. I figure if I don’t draw I can always buy a leftover in 12A or go to the San Carlos or NM. Maybe not having a tag will give me an excuse to go the Midwest to chase Easterns.

The end of March or first week of April they will start to split into their spring flocks and really start calling. By mid-April all birds know there place and breading starts to take place daily. The last week or so in April they are used to their daily pattern and calling seems to taper off a bit. First and second week of May egg laying begins and the changes in the flocks in the afternoon causes increased gobbling at times. If hens are not successful with their first clutch of eggs they will look to be rebreed and try again the end of May or even the first part of June. In June you should start seeing polts (baby’s) with the hens. By mid June calling should return to normal (non mating cycle). Like previously said this is determined by daylight hours and not weather and will change a little depending how far north or south you are hunting. Hope this helps. Good luck with the draw.

What are some of your favorite mouth diaphragm calls for Elk? I always do best with the primos sound plate calls.

It is easiest to make the kee kee call using a turkey mouth diaphragm call. Mouth calls are also the cheapest. Try to find a simple one with not a lot of cuts. Cuts create rasp to your normal yelps and make you sound like an older bird. To make the kee kee on a mouth call put more pressure with your tongue against the reed and say the words pee pee pee. You can also produce them on a glass or aluminum call but it takes a lot of practice and is hard to be consistent using these calls.

Fall turkey is completely different from a spring hunt but still fun. First you need to decide what type of bird you are willing shoot. I target and mainly hunt for Jakes in the fall. They are usually with the main flocks and can be called in with the flock. Hens are also the same and it is up to you if you want to shoot a hen. It is legal and I have shot 2 fall hens but prefer to shoot jakes. To me the fun in hunting turkey is in the calling and that is why I choose to hunt Jakes and hens in the fall. To me the most exciting way to hunt turkeys in the fall is to find a flock and try to split them up. Some people use a loud noise, some people use and train dogs to do it for them. I have had good success with just running as fast as I can into the middle of the flock (don’t try this with a loaded gun). The key to this is to try to get the flock to break up and run in two or three different directions. After a getting a good break stay where you broke the flock up and wait about 5 minutes and start calling with assembly hen yelps and kee kee’s. I have shot 3 fall birds using this method. If you know where the birds are roosting you can call them in when they are assembling after fly down. You can also break them up off the roost before fly down and call them back. I did this for two friends that got there birds a few years back but you have to know where they are roosting. If you are out prospecting and looking for birds use the kee kee. You are imitating a lost baby turkey and they will answer and come in to this more than any other call in the fall. They might occasionally answer regular yelps but will not normally come in. For making kee kee’s I have found mouth calls work best. I have only had luck with owl and crow locator calls in the spring. I have also never used decoys in the fall but I don’t really use them much in the spring either (I don’t like being tied down to a decoy. The other productive fall method is find a water hole they frequent and wait. They do come to water in the fall more than they do in the spring. Not as fun and it doesn’t take much skill other than patience but if you are after a nice long beard this might be your best option. The largest bird I have shot in the fall came from sitting water (10” beard). Mature Tom’s are very difficult and I haven’t had any success calling them in the fall. They will either be alone or in bachelor groups. If you break up a bachelor group they don’t feel the need to reassemble like hens. In trying to locate birds look for what they are eating. In the fall I have found they mostly eat acorns grasshoppers and newly sprouted green grass. First thing in the morning they will target the grasshoppers in more open areas because the grasshoppers are slower from the frost and cold air. Hope this helps and hope you have a successful hunt. If you have any other questions let me know.

3C or 23 are great units. Also unit 1 and 27 but they are a little farther drive.

Knight 50 caliber disc muzzleloader with 26” stainless steel green mountain barrel. Black composite stock and Simmons 3 x 9 x 40 scope. I bought this muzzleloader new in 2001 and shot an Elk with it that year. It has been shot maybe 30 times total. Great accurate muzzleloader, just hate to see it sit in the gun safe unused. I am selling it because I bought a Knight 45 caliber disc extreme a few years ago and don’t shoot the 50 caliber anymore. In 2001 I paid over $500 for this Muzzleloader. Asking $250 (reduced to $220).

Price reduced to $220

Here is the new call I made and donated for the Huachuca Gould's NWTF banquet in Sierra Vista on saturday 7/21. It is a Arizona Walnut pot with Slate calling surface with glass soundboard. The striker head is Hawaiian Koa with a purpleheart dowel. I will not be able to make it but here is the info for anyone wanting to attend. 14th Anniversary Super Fund Banquet to be held on August 4, 2012 at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 156 W. Kayetan Drive, in Sierra Vista, with doors opening at 4:30PM.

