How to actually call in a Turkey?
 

So Iv'e posted a few times here on different topics regarding Turkey Hunting. As I have stated in the previous threads, im a complete newbie to Turkey hunting. I will be giving it a try for the very first time in May. All I really know is from the research I have been doing online.

I read a lot that a common mistake made by new Turkey hunters Is that they will call too often, but I haven't actually found any information on how often exactly to call them. Every 10 minutes? 20 minutes? And for how long each time? What kind of call?

I get a bit intimidated because I know a lot of hunters who are much older and more experienced hunters than myself who Turkey hunt but have someone else make the calls because they aren't good at them and/or don't really know how to.

I bought a mouth call, cant use it to save my life, and Im sure not going to ace it in a month until the season starts. What would be the best basic thing for me to do being new? I was thinking buying a box call, they seem relatively easy, and maybe a slate call. I guess no one takes just one call with them.

I just set up trail cams a few days ago, I want to start scouting them right up until the season starts in hopes to find where they tend to travel. I will be hunting out of a ground blind. Here in NY, Spring Turkey season goes until noon. Im thinking I should be in my blind by around 5am? When should I start calling?

Thanks for any advice!

A HS Strut championship box call is a good choice and easy to use. You cold practice to Real Turkey voices and Lovett Williams has a few Cds out which are a good tool. I play them in my truck every year to get toned up and my ear in tune. Lovett takes the time to explain each call of why it is used and when. But mastering a simple Yelp or a series of 3 to 4 Yelps is all you need. Those calling contests and represent outdoor videos we see is mostly hype.
Also go up to the Tips and Tricks forum here and read or re-read all the info there as it will help with pot or slate calls and how to use them.

At times if I am using a blind I am in that blind a lot early than 5 am. Where the birds are roosted makes a big difference for me. Now in your scouting do look for East Facing field/woodlot edges using cut cornfields as a starting place.
Why? Hens that fly down start to feed almost immediately. An east facing field edge warms up quicker with the sun, and I have found is a good strut zone.
Find the hens and follow them and you will find the Tom. There are field edges I know with the above requirements that hens visit frequently and Toms will show up.

I won't say a thing if I am in a blind until I start to hear tree top gobbles. On real quiet days this is frustrating as I stay silent.
If the tom gobbles I let him go for quite some time upwards to a half hr or more depending on what time the tom gobbles. I will call to him and do listen if he gobbles right back to me. I may call once or twice more but that is it. Now each tom is different and you will learn when to call and when not to. That is a live experience lesson no one can teach you as you need to be there live to do it and learn yourself. Don't fret about mistakes , as by mistakes that is how we learn but then again don't over call. Long periods of silence at times is far better.
It is after all, a cat and mouse game. we play out there in nature The tom gobbles to call his hens to him. in the morning The hen answers to the Toms gobbles by yelping and clucking back. That is the trick - how much calling do you do? And no one can tell you how much to call. Each bird is different. It all depends on that toms mood.
There are times I call softly once or twice and I am done and the tom comes in and others I need to be aggressive to get him my way.
And then there are others the tom only comes so far and stops or hangs up.

But it is good you are scouting. I like to set a blind up if I use one in a high traffic area and will spend the day waiting.

If no gobbles I will not call a bit until I figure fly-down is done. Well after day light. Then I call every 15 minutes or so using a variety of calls - a box or two, a slate or two, a diaphragm or two. I go though each call starting as soft as I can then I get loud. Then I put the calls down and just listen. But once I hear a gobble I will immediately call back using the call that elicited that gobble. If he doesn't answer back and a pause of silence I just go back to my 15 minute mark sometimes longer as I am napping :)! But if I get a gobble within my deaf hearing range I just stay put and make a day of it.
I have taken a lot of toms between 9 and noon! Just be patient.

JW

It's not about calling within certain time periods, i.e. every 20 minutes or 10 minutes. It is more about frequency in a short period of time.

The natural order of things is for the gobbler to wake up, gobble to let the hens know where he is, go to his strutting spot and wait for the hens to arrive. Calling him in is short circuiting the natural order.

So in regards to over calling.....Let's say that you have scouted and found an area that a gobbler is roosting. You ease in and try to get around 100 yards of him on the roost. At this point you make some very light calls...3-4 yelps that are very low with a few clucks. Tree yelps. If he answers you that first time let him simmer for a few minutes. After a short time give him a few more but keep them quiet. If he answers again just wait.

