Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips
General Discussion => LEARNING TO TURKEY HUNT => Topic started by: kayl on May 07, 2022, 08:22:52 PM
-
First time turkey hunter here. Didn't get one this spring, but had a blast. I used a primos mouth call and a Quaker Boy Slider. I was able to get close to some birds and get some responses, but couldn't get a shot. I picked up a cheap slate pot call and a Primos Hook up box call, but there are so many more options out there! Glass pot calls, aluminum pot calls, etc! What should I have as a beginner?
-
You’ve got everything you need to kill a turkey. Practice with what you got and get proficient with those calls. Listen to recordings of real hens, learn the context in which they call, mimic those sounds, and place yourself within that context. If you learn that there’s a certain type call you prefer (maybe a mouth call, maybe a pot) search out suggestions on the site for some customs. But all that to say, you don’t NEED anything else. Get good on the calls you’ve got and put in the time and you’ll kill birds sure as the world.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
You’ve got everything you need to kill a turkey. Practice with what you got and get proficient with those calls. Listen to recordings of real hens, learn the context in which they call, mimic those sounds, and place yourself within that context. If you learn that there’s a certain type call you prefer (maybe a mouth call, maybe a pot) search out suggestions on the site for some customs. But all that to say, you don’t NEED anything else. Get good on the calls you’ve got and put in the time and you’ll kill birds sure as the world.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
X2, get proficient at those calls and learn to call too turkeys instead of at them. Turkeys have language. Learn how to differentiate how turkeys call too each other and why. Inflection is a huge part of this language as different types of calls can mean similar things if the right inflection is used.
I guess what I'm saying is don't just do the standard monotone yelp,yelp,yelp,cluck,cluck,yelp,yelp, or a standard cutt. Vary your pitch and cadence according to the situation. If you want to sound excited than you'll need to pick up the cadence and most likey the volume. If your trying for a more contented approach than a softer more mellow cadence would be the ticket. If your trying for a searching lost type scenario than prolong your calling starting from soft and slow to quick and loud with some quick breaks mixed in like your listening for a response. ie; yelp,yelp,yelp,..yelp..yelp,yelp,..yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp,..yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp.
Sometimes you need to demand he come over and take a look, sometimes you need to play soft and coy uninterested so to speak, and sometimes you've said enough and need to be silent. Most of this is situational awareness and will come from experience.
-
Yeah, I'm planning on practicing a lot this summer. Is there anything else you guys would recommend for a newbie? Is there any value to buying a cheap glass call (HS Strut, etc) or a production aluminum call? Or should I just keep it simple?
-
I have a glass, anodized aluminum, and a slate pot call. Don't hardly use them. One of them, depending on how I'm feeling as to which, only comes out every so often during heavy winds when i cant stir anything with my diaphragm calls.
Plenty of guys here with more experience than I on pot calls. Some will likely help you out here.
-
Yeah, I'm planning on practicing a lot this summer. Is there anything else you guys would recommend for a newbie? Is there any value to buying a cheap glass call (HS Strut, etc) or a production aluminum call? Or should I just keep it simple?
I tend to run pot calls and yelpers. I always carry two pots and five or six strikers. Most times it’s a slate and a glass, but I’ll switch out all sorts of calls as season progresses. You could always just get some different strikers and pull different sounds out of the pots you have. My main point is don’t get caught in the gear craze. It’s easy early on to think, well, I didn’t kill a bird this season but all I’ve got is this slate and everybody else keeps talking about copper and they’re killing birds. Or, well, I don’t have decoys and everyone else is running dekes and they’re killing birds. Turkey hunting, perhaps more than any other sporting pursuit aside fly fishing, has become very product driven and you could spend yourself blind trying to get every latest and greatest new thing. If you’ve got the money and that’s what you want to do then great. But if you don’t just know that the calls you have are plenty enough to effectively and consistently kill turkeys. Out of curiosity, which calls are your favorite to run? Or rather which ones do you have the most confidence in as far as your sound? Diaphragms? Pots? Box call?
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
You’ve got everything you need to kill a turkey. Practice with what you got and get proficient with those calls. Listen to recordings of real hens, learn the context in which they call, mimic those sounds, and place yourself within that context. If you learn that there’s a certain type call you prefer (maybe a mouth call, maybe a pot) search out suggestions on the site for some customs. But all that to say, you don’t NEED anything else. Get good on the calls you’ve got and put in the time and you’ll kill birds sure as the world.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Amen - Chester has given you excellent advice. A call or two that one can run efficiently are much better than twenty calls of which one cannot run a single one of them effectively.
-
The advice of getting good at with what you have is solid advice... NEVER taken by another turkey hunter... But still, good advice.
The mouth call is the most versatile turkey hunting call made, and the most difficult to run correctly. Different cuts sound dramatically different (even by the same maker). Gooserbat, Hooks, and Woodhaven are all calls I have liked.
I would get some different cuts, and practice making different turkey sounds CORRECTLY. Making the sounds is half the battle, knowing when to make them is the tough half.
