Ah, the wild turkey, a magnificent creature whose presence graces forests and fields across North America. But beyond their striking plumage and elusive nature lies a fascinating world of communication, expressed through a diverse array of vocalizations.
With the help of this thorough guide, we explore the meanings behind the gobbles, yelps, clucks, and other sounds made by wild turkeys, delving into their symphony. Knowing their language helps us relate to these amazing birds on a deeper level and improves our ability to engage with them as hunters, observers, or just people who appreciate their untamed beauty.
The Hen’s Repertoire: A Chorus of Communication
The female wild turkey or hen possesses a versatile vocal range, using various calls to communicate with other hens, gobblers, and even their young poults. Let’s explore some of the most common hen vocalizations:
- The Assembly Call: A series of loud, emphatic yelps used to gather scattered members of her flock, especially during the fall season.
- The Cluck: A short, staccato note used to get the attention of other turkeys, reassure an approaching gobbler, or subtly communicate contentment within the flock.
- The Cluck & Purr: A combination of a cluck followed by a rolling, almost staccato call, often associated with flock talk or a sense of contentment.
- The Excited Yelp: Similar to a plain yelp but with increased rapidity, volume, and excitement, indicating that the hen is worked up about something, such as a potential threat or the presence of a gobbler.
- The Plain Yelp: A basic turkey sound consisting of a series of single-note vocalizations, used for various purposes such as communication with other hens, gobblers, and poults.
- The Purr: A soft, rolling call associated with contentment and often used by feeding birds to maintain contact within the flock.
The Gobbler’s Voice: A Declaration of Dominance
The male wild turkey, or gobbler uses his distinctive vocalizations to assert dominance, attract hens, and communicate with other gobblers. Let’s examine some of the key gobbler calls:
- The Gobbler: A loud, rapid gurgling sound primarily used in the spring to announce the gobbler’s presence to hens and establish dominance over other gobblers.
- The Fly-Down Cackle: A series of loud, staccato notes, increasing in pitch as the call nears its end, typically used when leaving the roost or flying up to a roost.
Beyond the Basics: A World of Turkey Vocalizations
The world of turkey vocalizations extends far beyond the common calls mentioned above. Here are a few additional sounds that enrich the turkey’s communication repertoire:
- The Cutting: A series of loud, sharp clucks often mixed with yelping, indicating excitement rather than alarm. It can be used to challenge other hens, lure a dominant hen towards the hunter, or encourage a hesitant gobbler to approach.
- The Fly-Up Cackle: Similar to the fly-down cackle but used when flying up to a roost, often effective in prompting a roosted gobbler to gobble.
- The Kee Kee Run: A three-note call, often used by young turkeys to reassemble a scattered flock or by adult birds to sound more natural, especially in areas with high hunting pressure.
- The Putt: A single or several sharp notes, typically associated with alarm and signaling danger to other turkeys.
- The Tree Call: A series of soft, muffled yelps given by a roosted bird, often increasing in volume as fly-down time approaches, used to communicate with other members of the flock.
Understanding Turkey Vocalizations: A Key to Success
The meanings behind these varied vocalizations used by turkeys can provide hunters with a big advantage in the field. Gaining the ability to accurately imitate these calls will help you draw turkeys, interact with them, and eventually improve your chances of having a successful hunt.
For those who simply appreciate the wild turkey and its fascinating world of communication, understanding their language allows for a deeper connection with these remarkable creatures. Observing their behavior and listening to their calls becomes a more enriching experience, fostering a greater appreciation for the intricate tapestry of life in the wild.
So, the next time you encounter a wild turkey, listen closely. By understanding their language, you’ll not only gain a deeper appreciation for these fascinating creatures but also unlock new possibilities for success in your turkey hunting endeavors or simply enhance your enjoyment of observing these remarkable birds in their natural habitat.
