6 Best Locator Calls For Finding Turkeys That Cut Through Wind and Terrain

The wind is ripping across the ridge, making the pre-dawn woods sound like a freight train. You know there are gobblers in the hollow below, but your standard owl hoot gets swallowed by the noise before it travels fifty yards. This is the moment a specialized locator call isn’t a luxury; it’s the only tool that will get you an answer and a starting point for the morning’s hunt.

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Why a Loud Locator Call is Crucial for Success

A locator call isn’t about sweet-talking a gobbler into your lap. Its job is simple and aggressive: to make a sound so surprising or irritating that a nearby tom can’t help but gobble in response. This is called a "shock gobble," and it’s your key to pinpointing a bird’s location without ever making a turkey sound.

In perfect, calm conditions, almost any locator will do. But turkey country is rarely perfect. Wind, thick foliage, and deep, rolling hills all absorb and distort sound, rendering weaker calls useless. A loud, high-pitched call with a sharp, cutting tone has the acoustic power to slice through these environmental barriers, reaching a gobbler’s ear when other sounds fade into the background noise.

Think of it like this: a soft, rolling owl hoot is great for quiet mornings, but on a blustery day, you need the sharp crack of a crow’s caw or the piercing scream of a hawk. Your locator call is your long-range sonar. Choosing one with enough volume to overcome your hunting conditions is the first step to a successful setup.

Primos Power Crow: The Classic High-Volume Call

If you’re standing on a windy point trying to strike a bird across a wide valley, the Primos Power Crow is a go-to for a reason. This call is built for one thing: raw, ear-splitting volume. It doesn’t require a lot of finesse to operate, making it an excellent choice for both beginners and seasoned hunters who just need a loud, reliable crow sound.

The beauty of the Power Crow lies in its simplicity and durability. Made of tough plastic, it’s virtually weatherproof and can handle being tossed around in a vest for seasons on end. While it may not produce the most subtly realistic crow caws, that’s not its primary mission. Its purpose is to be loud and piercing, and it accomplishes that mission exceptionally well. For an all-around, high-volume workhorse, it’s hard to beat.

Woodhaven The Real Owl: For Authentic Roost Locating

The first and last thirty minutes of daylight are prime time for locating birds on the roost. This is where a realistic owl hooter shines, and The Real Owl from Woodhaven is a fantastic option. Its design allows for deep, throaty hoots that carry exceptionally well in the still, heavy air of dawn and dusk.

Unlike a high-pitched shock call, a good owl call is about realism. You want to sound like a barred owl staking its territory, a natural sound that prompts a gobbler to sound off and give away his roost tree. This requires more practice than a simple crow call; you need to master the cadence and tone. But the payoff is huge, as a realistic hoot is less likely to feel out of place to a wary old tom. It’s the perfect tool for calm evenings spent mapping out the next morning’s hunt.

MFK Dagger Howler: Piercing Sound for Open Country

Hunting turkeys in wide-open agricultural fields or the expansive plains presents a unique challenge. Sound travels far, but so does the wind. This is where a coyote howler, like the MFK Dagger, can be an absolute game-changer. Its high-frequency, sharp howl is acoustically designed to cut through wind like a knife.

Many hunters in the big woods have never even considered a howler, but out west, it’s a staple. Turkeys, especially in areas with predator populations, will often shock gobble at the sound of a coyote. It’s a different, more guttural shock than a crow caw, and it can be just the ticket for birds that have grown accustomed to more common locator calls. It’s a specialized tool, but in the right terrain, it’s unmatched.

Zink Power Peacock: A Unique, High-Pitched Option

What do you do when you’re hunting public land and every bird has heard every crow and owl call in the book? You throw them a curveball. The Zink Power Peacock call produces a loud, screaming, high-pitched sound that is completely alien to most gobblers, and that novelty is its greatest strength.

The unique frequency of a peacock call cuts through the woods’ ambient noise differently than other calls. It’s a sharp, attention-grabbing sound that can jolt a response out of a "call-shy" bird that has learned to ignore more common locators. It’s not a sound you’ll use all the time, but having it in your vest gives you a secret weapon for highly pressured situations. When nothing else works, the peacock often will.

Primos Pileated Woodpecker: A Sharp, Cutting Tone

Sometimes the best locator is one that blends in perfectly with the natural environment. The loud, maniacal call of a pileated woodpecker is a common sound in mature forests and river bottoms, and the Primos Pileated Woodpecker call replicates it with a sharp, cutting tone. This isn’t about pure volume, but about a distinct, rhythmic sound that carries surprisingly well.

This call is an excellent choice for working your way down a creek bottom or through a dense stand of timber. It’s a natural sound, so it’s less likely to put a gobbler on high alert than a sudden, out-of-place coyote howl. It’s a fantastic mid-day locator when you’re moving and trying to strike a bird without sounding like every other hunter in the woods. It’s another great tool for adding variety to your locating arsenal.

Quaker Boy Screamin’ Hawk: For High-Wind Shocking

When the wind is howling and you’re about to give up, you need a call built for pure, unadulterated shock value. The Quaker Boy Screamin’ Hawk is exactly that. It produces a piercing, high-pitched scream of a red-tailed hawk, a sound designed to elicit an involuntary, reflexive gobble.

This is your Hail Mary call. It’s not subtle, and it’s not particularly realistic, but it is incredibly loud and sharp. That sharp pitch is key to slicing through wind noise when other, lower-toned calls are simply lost. If you’re struggling to get a response on a blustery afternoon, a few sharp screams from a hawk call can be the only thing that will cut through the gale and get you an answer.

Choosing Your Call: Matching Sound to Your Terrain

There is no single "best" locator call. The right choice depends entirely on your environment, the weather, and the temperament of the birds you’re hunting. The key is to build a small, versatile system.

• For General Use & Mixed Woods: A loud crow call like the Primos Power Crow is your most versatile starting point.
• For Roosting & Calm Mornings: A realistic owl hooter like the Woodhaven Real Owl is essential.
• For High Wind & Open Country: A coyote howler or a hawk call will give you the power to cut through the noise.
• For Pressured Birds: A unique sound like a peacock or pileated woodpecker can make all the difference.

The goal isn’t to carry a dozen calls. It’s to carry two or three that offer different pitches and volumes. Start with a crow and an owl. Then, based on your specific terrain and the pressure in your area, consider adding a third, more specialized call. This allows you to adapt to changing conditions and give the gobblers a variety of sounds to respond to.

Remember, a locator call only tells you where to start the hunt. The real skill is in the setup, the patience, and the woodsmanship that follows. Don’t get bogged down searching for the perfect piece of gear; pick a couple of reliable calls, learn to use them, and focus on spending time in the woods. The best locator call is the one that gets you an answer and starts your adventure.