| Calling Turkeys |
| Turkey calling is a rather simple art that, with a little practice, can be very productive. There are three main types of turkey calls: Box calls, likely the easiest to use of all three; the Diaghragm call, which is great because it can mimick nearly any sound and can be used with no visible motion; finally, the friction, or slate calls, are probably the most realistic sounding of the three calls. In order to be a good caller, you must know what kind of sounds you should be making. The majority of the following sounds were made by me using one of several diaghragm calls in my possession. These calls are not perfect, but, they don't always have to be in the turkey woods. Click any of these files to download them, and play them on Windows Media Player. |
| The Basics |
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| What Calls Mean |
| In the world of the turkey, each call means a different, but important thing. It is throught the proper manipulation of these calls that the hunter can find the greatest success. The following list should help you learn when and where to use each call to the greatest effect. |
| The Gobble |
| The gobble is a response-call, that can have one of several meanings or functions. One of the most common, and most useful, is the shock gobble. Shock gobbles are used as a response to loud or startling noises, almost always early in the morning or late evening, while the birds are on the roost. You can get a turkey to emit a shock gobble by properly using any one of several types of locator calls, and you can use the gobbles to locate the birds and set up for when they leave the roost. Toms will gobble, too, when they feel it is necessary to emphasize their dominance over another tom, and when they are approaching or in the company of a hen. Use gobbles to keep track of toms, and to locate them in the morning when you enter the woods, and in the evening so you'll know where they are in the morning. |
| The Yelp |
| Yelps are one of the most common, and thus most useful, of turkey sounds. They are emitted by hens as a means to announce their presence, and possibly to indicate contentment. This call is best used in a series of 5-8 yelps, with a good pause in-between each series (hopefully filled by a gobble). |
| The Purr |
| Purring is a simple contentment call. It is used by birds when they are feeding, or just walking around, and therefore, can be a good confidence-call. |
| The Cackle |
| Turkeys cackle as they leave the roost in the mornings, and it is for this reason that hunters often use either a hat or a fake wing to imitate a turkey's beating wings as they cackle. Because it is a generally loud call, it tends to be a good locator. |
| The Cutt |
| Hens cut during times of excitement, and it often encites gobbling from toms. Don't overuse this call. Because it is such a good gobble-maker, it makes for a good locator, especially during times when cackling or other locators are not useful. |
| The Cluck |
| Clucks, like yelps, are general calls. They are used to indicate a turkey's presence to other turkeys, and as general contentment calls. This call, like the purr, is a good confidence call. |
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| Making the Right Sounds |
| The real key to making all the right turkey sounds is practice. If you're going around doing chores, without talking to anyone, stick a diaghragm in your mouth and play with it some. If you've got nothing else to do, break out the box or slate call, and learn to make just the right tone. Probably the first thing to do, when learning diaghragms, is get one or two of each brand, and see which one or ones work best for you. Trim the calls, so that they fit in your mouth correctly. If you spend enough time with the call in your mouth, the gagging and coughing will stop. Next, try to learn the words to use (they have them in the "instructions" column on or in the packaging) to make each sound. The ones listed don't always work perfectly, so mess around until you can make the right sound. Once you get to where making each noise is second nature, or close to it, you're ready for the turkey woods! This may sound dumb, but remember: When a gobbler is approaching, your adrenaline will likely be running to the extent that you will be unable to think. Therefore, you'll appreciate it when you can almost thoughtlessly make the desired sound. Box calls and slate calls, like diaghragms, simply require practice. With both of them, you can make any sound you can make with a diaghragm, but some will be harder to master than others. The box call is probably the easiest to use; put a little chalk on the rubbing-surfaces, and simply rub them together until you get the desired tone. You can yelp with this call very easily, the only downside being that a good amount of visible movement is required to use it. Its not a good call for when the tom is in close. The slate call also requires visible movement, and is harder to use than the box (and some say harder to use than the diaghragm, as well), but it has one very good plus: It is the most realistic sounding of all of the turkey calls. With a bit of practice, this call can generate a tone and quality that can fool even the smartest old tom. One of the keys is to make sure you keep the proper contact between the striker and the call's surface. If you can at least master a yelp, you will be plenty well armed for a good number of the turkeys you'll be encountering. |
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