Fly Down or Fly-up Cackle
Three to ten loud, staccato notes that are unevenly spaced out and become louder as the call nears its end usually make up a cackle. The cackle is usually associated with a bird leaving the roost, though it can also be heard when a bird is approaching a roost. A fly-down cackle is good call to tell a gobbler that a hen is on the ground. However, a fly-down cackle often works best if the gobbler is already on the ground before you call. If not, the turkey tom may stay on the roost and wait for what he thinks is a hen to come over to him before flying away. A fly-up cackle can also be a helpful tool when searching for roosted toms, as it might tempt one of them to gobble Your browser does not support the audio tag
The gobble is a loud, rapid gurgling sound made by male turkeys. The gobble, one of a male wild turkey’s primary vocalizations, is primarily used in the spring to draw attention from hens to his presence. Hunters should use caution when using a gobble, particularly on public land where it could attract other hunters to your location. It can also be a double-edged sword. A gobble could draw a dominant tom looking for a fight or deter less dominant birds that want to avoid getting beat up. It is often used as a call of last resort. However, it can also be effectively employed in the late evening to lure a tom to consume the roost. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The kee kee is usually a three-note call that lasts about two seconds. A variation of the call, the kee kee run, is merely a kee kee followed by a yelp. The kee kee is the call of lost young turkeys and variations are also made by adult birds. Its often associated with fall hunting and is used to reassemble a scattered flock. It can help you stand out from other hunters who use yelps and cutts in the spring by making you sound more natural, especially on public land. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The fundamental turkey sound is the plain yelp, which is frequently produced by a series of single-note vocalizations. Turkeys use the simple yelp as a basic means of communication, though the meaning of the yelp varies depending on the hen using it. It is also commonly used by a hen to communicate with a gobbler during mating season. This is a basic turkey hunting call. If you can yelp, you have a chance of being able to call in a turkey. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
Purring is a soft, rolling call turkeys make when content. Turkeys use a kind of low-pitched speech to communicate, and feeding them often causes them to produce it. Although it’s not a very loud call, you can use it to reassure turkeys when they get close to your location. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The putt is a single or several sharp notes. Usually, the putt is taken as an alarm, meaning the bird is alerting people to potential danger after hearing or seeing something. This can be useful if a gobbler is within shooting distance but you are unable to get him to stop or raise his head. However, before putting at a gobbler it is best to have your shotgun ready and on target. After setting off the alarm, you won’t have much time to shoot because the bird will take off as soon as it senses movement. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The tree call is a series of soft, muffled yelps produced by a roosted bird, which sometimes gets louder as takeoff gets closer. Maybe accompanied by soft clucking. It is generally acknowledged as a call to communicate with others in a flock. It can be used to let a gobbler on the roost know you are there. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
There are a wide variety of different sounds or vocalizations made by wild turkeys. Listen to them here.
A lot of things go into successfully hunting wild turkeys, like calling them at the right time and place. Understanding the distinctive sounds that wild turkeys make under different conditions will increase your chances of harvesting a successful bird and advance your proficiency as a wild turkey hunter in general.
Sounds courtesy of Denny Gulvas of Gulvas Wildlife Adventures.
The adult hen assembly call is a series of loud yelps that are usually a little stronger and longer than a normal series of yelps. The assembly yelp is used by a hen to assemble her flock or young poults. It is a good call in the fall when trying to call a scattered flock back together. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The cluck consists of one or more short, staccato notes. The plain cluck often includes two or three single note clucks. It’s a good idea to call to a gobbler when he approaches, letting him know that a hen is waiting for him. Usually used by one bird to draw attention of another. This is a great call to try to get Gobbler to come into range if he starts to hang up. Additionally, when the birds are still on the roost, you can use it to subtly draw a gobbler’s attention to your presence. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The cluck and purr is a cluck followed by a rolling, almost staccato call. It is often associated with flock talk or the feeling of contentment. This call, which is typically not very loud but occasionally amplified, is well-received by turkeys because it gives them confidence as they approach your position. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
Loud, sharp clucks that are often mixed with yelping. Cutting is a sign that turkeys are excited, not alarmed. Cutting has several uses in hunting. To get a hen that is cutting and a gobbler that is henned up to you, you can try cutting back. You will want to mimic her calls, while cutting off her vocalizations and being a bit more excited. The goal of this tactic is to get a dominant hen to spar with you; often, she will bring the gobbler with her. You can also cutt when you have tried soft calling to a gobbler that is hung up. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
Similar sounds and notes as a plain yelp but much more excited, rapid and with more volume. This is not a sign of alarm, but indicates that a turkey is worked up about something. If a gobbler is henned up, you might be able to entice him to you by getting into a fight with the dominant hen in the flock. If you yell excitedly at her and cut off her vocalizations with your own calls, you might be able to lure the hen and the gobbler with her. A happy yelp can also be used after you’ve attempted soft calling a gobbler who has hung up. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
Best Wild Turkey Hen Calling and Yelping 2
FAQ
What noise does a hen turkey make?
How can you tell a turkey hen?
What sounds do male and female turkeys make?
How do you call a female turkey?
What sound does a turkey make?
A turkey gobble is the best-known turkey sound. The gobble is the turkey version of crowing. When a turkey gobbles, they make loud gurgling sounds. This is one of the most recognized sounds these birds make. However, they usually gobble in the spring when the male announces to the females that he is close by.
What does it mean when a hen cuts a Turkey?
Cutting is a turkey sound that indicates a hen is excited. If a hen is talking to a male, another hen will make cutting sounds that are louder than the ones of the first hen. The first hen, however, will not take this lightly and will look for her rivals to drive them away. Strutting males make drumming and spitting sounds.
Do humans hear the sounds made by wild turkeys?
Humans rarely hear most of the sounds made by wild turkeys. For communication purposes, they have developed a distinctive set of sounds. Some sounds are produced to communicate with a particular subset of birds or by members of a particular gender or age group.
How do you Cluck a hen turkey?
The key is to learn the proper context and intensity to generate a quality cluck. Cutting is a series of fast, loud clucks. Cutting is the most sexually aggressive of the hen turkey sounds.