turkey hunting question series - 4

[birddogdad]

what calls do you use and why/ when you run those?  how much calling? when to stop and shutup?

[brokentrail]

I have way too many calls for sure... I use diaphragm calls mostly but occasionally use my box call or a pot call.  Some days they just respond to certain calls better.  Every turkey is different,  so how much is dependent on the bird, but I call quite a bit if I think I can get away with it, I prefer to know they are coming and from where.  If I can't get a bird to move at all, at some point I'll decide to shut up, or be a hen that starts going away and see if he will come investigate.

[Billy74]

I use mouth, slate and box.  I use the mouth most because its easy and hands free.  I’ll use the other at the same time to sound like multiple birds. I also use a box call with a rubber band to fake a gobble occasionally.  Mostly its just rotating through them till one sparks a gobble


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[Mikey The Cat]

Once you call and he gobbles, he knows exactly where you are. Exactly. Resist the temptation to call too much. You call. He gobbles. And he struts. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. All you're doing is slowing him down. If you can - it's tough - let him gobble two...three...four times before you call again. Let him hunt you. It's a game of hard to get, with you playing hard to get. Screw it up 100 times and you'll still screw it up. All part of the game. Good luck and be safe - M.D.

[Mikey The Cat]

My apologies. I answered #3 on #4 -

I use a Primos A-Frame Bat Wing diaphragm and a (sadly discontinued) Backwoods Game Calls crystal pot 'n peg, with an emphasis on the latter. Get one call. Get proficient with that one call. And then don't try to get $50 out of a $50 call every time you got to use it. There are 1,001 great turkey calls on the market today. Find a good locator call - crow; owl; elk bugle; specklebelly goose; pileated woodpecker; peacock - and understand how it's used

The Three Rules of Turkey Hunting - Patience; Persistence; and Self-Discipline. Patience
(and pre-season prep) kills turkeys. Good luck and be safe - M.D.

[Dan-o]

I go up hill with two slate calls and 3 or 4 pegs.    Makes for good combinations. 

I also have 2-3 box calls and several mouth diaphragms. 
 course a couple shock calls.   Crow and peacock. 

I even bring a shaker gobbler call.

Way too many calls. 
I think I'm susceptible to marketing   

But I do feel like I've gotten a couple Toms to commit when I've changed up the calls?   

[Russ McDonald]

I carry every call but only use a mouth call.  I have numerous different mouth calls.  I have been lucky enough to be on a roost when mentoring hunters.  I lite tree calls when their on the roost just get them feeling like ok that might be a good place to fly down.  Once they fly down I let the boss hen gather the flock up.  Call a bit sounding like the boss hen maybe to pull the flock to me.  If I hear them coming shut down because the flock will do the work for you.  Calling a single tom in.  I would call and see if he is coming your way if you feel he is closing in on you shut out down.  Play hard to get.  Tom hearing is like a radar.  They will have you pinpointed within a couple calls.  Oh almost forgot.  You can flip a mouth call over and get a different sounding call. So one mouth multiple birds.

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[Pathfinder101]

I mostly hunt out of a blind.  I set up a folding chair with one of those little side-tables.  On the table I put a slate call, a glass slate, a couple of mouth calls and a box call.  Mostly I just use the box call for shock-gobbling.  I try to alternate between the others so it sounds like different birds.  When they start getting close, I mostly just use the mouth calls to limit movement. 

[brokentrail]

I mostly hunt out of a blind.  I set up a folding chair with one of those little side-tables.  On the table I put a slate call, a glass slate, a couple of mouth calls and a box call.  Mostly I just use the box call for shock-gobbling.  I try to alternate between the others so it sounds like different birds.  When they start getting close, I mostly just use the mouth calls to limit movement.

@Pathfinder101 As I read the first sentence, my mind told me you were getting ready to tell us what snacks and drinks you brought to put on the table and calling is over-rated 

[Pathfinder101]

I mostly hunt out of a blind.  I set up a folding chair with one of those little side-tables.  On the table I put a slate call, a glass slate, a couple of mouth calls and a box call.  Mostly I just use the box call for shock-gobbling.  I try to alternate between the others so it sounds like different birds.  When they start getting close, I mostly just use the mouth calls to limit movement.

@Pathfinder101 As I read the first sentence, my mind told me you were getting ready to tell us what snacks and drinks you brought to put on the table and calling is over-rated 

Yeah... I erased that part and made something up about calling instead...

[birddogdad]

calls can be all over the map. Russ kind of hit on it. i carry a mess of calls but i have my "go -to". walking i like pot, trumpet or wingbone calls. if you have not run a wingbone, you really are missing out! btw i make them and they really do work! just another tool. hit me up if you are interested~! with pots, wet weather can be tuff to keep functional, glass works wet but in those situations i run the bone or trumpet period...  in close mouth clucks hands free is key.

turkeys are funny, you can educate a wise old tom and have him run for cover if you do it wrong or you can sound like a sick bird, even making buddies laugh at the calling and they come running like its the sweetest voice they have ever heard...tone, cadance makes a big difference... you can sound like a hen, a jake or a tom with these....each may have a place depending on response. Live hens may pull your tom away, jakes may trigger a older tom to come dominate or if he has been harassed by a group of jakes he may get quiet and not come in...you can experiment and find your favorite songs to play! 

start quiet, even when walking, bird could be right under your feet and you could blow them out of the county! once you have a tom responding play hard to get! remember what you are doing is exactly opposite of nature.. girls come to the big boys... its brings feelings to strike a tom and get him to reply to your calls ...pow  over and over but that really defeats your tactics.. he wants you to come to him and your telling him "im coming"... let him know where you are and play hard to get.. let him fire off a few times before you respond... he knows EXACTLY what acorn your sitting on trust me! the trick is just enough calling to keep his interest, knowing when to say when.....

locating calls is a different topic. woodpecker, owl, crow, coyote all work to strike a shock gobble giving up his position for you to make your plan.  even a car door slam can get that job done if you park close enough.