This is where the fun begins. Sometimes he comes to you, sometimes he doesn't. Once he is on the ground you can pick it up some. Start with some clucks. If he answers you are in good shape. A few yelps but still keep it easy. The key here is to not be too aggressive.

If he is really fired up you could fart and he would answer. If he isn't gobbling as hard you have to take it easier. Clucks and a seldom yelp will do. You don't want to call just to hear him gobble. What you really need to focus on is how hard the bird is gobbling or not. Overcalling has more to do with pushing him harder than he needs. If you call too hard he assumes you are a receptive hen that is about to come to him.

Just to add a couple of things. Toms don't always gobble. Just because you don't hear any gobbles doesn't mean they aren't there. Many times they will come to your calls silent. You have to be aware of this. To be a successful turkey hunter you have to be PATIENT. Just like JW said, you don't have to be a world champion caller to call in a turkey. You will learn from trial and error when to call and when not to call. It's a learning progress that will take a little time. Sometimes it will be easy and sometimes it will be downright impossible to call in a particular bird. Just a word of caution, when you call in and take that first gobbler, you will be hooked for life. It's an awesome experience.

Welcome to turkey hunting. A box call is probably the easiest to use, yelp.
If u get a pot call, slate call, they are fairly easy with a little practice. A pot call
Is also good for yelps, but great for clucks and or purrs and cutting.
Practice the mouth call in you car while driving. Try and work on the basic calls you
Will need. I would learn a yelp 1st and the some cutting. Next is a cluck, which is just
A softer cut. The main thing that you are already doing is scouting. Find where they roost,
And where the head after they fly down. Then just set up in between those spots.
Unfortunately it is trial and error. I and every other hunter have had to learn things the hard
Way. Just store the good and the bad and learn from it. Try not to repeat your mistakes.
But remember every bird is different and may do different things on different days.
Good luck and enjoy.

Not trying to be smart...but the latex end of the mouth call should be facing towards your lips --- not towards your gullet.

Excellent advice already given, the one thing I would
add is ---if you can locate a spot where a Tom likes
to go and strutt and get there ahead of him , half
the battle is won.

The second thing I would say is that often a real
hen will come to a gobbling tom and when he sees
the hen he will fly down to join her. Your only
chance at that point is to get the hen excited enough
to come check you out and hope the Tom follows.
If that fails better to go try another spot and return
around 10-11am after the hen has hopefully gone
to her nest and the Tom may just be ready to
come to your calls then.

Good Luck

I'd say the more you know about "WILD" Turkey's the better at how much and how long to callquestion will be answered.... As far as calls go... Box call hard to beat!!!

here is a quick question...i have shot some turkeys over the last few years, i got a real nice Tom and all, but i wanna get my calling down better than i do now. I am usually with my box call and mouth call. I have had experiences where i am actually having a full conversation with a tom and he gets closer and closer and then nothing. And i have also had experiences the opposite of that. Myquestion is how do i know if i am over calling or under calling even if i am "having a conversation" with the bird?

NjHunter85-- Sometimes you just need to guess what that tom is thinking. With turkeys, the natural way of life if for the hens to go to the tom, so calling a bird in is a challenge. You have to let him hear what he wants to hear. Some birds get really fired up, as in gobbling the second he even hears your first yelp and responding to every call you make, and will come in fast and hot for the hen (you). Other birds might gobble on occasion, but not to every call you make. These birds are usually less excited, more interested in the hen coming to him, etc. When I call, I usually try to measure the tom's level of excitement and match it. A bird that's constantly gobbling will get a few more responses out of me than a bird that's quiet.

As the bird gets closer, I will usually get really light with the calls or stop calling all together. If you continue to call heavily, the tom might hang up thinking "hey, this hen has the hots for me and she's going to come to me." By letting up or going quiet, you prevent that way of thinking and instead the tom will often come in to make sure another tom hasn't responded to the hen or to strut for the hen to try to get her attention back on him.

I consider it to be over calling when you start calling just to hear the tom gobble. Think about it, most guys aren't fond of a girl who constantly runs her mouth. Have a small conversation with him but keep him guessing. I don't really think you can under call a bird, just calling once means the tom usually knows where you are at that point and if he wants to come, he will come. Light calling is probably still the better strategy with a bird that is doing little to no gobbling though.