The Muzzleloader is still available. Here are a few pictures. The scope has high mounts as shown in the last photo so you can look under and use the guns iron sights.

Here is the new call I made and donated for the NWTF banquet in Phoenix next weekend 7/21. It is a Alligator Juniper pot with green bead blasted anodized aluminum calling surface with glass soundboard. The striker head is Hawaiian Koa with corn cob insert and a purpleheart dowel. It is the call on the right in both pictures. Last year my call was part of the silent auction but I am not sure where it will end up this year.

I shoot the Knight Disc Extreme and you pre load the primers into plastic jackets. Then you just drop them in and close the bolt. When closing the bolt the plastic jacket creates a water tight seal so you don’t have to worry about rain or water only from down the barrel. Then after firing just open the bolt and the jacket and spent primer falls out, no pulling or special tool required.

Love the blue jeans green canvas shirt felt hat and old wood stock side by side. He is doing it the old fashion way. Pretty impressive.

Hens usually lay eggs in late morning or early afternoon. If you get a response out of a tom between 9AM and 3PM quickly find and good close place to sit and call from, chances are he is lonely and coming to your calls. Some hens are currently laying in unit 1. One day we saw 5 different solo hens on their way to catch up to the rest of the flock. We also saw one lonely feeding tom around 1PM. I did get my bird on Saturday. I called in birds both days we hunted. Some were bigger than the bird I shot but its hunting and I wasn’t able to get a shot. The bird I got was a 2 year old with 8” beard and ¾” spurs. He had 2 hens with him. Sorry for the blurry pictures I forgot the camera and only had my phone.

Another trick to try after he hits the ground and leaves with his hens is to go close to the tree he was roosted in and call from there. What he is trying to accomplish by gobbling from the roost is to gather his hens to him before he fly’s down. He will think a hen came to his roost calling and either gobble to call you to him or come back for you. Hope this make sense and helps.

You clean cut and boil the large bone from the wing to the shoulder and do the same with the two bones in next joint of the wing. After you get them cleaned and cut you sand where they fit together to get a nice fit. Then you glue them and I like to wrap and finish them like a fly rod. Here is a picture of one someone else made.

I had the opportunity to take my wife’s little brother on his youth turkey hunt on Thursday. Took him to one of my favorite spots in unit 1 and was able to call in a flock of around 15 turkeys with one strutting tom. He made the perfect shot on the bird at about 10 yards at 6:30 AM. He had a 10” beard and 1” spurs and weighed 20 lbs. He was super excited and I was glad to be a part of his short but successful hunt. After the hunt he said he didn’t want to shoot him to fast because he was enjoying watching him strut at such close range. It was his second bird and the fan will look good on his bedroom wall next to last year’s bird. I will be making him a wing bone call using bones from his turkey’s wing.

I had a Oregon 550T and loved it. Touch screen and easy to use and had all states topo maps pre-loaded. I think the 400 series only has the southwest region loaded. I needed the money for another purchase and miss it. My next one will be another 550T or one of the new Montana series.

My Dad went over to NM today to do a little scouting and buy his license for the upcoming turkey hunt. He just called to inform me the cost of a license and tag went up $65. It will now cost $175 for non-residents to hunt turkey in NM.

I guess this $65 increase is for all big game species. Here is what I found on their website regulations under important changes. On last year’s license it called small game and was optional for non-residents. 1. All Hunters Must Purchase A New License All hunters wishing to purchase or apply for any big game or turkey license, MUST FIRST PURCHASE an annual Game-hunting License or combination Game-hunting and Fishing License. By itself, a Game-hunting License is valid for hunting all small game, both upland and migratory game birds. The purchase of a Game-hunting and Fishing License is valid for fishing in addition to hunting small game.

Check out this place. I dont think he is a CW member but he is a AZ Fly & Tie member and a good guy. fishing / hunting east verde cabin

I will be doing a Turkey hunting seminar at the Mesa Sportsman’s Warehouse on Thursday April 5th from 6PM to 8PM. I will also have some handmade custom calls available for sale before and after the seminar.

Shot guns fit and fill differently for each hunter. For example my dad shoots a Mossberg and loves it but I have never been able to shoot well with it. I have a browning and I shoot well with it but my dad dosent. If you are going to get a gun strictly for turkeys get a camouflage one with fiber optic sights. The choke to get would depend on the gun you are buying. I would settle on a gun that feels good to you and sights up naturally to your eye, then do the research to see what loads and chokes shoot best for that particular gun. Hope this helps.