How loud to call?
 

I typically run and gun, sitting is boring :-)


How loud do you call? I tend to start low and quiet, if nothing answers I will call again a bit louder.


I've gotten answers from FAR away when not doing loud calls, but also gotten answers in close when doing louder calls.


What's the right volume? or is it another "whatever works that day?"

"whatever works that day"
yep

depends on the area and the birds in it, too.

I have two simple rules:

1) Always start soft - you can easily overcall a close bird but it's really difficult to undercall any bird.

If there's no answer with a soft call, I will occasionally crank the volume with a friction call with little disregard. My opinion is that if the bird heard the soft call and was already on his way, then it doesn't matter if you crank it up because it usually won't scare him off - rather, it usually triggers a shock gobble from an otherwise quiet bird (and in effect lets me raise my gun).

2) Once the bird answers he decides every thing - use his responses to dictate whether you call soft or loud, fast or slow, passive or aggressive.

Caveat here is that I might not always be talking to him, but rather 'her' - the dominant hen who he's following. I've had great success ignoring the tom and cutting off the dominant hen, which makes her jealous and sends her on a search and destroy mission. On the other hand, I've also recently been quite successful sweet talking the dominant hen - you won't hear much about this technique, but (at least for me) it's been very effective in some of the regions I like to hunt...

And of course, always respect these two mantras and add 'when turkey hunting' to the end (like adding 'in bed' to the fortune from your Chinese fortune cookie).

1) Expect the unexpected
2) Anything that can go wrong will go wrong


S&R

S&R,

One other thing worth mentioning; no animal that is on every predators menu continuously calls loudly from the same spot.

Actually I use that technique (decoys and everything) to kill a lot of coyotes once they get use to my FoxPro.

Sheridan - I assumed Bob was asking about run and gun techniques. And although I understand what you're saying, spring turkeys are the exception to your comment. I've seen toms gobble from the same spot for hours every day for weeks on end - much of it depends on perceived threats. If they're never spooked or alarmed they'll remain vocal for extended periods of time.

S&R,

Our "perceived threats" here in SoCal are coyotes (and sometimes turkey hunters).

If Turkeys stay in one spot calling loudly here they become lunch !!!

I would think cats would be a problem there too, yes?

My experience (east coast and Oregon) is that coyotes will sneak up on any tom, gobbling or not. Toms tend to stick to their leks, and therefore the dogs and cats (bobcats in the east) can pattern the birds.

Thus, I think it's the strutting more than anything. I've seen yotes stalk silent toms, the gobbler simply doesn't see the yote approaching - and the yotes have learned to close ground when the backside of the fan is facing them...

I'm not sure about SoCal, but horned owls also take a fair share of foolish jakes right off the limb in the Northeast...

Yes, we have cats here too.

I have 2 "rugs" hanging on my wall.

I am originally from New Jersey, so I know what great horned owls can do also.

I find for myself it depends.. Here turkeys can be vocal for a while and then shut right off.. Maybe it is a tom and hen ratio I am not sure. But here the hunting has been slow for most everyone. Our way of hunting is mostly in and around woods so it varies a lot. They can be vocal early in the morning and then nothing. This nothing can last for around a week and start right back up for a day or 2. How loud depends on how close they are when they start coming at you. Yes we have a large predator issue as well but a vocal tom most commonly is on the move and trying to stay ahead of him is where it is at most of the time.

I always start soft then get louder. A lot of times I hold off if I am not hearing anything I will try to call a few times at most when the birds are silent.