I suppose we would all prefer to call a bird plenty, to the point of excess, rather than keeping things to a minimum. I know I would. I have to be careful not to get carried away by his gobbling and end up exerting more effort there than I am trying to get him in, even though I enjoy hearing him gobble. And that doesn’t put nearly as many birds over your shoulder. I had persuaded myself by the early 1990s that I could break a bird with enough calls. And so began the lesson for me in standoffs between man and turkey. The same bird that started the local instruction on “how not to call a turkey” eventually became well-known in my community. I believe that I am the only reason he hasn’t been killed by a hunter, at least not that I am aware of. Each and every person who tried him went home with their tail tucked between their legs, just like me, after this bird and I introduced ourselves in the morning.
He was one of those obnoxious birds that gobbled at everything that first morning, including trains, airplanes, owls, crows, and geese. I started on him hot and heavy and he was eating it up. After taking off, he quickly closed the distance, and ten minutes later, I could hear him drumming loudly and disappearing out of sight to my left. I continued adding more, and ten minutes later, he was in front of me on a slight elevation not more than fifty yards away.
This is where I slowly came unraveled and the transformation began. Over the next ten years, my perspective gradually changed as I came to understand that I could raise my chances of killing a few more turkeys by periodically lowering my calling. I absolutely hammered that bird for a full 90 minutes. He strutted, drummed and I believe he nearly gobbled himself to death. I finally convinced myself he was close enough, without him ever taking a step inside 55 yards, and peppered him with a load of #4 shot. His name was Sergeant Pepper from this point forward. I think the cumulative knowledge I gained from this turkey was greater than any single bird since. He was downright mean.
It was a hard lesson learned but one of great value. When you overcall a bird and watch him disappear because of it, you don’t easily forget it. Unfortunately, those lessons will likely repeat themselves in various forms. The earlier you can recognize them, the less frequently they will happen and the more benefit you will receive.
One of the simplest traps to fall into when facing a wild turkey gobbler is this one. A typical tendency while engaged with a hot gobbling bird is to want to pour it on him. That’s exactly what happened in the aforementioned hunt, and after it was over, I realized why he never went into tight spaces to take a shot. Sometimes it is ok to call a lot to a bird. Generally speaking, if he is giggling a lot, you can get away with calling him more frequently. That is unless he is standing in full view of you while you do it. It makes no sense for him to walk to the place where he expects to see her because he can clearly see that there isn’t a hen there. Sometimes he might gobble all the way to his demise. Other times, though, he might put the brakes on and lock it down out of range. Knowing the message we are giving a bird when we repeatedly hit him with the call is crucial. It is possible, and probably will be, for a gobbler to read it as an indication that you are a hen who is very keen to spend time with him. It is also very possible that it will cause him to hang up. His reasoning is not that he is considering the circumstances, but rather that if you are a hen that is that hot and excited, you will come to him. But if you’re not careful, eventually he’ll get tired of waiting for you, and then one of three things will happen. The least likely of the three possibilities is that he will show up in gun range. The other two possibilities are that either you will give up expecting him to show up and leave, or he will get tired of waiting for you to show up. There is simply no need to call to a gobbler that is already on the way. If he is getting closer and continuing to gobble here and there, let him come. If you can see him, and he is coming, let him come. Everyone enjoys hearing the gobble, but if it means there are more flopping turkeys, I’ll take fewer gobbles.
Hey there fellow turkey tamers! Ever wondered when to crank up the volume and unleash your inner turkey talker? Well, buckle up, because we’re about to dive into the wild and wonderful world of aggressive turkey calling.
The Conventional Wisdom: Less is More?
Traditionally, turkey hunting advice has preached a gospel of restraint. “Yelp three times and shut up,” they’d say. “Give the toms time to commit and don’t over-call.” But let me tell you this ain’t always the gospel truth.
Toms can be called in with the occasional yelp, of course, or you can simply wait for them to notice your decoys and move. Or, you can scratch in the leaves and hope for the best. But where’s the fun in that?.
The Truth: Hens Don’t Follow the Rules
If you’ve ever observed real-life hens, you’ll realize they don’t exactly abide by the “less is more” mantra. These chatty ladies are constantly vocalizing, engaging in a lively conversation that’s anything but quiet. So why should we, as turkey imitators, hold ourselves back?
When to Get Loud and Proud
Please refrain from making a lot of calls just for fun. Especially if you’re still honing your turkey-talking skills. Sometimes subtlety is essential, especially when dealing with stressed birds or inclement weather.
