fingerz42

I have not read this entire article just yet but I will a bit later, but I would also like to add a thing or two which may or may not already be in your article.

If you hunt pressured hunting land, like much of Pennsylvania's hard woods, and the birds have been worked continuously, day after day, it is often useful to use calling techniques that are unique. By unique I mean that if you know guys in the local proximity call solely with yelps, then switch it up and go in and call with clucks, purrs, etc.

Also, and this is what I find most interesting and useful, if hunting on pressured land, LESS is MORE. I have found that pressured birds find out real quick what is worth checking out, and when to run the other direction. In high pressure hunting areas, the birds seem to get accustomed to the concept that a constant or heavy amount of calling turns out to be a fake. The birds find this out a few ways I suspect, one, they get called into a set up and luckily make it out alive. Secondly they may be able to hear enough of the calling to realize, "hmmm, I've never heard a hen call that much.." (Something along those lines.. you get the idea..) Either way, these birds learn that too much calling equals danger.

So my suggestion is to call less, and therefor this should actually increase the response from birds. Calling less may be the perfect change of pace from what the local hunters have done in the past, and therefor the gobbler may come to investigate.

Let me give an example from last year. Last year I repeatedly worked a few birds. I worked one specific gobbler for three days, then switched and worked another gobbler for three days. No success. Each day these birds would gobble so much on roost, just inviting me to answer over and over. And most likely they got their tell tale sign that I wasnt a real hen. So the next day I said hell, I'll try something off pace. I got into the spot and waited for the first gobble. I let him gobble again and again. Finally, I answered with a few tree yelps. Only one series. He gobbled again and again. I let him continue. Finally the gobbles stopped, and I knew he must be on the ground. I gave just a few clucks, and then stayed silent. No answer. Within 5 minutes I can hear him spitting and drumming and he's within 20 yards of me coming off a side hill. A mouth purr later he's at 16 yards and dead.

Bottom line, that day I made a total of THREE calls, yet that bird knew EXACTLY where I was and came in SILENT to my location. Again, sometimes less is better. And when all else fails, it is definitely worth a shot. Not many guys can stay so quiet, since they think they HAVE to continually call to bring in a bird. Dont get lost in that train of thought.