Make You Calling Count

© By Othmar Vohringer

Many hunters learn how to use a friction or mouth call and as soon they figure out how to make a yelp, maybe a purr and cluck too, head out in the woods and start calling turkeys. Sometimes these hunters get lucky but most of the times they re not. Quite often the unlucky hunters blame the birds for not “cooperating” or they say something like “These (enter brand here) calls are no good.”

To get the attention of a tom it is important to know the “vocabulary” of the turkeys and knowing what they are “saying” when they communicate with each other.I regard turkey calls as musical instruments. Knowing a couple of notes or chords doesn’t make me a musician. Knowing all the “words” turkeys use and what they are saying will go a long way in properly communicating with a gobbler and entice him to come in.

Emotions are important too. If you’re out in the woods scouting listen to turkeys how they talk. Starting your calling session with a few yelps is good but put some emotion into it to sound convincing. As you produce yelps on your call change the speed, pitch and volume a bit. Rather then just Yelp – Yelp – Yelp – Yelp mix it up a bit to something like this YELP, YELP, YELP…yelp, yelp, YELP, YELP, Yelp.

Depending on the mood of the day you can add variety to the yelping by adding clucks. This mimics an exited hen looking for some companionship and this in turn excites the gobblers. Even this can be stepped up a notch by adding cut or two into the mix of yelping and clucking.

The more you can make the “language” sound natural the better chances are a tom will commit and come to check the hen out. If it sounds monotones and boring the gobbler will loose interest and walk away in search for a more cheerful female.

If the tom has committed and is coming in turn the calling down a bit. Call just enough to keep him interested. If he tries to walk away make your calling more exited again. The trick to good turkey calling, besides knowing the “language” and knowing what to say, is to learn how keep a gobbler just interested enough after he committed to keep coming in.

If the tom hangs up just out of gun or bow range, this happens actually quite often, try to coax him with gentle yelps and a few soft clucks and purrs to your calling sequence. These are not loud or fast calls. They are delivered slow and quietly, giving the impression of a happy content hen that is feeling safe and in the mood for some lovin’.

These are just a few tips that will improve your turkey calling and put you ahead of the competition. Good luck and let me know what worked for you.