But there are also situations where cranking up the volume is your best bet for a positive response. Let’s explore some scenarios where aggressive calling can work wonders:
Spooked Turkeys: Heard the dreaded putt? Don’t despair! I once had a hen silently approach, putt, and start walking away I grabbed my slate call and started cutting aggressively. She switched gears and started yapping back Within minutes, she was in our spread, purring quietly, and a monster tom strutted in at 75 yards! Aggressive talk can salvage encounters you thought were doomed.
Midday Lull: Stuck in a midday slump? Don’t just sit there in silence. If you have a partner, try calling back and forth like a full-blown turkey party. This can spark some serious action. If you’re solo, learn to use a mouth call and a slate or box call simultaneously. Mimic the sounds of dominant hens clashing, and you might just entice a hesitant tom to commit.
The Noncommittal Bird: See a strutting tom with hens who just doesn’t seem interested? These guys are usually with hens, so they have little reason to leave their ladies. But a little aggressive calling can change that. Try some intense clucking, cutting, and purring. The purring often seals the deal, as it signals dominance to both hens and toms.
Master Your Calls, Master the Game
Make sure you’re comfortable calling before you let your inner turkey whisperer loose. Practice making accurate calls and pick up the different vocalizations of toms and hens.
Remember, aggressive calling isn’t a magic bullet, but it’s a powerful tool in your turkey-hunting arsenal. Use it wisely, and you might just find yourself surrounded by gobblers ready to play.
Bonus Tip: Learn from the Masters
Watch the YouTube video “How to Get a Turkey to Come to You” to witness aggressive calling in action. In it, pro turkey caller Tony Peterson shows off how to entice wary toms with aggressive calling.
You’ll be calling in those gobblers like a pro with a little practice and the appropriate strategy, so go forth and unleash your inner turkey whisperer!
Lesson #3: Pressured Bird Calling
Here is another bird that will test your restraint. The old battle-tested warriors. These birds have heard and seen a lot in their lifetime. Some have been stung, too, as was the aforementioned Sergeant Pepper. Many have followed a friend who was going to a caller, only to watch as he was blown to pieces, or they may have just learned a valuable lesson by ambushing an unsuspecting hunter. For whatever reason, there are several reasons why a turkey can have the best chance of survival each spring of its life. Not necessarily, but I believe that these birds grow apprehensive when they receive calls and even more so when they attempt to locate the source of the call. Some of these types of birds will still respond but they prefer to hold their ground. Others might never open their mouth but might take forever and a day to show up. When hunting these types of birds, I treat them similarly. Although I have the attitude that it will take some time, I still think they will eventually appear. A good, long while. Your patience will be tested to the extreme with these boys. Let them know you’re there and settle in. Resisting the urge to call much is paramount here. If you don’t think you’ll be able to sit still and avoid calling for long stretches of time, you might need to act right away to make sure you can. If you use a mouth call, spit it out. If it’s a box or a pot call, put it back in your vest.
Lesson #2: Out of Sight Calling
One of the hardest turkeys to kill is one that gobbles little or none at all. I know that there’s a good chance I left a few birds in the woods, and that after I decided to pack it up and head home, they might have come back to my setup because I didn’t think they would. I simply didn’t give them enough time to get there, and I think that by calling so frequently, I actually made it take them longer to arrive. It’s easier to make this mistake when he never gobbles after you locate him. I can sit on a bird for hours if it will occasionally gobble, but it can be hard to stay long enough if he never opens his mouth. If you can’t see a possible approaching bird, you might be able to back off from calling when needed, but it can be difficult to know when to call. You might never be certain if the birds you are calling will actually show up in your calling range. All it takes is one call at the wrong time to turn a hunt in the wrong direction. Again, if a bird is coming, you don’t need to call. But how can you tell if he’s getting closer or not when he’s not talking or you can’t see him?
That’s a good question and the answer is easy; you don’t. Therefore, assuming that he is coming in is preferable to assuming that he isn’t. Give him time and leave the call alone. For me, it goes back to the old school way of turkey hunting in this situation. The hunters from “way back when” would make three or five calls before going silent for between thirty and sixty minutes. They killed too many turkeys to argue the point. It is important to remember that a bird knows where you are during a hunt, even if you hit it and it never goesbbles again. I honestly believe that every bird I strike is on the way until he convinces me otherwise. It has helped me close the deal countless times over the years.
Dealing With Gobblers That Won’t Come To Calls
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