I like box calls, and might think about getting a good Spring Creek call from Mike...
-
Find a call or some calls you like, that sounds good and works for you. Ask a friend to walk away from you 60 or 70 yards and you start to call and allow him to tell you if it sounds good or not. Calling in your house, in the garage or while in your vehicle is a lot different sounding then in the woods.
Don't get caught up in the latest and greatest new things out on the market or before long you'll have 3 or 4 boxes of calls, face masks, gloves and boots you didn't need.
Stick to the basics for now, get good with what you have and develop your skills.
Good Luck
-
Like some have said KEEP IT SIMPLE! Get yourself a good slate and glass pot call, both these calls will be able to get the job done in most cases . There are many commercially produced calls on the market that are affordable that sound great. If you've been bitten by the turkey bug and this is going to be a life long addiction I would spend the extra money and buy some of the custom made calls from one of the talented call makers on this forum, its worth it.
Get yourself a reed call and try to master making realistic sounds. This is very useful when the tom is getting close to eliminate your movement.
Rhythm is another import part of calling. Every situation is different. The turkeys will let you you know by the way they respond to your calling.
One last note, some of the worst sounding turkey calls I've heard through the years have come from the turkeys themselves.
Good Luck!
-
Turkeys here in my area of WV seem to like the pot calls that I use which are a Woodhaven slate, Crystal Mistress, and Twisted Sister. I can usually pick one up with any of those but the bring em' off the end of the gun barrel call for me is a simple 2 reed call with soft putts, purrs and I just started using the putt most call a"bubble putt". Little controversary about that sound but it works for me.
-
I normally carry one each of slate, crystal, aluminum, ceramic and glass with an array of strikers different sounds for different days.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
-
Lots of good advice given above. Can't argue against any of it. There was a time in the distant past when turkey calls of all types were not as refined as they are today. From what I have seen, it is a rare (friction) call made today that cannot be made to sound like a turkey,...and the resources available (videos, sound files, media sources) all make it pretty easy to learn how turkeys sound and replicate those sounds. (caveat: AIR-operated calls are an entirely different story and require a much greater learning curve for the most part)
Calling turkeys nowadays is more a function of the "Four W's". Those are WHAT to say, WHEN to say it, WHY to say it, and WHERE to say it from. Unfortunately, those Four W's are often fluid and can vary from turkey to turkey. On the other hand, the flip side of that is that since that "fluidity" varies from turkey to turkey,...some turkeys will wade right into it,...and some won't even put a toe into it to test the waters. ...Which brings us to the next point...
Often, once a person has learned to call and apply that calling properly to any given encounter, success or failure is determined by the "attitude" of the gobbler you are calling to,...and the circumstances under which you are calling him. Way too many folks, when they fail, end up blaming their calling when, in fact, it was just THAT particular turkey and/or at THAT particular time.
Summary: Learn to call a little bit with whatever calls you choose to use,...and then focus on learning how to apply those "Four W's" in every encounter you have with any given gobbler,...and you should be fine,.......eventually... ;D :D
-
Turkey hunting is Extremely fun but frustrating at the same time. Learning to call, when to call and when to be quite is just part of the Battle. I believe SETUP is 75 to 90% of turkey hunting. If you are hunting areas that hold birds, you are in the game. Scouting is a very BIG part of the Setup process. If you see birds, know their travel routes and know where they tend to go, you can plan your Setup accordingly and you will up your odds of getting birds within range. As others have said, learn to use the calls you have WITH CONFIDENCE (Practice, Practice and Practice some more). Get a small tape recorder and listen to yourself until you have the Confidence that you sound like a Hen. Scout early next spring! Know where the birds are and where their travel routes are. Put these 2 things together and your Frustration factor will go way down and your Fun factor will climb exponentially. Remember FUN doesn't always mean Killing a Bird, that is Icing on the Cake. Good Luck!
-
My advice, get a reasonably priced , GOOD box call.
Nathan Taylor makes a good one and you normally don’t have wait long for it. Jody Harrison “Preacherman” should be able to get you something in a reasonable amount of time. Derek Tereza makes a great one but he’s been really busy recently. There are a lot of good call makers.
Expect to pay $100-200 for one. Taken care of, it’ll last you a lifetime.
The other cal I’d get, and be proficient with is a good mouth diaphragm. Pecker Wrecker is good. Woodhaven also good. Before getting a mouth call, I’d get a diagnostic kit from Calling All Turkeys. That’ll tell you what cut suits you. You can go from there.
That’s it but practice with real turkey sounds ( you can find them on the web).
Mostly though, it’s practice and listening to real hens.
If the price of s box is a little out of your range, a Primos Box cutter is a really good sounding box.
Bottom line, listen to real hens. Do what they do.
Don’t give up. Even if you’re not a great caller, birds will come to you. The better you get, the easier it will be to fool them.
