7 Tips For Calling A Turkey
The outcome of turkey hunting often depends on making the proper call at the appropriate time. Here are a few turkey calling tips that can be helpful in the field.
1. The sound that a turkey makes to show contentment is the purr. This is an often used sound when flocked together or alone. The turkey will purr frequently throughout the day. The purr can be used by the hunter to lure a gobbler in close.
2. A hen will use a cluck as an attention call. Sometimes it is used towards other turkeys as a way of making contact. A single cluck followed by a few yelps can be made by the hunter during the morning hunt to draw the gobbler off the roost.
3. A fly down cackle mixed with the sound of flapping wings may be all it takes to draw a gobbler off the roost and towards the hunter. Many gobblers have been taken this way. Try to setup in an area that the gobbler has frequented in the past for best results.
4. Sometimes being silent works better than being aggressive with calls. Use a couple of short yelps followed by an extended period of silence. This will often make the gobbler curious enough to seek out the infrequent calling hen.
5. To add some excitement to calling, mix in a few squeals. This can be done by elongating the initial yelp sound to make it more drawn out. So instead of ee – yelp it becomes eeeee – yelp. This can be very effective on silent or pressured turkeys that have already heard too many calls.
6. Instead of just going through the sequences of making hen sounds, add some emotion to the calls. This can be done by increasing or decreasing the volume of the calls during the sequences. It can also be done by speeding up or slowing down the calls.
7. Experiment to find what calling technique works best for each individual gobbler. In most cases, the gobbler will respond to a specific sound, sequence, or style of calling. Allow the gobbler to dictate which calling tactic to use, then use it to call the gobbler in.
