I think calling too loud is a mistake, I personally feel that's why alot of turkeys get hung up, they think the hen(caller) should be closer(really soft purring can help close the deal)...but I think the biggest mistake is calling to be calling, and not saying anything specific to the gobbler.

Calling while he is on the roost.


I error on the side of calling too little(if possible)

I think calling too much is my biggest problem. If he's on his way, I know I should shut up, but I'm not always patient enough. Its awesome hearing him respond to every little cluck and purr, but I need to learn to shut up and make him come look for me.

I agree with everyone else. I call way to much. When the gobblers coming in, i just have to shut up.

Not being Will Primos's realative

Good one Longbeard...I'd like to add one thing here,a bad set-up makes for a frusterating mistake even when your making sweet music to some ole longbeard and getting good responses!!Much more goes into being a good caller than the actual call itself!

Well stated Bobgobble2,a world champion caller won't make a turkey go where he dosn't want to.Turkey hunting to me is a big chess match,you need to plan your next move ahead of time and or change it according to Mr. toms move or mood on that particular day.Some times the best call is just a suttle rustling of the leaves other times its a hard cuttin yelp,just depends on the game that day.

Personally I think calling on the roost is one of the best ways to bring a big tom in on you instead of him flying down and going with his hen. I have found that if you get into a calling contest between the hen he roosted with that night and yourself and mimic her tree calls only louder and more aggressive that most of the time he will fly down to you and she will have to follow. You can tell when you have got the hens attention her tone will change and she seems aggitated that she isn't the only one whispering sweet nothings to her tom. Tree calling is natural in wild birds i have heard as many as 20 hens in one flock tree calling back and forth and when they started the toms gobbled with em; but i guess that everyone having a different calling method is one of the reasons we love this sport so much.

I agree with the mailman on this one. Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make is calling to him b4 he hits the ground. TOOOOOO MAAANY times I have called to a bird on the roost and he either 1. Shuts Up 2. Gobbles his head off for 2 hours still in the roost waiting for you to come to him. 3. Goes the other way with his hens.

This is a lesson I learned a long time ago and i stick to it!!!! DONT CALL UNTIL HE IS ON THE GROUND!! Besides if there are no hens around and he thinks he is alone he is that more apt to come a runnin when he hits the ground!!

But to answer the question I think there are alot of things. Positioning has to be #1. No matter how good a caller you are if you are in a bad spot he aint comin. #2 would be dont call while he is on the roost. #3 in my opinion it does not matter as far as loud/soft/aggressive calling you have to feel each bird out. Some like it Hot some do not. #4 or #1 next to Positioning.......DONT MOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Calling to a gobbler on the roost is one of the best ways in my opinion to land yourself a gobbler. I will get set up in the direction that he is probably going to because of preseason scouting. If the real hens are going in the opposite direction. Then guess where he will be. I like to set up about 70 to 80 yards from his roost tree. I will start with some soft tree talk, not calling too loud and refraining from yelping. As daylight starts and I feel that he is gobbling good and ready to come down, I will use my gloved hands to mimmick wing beats. I will then give the fly down cackle to let the troops know that we are ready to move out. After doing so I will let out several more wing flapping episodes and make hitting noises with my hands on the leaves. When the old Tom figures out that the troops are moving. He feels compelled to join the group. With this episode I can sound like a half a dozen or more turkies heading out. If that is the way that the flock was heading in the first place or you fly down before the real birds. then you got em' nailed. Thats were a little preseason scouting comes in. Timing is important here. If you don't know the general direction that the turkies will go and it happens that they will feed off in the other direction from where you are at. That Tom will go with them for sure if he can see them and only hear you. I have had this work time and time again. If things get too quiet during the day I can generally spark a shock gobble with a combination of cutting and an intermittant jake gobble. Learn the language and know what to use and when and it will help you decide if you are calling wrong or not.