just noticed we have no thread/topic specific to turkey hunting, just small game, (or did I miss it). back to point. I've seen lots of soft/sexy/seductive type calling used, and it probably will call in more birds in total but toms are surrounded by their hens that are already making those sounds. I usually start calling that way but when it's not working will resort to my N.Y. style which suits my personality and people skills better, call LOUD/FAST/OBNOXIOUS and irritate/piss off the most dominant/aggressive birds, granted it doesn't work on most but when you can piss the crap out of one of those big boys they will gobble back loud/angry and come in fast looking for a fight and not paying much attention to their surroundings. down side is you may scare some immature birds away and give away your position. it worked out last night but the would be tough guy smaller male chickened out at the last minute at app 50 yds, called him in from several hundred yds in about 10 minutes. saw 7 birds, 3 smaller toms and 4 hens. fly up was at 7:45 and the last bird roosted in the oak I was sitting against.
Moved to the correct forum
:tung
Assuming I don't have a bird located the night before and am setting up blindly in the morning.....I usually do one series of soft tree yelps on my glass pot call right at gray light and put it down. At fly down I will let out a very loud fly down cackle on my mouth call. After that it is pretty much clucks and purrs only on one of my pot calls
If I have hens answering I do try to get agressive with them. Usually loud cutting on the pot call or mouth call
The most effective call I have learned recent years is scratching in the leaves. Just reach your hand down and rake the leaves in a cadence of 4. If you watch turkeys(or chickens) they will usually scratch with one foot, twice with the other, and once again with the first foot. So basically its scratch(pause) scratch scratch(pause)scratch. its a natural feeding sound for them and will put birds at ease
If I have a bird gobbling on the roost, I will tree yelp to him one time and WILL NOT call to him anymore. I learned my lesson about getting into a calling match with a roosted bird. 9 out of 10 times he will win that battle. I will wait him out and as soon as I hear him fly down, I will hit him with a fly down cackle and get the gun ready
The bird I just whacked, and the 2 hens he was with loved my loud cackle sequence. It is my go to call after the morning fly down, and when the birds get lock jaw. I usually use that call after 10:00, and on windy days it is a deadly call. I use an aluminum pot call which has a real sharp tone to it. True slate, or glass calls just do not have as high of a pitch to them. I do carry all 3 types for different scenarios.
when hunting turkeys in the mtn's we would walk along ridge lines just before fly down and call into valleys to locate and needed something loud. box calls and peacock calls were the loudest. toms were finaly gobbling back at the many owls last night at sunset. they are becoming more vocal daily. noticed even small jakes with no beards had like 2 hens with them, no shortage of turkey punnani I guess. the 1 big tom I saw had at least 4-6 hens with him and a couple jakes looking for sloppy seconds.
Saturday morning I heard a hen yelping not too loudly but extremely fast as I was picking up my decoys. To the point that I was sure it was another hunter. Problem was I looked down the trail and could see the only other 2 guys in this area walking towards me about 500 yds. out. I waited for them to get to me and mentioned it and the guy said he heard it too. I've never heard a hen yelp so fast.
