when do turkeys start calling?

huntnteen · 02-13-2008, 06:20 PM

what time of the spring do they normally start calling? i have a place thats no-hunting but i goto to practice and im wondering when it would even be worth my time to go

Simp · 02-13-2008, 06:49 PM

I guess it depends on what part of the country you're in as to when they start gobbling. Up here, I haven't heard any gobble yet. I haven't heard any turkeys to be honest with you. I hear that down in Florida they're knocking peoples hats off already with their gobbling.

SwampCollie · 02-13-2008, 06:55 PM

They never stop calling! Right behind my duck blinds here in VA turkeys love to roost up. Heck on warmer mornings when the crows get to flying the gobblers will sound off in the middle of the winter. You'll hear tree and assembly calls... kee kees... lots of cackles heck you name it.

They never ever shut up... in the spring they just call for different reasons... infact I honestly think they call MORE in the fall and winter just because they are more "group" oriented. They all split up in the spring to do the boy/girl thing. You hear more gobbling and more yelping in the spring... but turkeys are always calling.

huntnteen · 02-13-2008, 07:47 PM

i know that hens never shut up im in CA and have just been iching to go out and get ready for turkey season

Arrowmaster · 02-13-2008, 08:15 PM

Well for one I have 3 turkeys here at home. They are easterns. Ive raised these turkeys for 9 years now. They are my pets and part of my family. Turkeys are always chatting. I know these are penned turkeys but everyday they are always talking to each other. I would say that all turkeys communicate in the wild. As for yelping from my hen, she does that whenever she chooses too. Mainly during the spring and summer months. But on warm days in the winter its not uncommon for her to start yelping. As for purrs and clucks. Thats year round. Gobbling from the toms is generally on warmer days. But when spring and summer are here its sometimes a gobble fest. I know some will say those are penned turkeys, but in the wild Ive heard toms gobble in the winter. Hens cluck purr and yelp in the wild all year round. Ive heard them. I had to laugh tonight at one of my toms, I was watering them and I had a plastic bucket with ice in it. I filled his bucket with water and he got mad making gobbler purrs at me. I thought whats his problem. He usually doesnt get this way with me. Well the bucket had a hole in it and he couldnt get a drink. He was mad. you could see he was mad. Well he got a new bucket and was then happy. He was just purring away. So turkeys are always vocal. As for calling to turkeys in the spring. I would only do it during turkey season. Unless you have pet turkeys then call to them whenever you want.

superstrutter · 02-13-2008, 09:06 PM

Late Feb. or early March in the south.

huntnteen · 02-13-2008, 09:42 PM

they my as well be pets, it is a public, regional park, so there is absolutely NO hunting, i go there to practice on wild birds with no pressure, i go there just to see if i can get one strutting, there is no shooting involved, ecept by camera

SwampCollie · 02-13-2008, 11:11 PM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: huntnteen

they my as well be pets, it is a public, regional park, so there is absolutely NO hunting, i go there to practice on wild birds with no pressure, i go there just to see if i can get one strutting, there is no shooting involved, ecept by camera

There is almost no better way to learn in my opinion. Thats how I learned to call ducks (in hunting situations)and geese. Its those small noises that are hard to get just right sometimes. You've got the right idea!

MrGobbler43 · 02-14-2008, 02:21 AM

I'll hear turkey 12 months a year have heard many gobblers sound off in mid summer and winter but to respond to your calling that depends on where your at here in Ohio you can start hearing them gobble sometimes as early as the second week in March then again sometimes ya wont hear them till latter part of April weather plays a big factor i think in there responce to the call...

MrGobbler

TR Michels · 02-14-2008, 10:47 AM

Because I've researched and photographed turkeys since 2000, and because I can watch and listen to them on a daily basis, I can tell you that toms can and do strut and gobble during every month of the year.

The photo attached was taken in mid-January.

But, peak gobbling occurs in the spring, generally with two noticable gobbling peaks, one before peak breeding, and one after peak breeding.

Toms gobble to express dominance and breeding readiness, so they gobble frequently when they aretrying to establish dominance and looking for hens - before the hens are read to breed. This results in a pre-breeding gobbling peak.

Then when they are with the hens, they don't need to gobbe as uch - because they are already with the hens - soto express sominance and breeding readiness - they strut and use the spit and drum. This resulst in a peak breeding - gobbling lull (decrease).

One many of the hens have been bred, and start nesting, the toms may not see as many hens - but they are still interested in breeding- so they start gobbling frequenly again. This results in a post peak breeding - gobbling peak.

To find out when peak gobbling occcurs in your area do a Google search for "Peak Gobbling Dates".

If you have questions - fire away.

I can't be notified by e-mail (registrationwould not accept a Yahoo account), so feel free to e-mail me at TRMichels@yahoo.com, and I'll get here ASAP.