What’s the Best Call to Make While Turkey Hunting?

Think about the situation before making that first note. You’re trying to paint a scenario that convinces a gobbler you’re a hen he wants to visit. Photo by Realtree.

Decisions in the turkey woods make or break hunts. And sometimes, those choices involve which call to make during the heat of battle.

Some days, turkeys make that decision for you by rushing in after your first few yelps. But during many hunts, you’ll have to expand your turkey vocabulary and choose your “words” carefully to convince a gobbler that you’re a hen.

Some general guidelines can guide your calling progression. These are not hard-and-fast rules, and it’s not wise to say never or always when talking about turkey hunting. However, following this outline can at least put you on the path toward deciphering what a longbeard wants to hear.

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FLYDOWN HUNTS

Calling to roosted gobblers is pretty straightforward. Generally, the best approach is to utter a few soft tree yelps — just enough to get a gobbler’s attention — and then shut up until the bird flies down. Whether he gobbles or not, the turkey heard you and knows you’re there. He might fly to you, or he could pitch straight down and play coy. Either way, the real calling work begins after he’s on the ground.

Of course, there are exceptions. If I’m in the timber and not using decoys, I won’t call at all to a roosted gobbler that’s close enough to see my setup as it gets light. He will quickly surmise that something’s off. Conversely, if I’m pretty far from a roosted bird, I might call a little more to pique his interest, running two or three sets of tree yelps and maybe punctuating it with a flydown cackle.

Another exception: If a roosted gobbler obviously has hens around him, call fairly aggressively, mixing yelping, cutting and flydown cackles to convince him you’re the first hen on the ground. You might prompt him to fly down early to check out the new girl.

COLD CALLING

After you sneak into a likely spot and set up, take a few minutes to listen and observe. Then, start with soft, subtle calling — plain yelping and maybe clucking and purring — in case an unseen gobbler is nearby. Plan on calling every few minutes, but don’t overdo it.

Throughout your sit, think about the picture you’re trying to paint. Mix several calls together to sound like a group of hens yelping back and forth. Ratchet up the excitement now with cutting and excited yelping to mimic a fired-up hen searching for a suitor. After each series, listen carefully for a response or subtle sounds of a silent gobbler approaching.

WALKING AND CALLING

Mobile hunting is considered an aggressive tactic, so many folks call that way, using relatively loud yelping and cutting. (That’s why it’s called cutting and running, after all.) But it’s usually better to take a somewhat slower approach. As terrain and foliage allow, stop every 75 to 100 steps to call, making sure there’s a good setup tree nearby. Start with a series of soft calls, like a few plain yelps and some clucks. Then listen. On series No. 2, run the call a bit louder, perhaps with some excited yelping and cutting. Listen again. During the third series, increase the intensity a bit more. If nothing responds, move to your next calling location.

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WORKING A TURKEY

Making a turkey gobble is one thing. Making him move to your position and convincing him to appear within range is another.

After you set up and have a gobbler interested, take his temperature. That is, try to determine how hot he really is. Again, it’s best to start with relatively light plain yelping and clucks, but if he hammers at every series, you can probably raise the game with cutting and excited yelping. If the bird continues to gobble and — more important — move toward you, keep it up. If, however, he only gobbles at every few series and acts like he might have company, it’s best to back off a bit and play coy, mixing soft yelping, clucks, and clucking and purring to sound like a disinterested hen.

If a bird comes close but doesn’t finish, try an extra convincer, such as soft whits, yelps, and clucking and purring, mixed with scratching in the leaves. Or, go silent. Actually, try this: Whenever you get a turkey fired up and coming to you, give him one more series and then shut up. This often makes the gobbler wonder where the hen went, and it sometimes prompts a turkey to search for the source of calling. This can work wonders on hung-up birds, and it’s really never a bad play for any situation in the timber.

OTHER CALLS AND CONSIDERATIONS

I’ve only mentioned a few turkey vocalizations, and obviously, the birds utter more sounds than yelping, clucking, cutting and purring. Sometimes, those “other” calls can boost realism and convince a stubborn gobbler. Kee-kees and kee-kee runs — whistling made by young turkeys — can prompt vocal responses. If a hesitant bird won’t commit, try creating a turkey fight with aggressive purring and even gobbling. Or if gobblers simply aren’t responding to hen talk one day, switch to jake yelps or gobbler yelps. It’s surprising how well this can work.

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Here’s a great rule to remember: If a specific calling strategy is working, stick with it. But if a bird cools off or hangs up, switch to the opposite approach. Often, what you’re doing — usually calling too much and too loudly — is what’s hanging him up.

Whatever the scenario, always observe and be ready to respond to a gobbling turkey. You won’t always make the right choice, but by experimenting and reading the situation, you will score more success than failure.