I’m interested in going out for turkey for the first time this season. I’ve been digging through the older posts but I have not been able to find the info I’m looking for. I see a lot of discussion over box, friction, and diaphragm calls, but not a lot of discussion regarding what sounds and sequences work best or what the various sounds mean.

1) For locating turkeys, it seems that many prefer to use a crow call. Crows have MANY calling sequences and each mean something different. Which crow sequence works best to find turkey, why do turkeys respond to it (and with what sequence do they respond), and what time of day is best to do this? It would make sense to me to do it towards the evening so you can find where the turkeys will be roosting so you can bust ‘em the next morning.

2) As far as the actual act of calling in toms or jakes, what calls (sequences) work best, and what do they mean? When I say calls, I’m not asking if a box, a friction or a diaphragm call is best. I guess I’m asking, what are the basic sounds I need to practice making and what do they mean? Is there a widely-accepted resource that discusses “turkey talk 101” so that one can better understand WHAT sounds to make (by themselves or in combination with other sounds), WHEN to make them, and WHY?

THANKS!!

Thats alot of questions right there.
I am not an expert, but I can help you out a little.
To locate a bird you need to shock him into gobbling, that is why it is called shock gobble. In the morning I preffer an owl call, in the late morning and afternoon I use the crow call. You want to sound like a real bird, crow or owl. It is the sudden loud sound that makes the turkey gobble. You can you tube all the birds, to get the sounds, owl, crow and turkey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fppKGJD3Y6c
As far as turkey calls. The main ones you need to use are the yelp a cutt and a cluck.
Start off soft and slow. Again you want to sound like or mimic the birds mood in the area and on a given day.
I hope this helps. John

I've not had much luck with the crow call, so I stopped using it. However, I hunt public land with pressure. I get them to shock gobble with an owl call in the morning, and later in the day high-pitched (aluminum or crystal) yelps on a slate.

If I catch a gobbler on the roost, I give him 3 subtle yelps. If he responds with a gobble, I repeat the sequence. If I stike one later in the day, I give him more of whatever he responded to.

I have killed most of my gobblers with 3 yelp sequences on a diaphragm.

HERE is a link to the NWTF's page on turkey sounds. Check it out. There are also hunting tips on their site. Take a look at it and you should find some great info.

rw

Thanks for the info and tips. hunt12ga, that's exactly what I was looking for as far as understanding what the different calls mean. I guess it's a good idea not to use the putt call, eh?

what i like to do is if i can get set up 75 to a 100 yards from a roosted gobbler i yelp 5 - 6 times real softly and a few soft clucks and if i know when he flys down i call a little louder with yelps but if he acts like he isnt intrestedi take my turkey wing and make him think that a hen just flew down the i will go silent a then if its needed i will give him a couple of purrs and take my hand and rake the leaves but it really depends on the bird i would learn as much as possible from the internet but you will really learn when your in the woods