-
Turkey hunting is Extremely fun but frustrating at the same time. Learning to call, when to call and when to be quite is just part of the Battle. I believe SETUP is 75 to 90% of turkey hunting. If you are hunting areas that hold birds, you are in the game. Scouting is a very BIG part of the Setup process. If you see birds, know their travel routes and know where they tend to go, you can plan your Setup accordingly and you will up your odds of getting birds within range. As others have said, learn to use the calls you have WITH CONFIDENCE (Practice, Practice and Practice some more). Get a small tape recorder and listen to yourself until you have the Confidence that you sound like a Hen. Scout early next spring! Know where the birds are and where their travel routes are. Put these 2 things together and your Frustration factor will go way down and your Fun factor will climb exponentially. Remember FUN doesn't always mean Killing a Bird, that is Icing on the Cake. Good Luck!
I agree 100% with this good advice. Finding good turkey habitat is the path to success. Gobblenut talks about the 4 Ws, the "where" is probably the most important. 90% of the fish hold in 10% of the water. You'll catch fish with fried chicken if you sitting right on top of them. Don't get too worried about the "bait", the calling. Turkeys can be very forgiving of bad calling, take it from someone who knows,lol!
But calling is at the heart of the sport, and finding calls you love is an aspect we turkey hunters love, so don't deny yourself that fun. We talk about it ad nauseum and pretend the calls matter more than they really do. It's an indulgence we allow ourselves to have particularly on this forum.
So after all that, to answer your question, I always recommend the same call to all beginners: get an SS box call, one that looks the coolest to you, because no matter what anyone tells you, looks do matter, and every box the Shoemakers craft will definitely, without question, and with relatively little practice, call in gobblers. It'll get you right in the game while you figure out how to run a yelper over the next 30
years. :toothy12:
-
Kayl did you ever end up getting yourself a box call?
-
My suggestion, put those store bought calls in a drawer and buy you some GOOD custom build calls and become proficient on those custom calls. You will enjoy those calls a lot more and learn a lot more from these type calls. Another great aspect of getting custom calls is getting to know and talk with the builders. We all have done what you have done and that's buy those store bought calls and now most of these calls are just in a drawer, box or whatever... Pretty much everyone who has posted to your post has custom calls now ... ask them why they have custom calls , the reason why they SOUND, PLAY and have more turkeys in these custom calls...
-
My advice, get a reasonably priced , GOOD box call.
Nathan Taylor makes a good one and you normally don’t have wait long for it. Jody Harrison “Preacherman” should be able to get you something in a reasonable amount of time. Derek Tereza makes a great one but he’s been really busy recently. There are a lot of good call makers.
Expect to pay $100-200 for one. Taken care of, it’ll last you a lifetime.
The other cal I’d get, and be proficient with is a good mouth diaphragm. Pecker Wrecker is good. Woodhaven also good. Before getting a mouth call, I’d get a diagnostic kit from Calling All Turkeys. That’ll tell you what cut suits you. You can go from there.
That’s it but practice with real turkey sounds ( you can find them on the web).
Mostly though, it’s practice and listening to real hens.
If the price of s box is a little out of your range, a Primos Box cutter is a really good sounding box.
Bottom line, listen to real hens. Do what they do.
Don’t give up. Even if you’re not a great caller, birds will come to you. The better you get, the easier it will be to fool them.
That is good all around advice. If Nathan or a Preacherman is a bit out of your price range, you can do really well with a SS Customs money box or a Spring Creek Short box. Jeff White is also a bit cheaper than Nathan and some others higher priced mentioned. Jim Shelley from South Carolina makes a handmade one piece box call in several options for even less that which will kill every bird you encounter if you do your part.
Good advice as well to master a diaphragm. You do not need twenty, just get one or two (the diagnostic kit is worth the money to know what fits your mouth) and learn the one or two you decide work for you.
A good slate pot is hard to beat, and you don't need twenty of them even though many on here fall for that call buying sickness. Again, for the money, Jim Shelley makes a good walnut slate pot for around fifty bucks. Buster can probably get you a plain quarter sawn walnut for around 65-70 dollars and it will kill every bird you meet. The cherry slate from Hollaran for around 65 dollars is good enough for everyone on here as well. Nathan Taylor is also in that same price range. And these are good guys to deal with. They will treat you right and answer your questions.
As said above, listen to hens - go on you tube if needed and listen to videos of them posted on line. And lastly, you need to exalt all the patience you have. Patience and also where you set up (as state by some of the other members on here), will kill more birds than GREAT world class calling. Some of the worst calling I ever heard was real hens, so don't be afraid to call when in the woods. If the cadence is pretty good, the sound will work itself out. The more you do it, you will find yourself pretty proficient soon enough.
-
Great responses given pretty much covers mine as well. Don't worry though you hang around here long enough and you'll be overwhelmed by calls in say 2-3 years for a different reason than lack of experience running em.
Sent from my moto e6 using Tapatalk
-
Great responses given pretty much covers mine as well. Don't worry though you hang around here long enough and you'll be overwhelmed by calls in say 2-3 years for a different reason than lack of experience running em.
Sent from my moto e6 using Tapatalk
Hello friend - Go ahead and send him a couple dozen of your calls and his problems will be over and you won't even miss them. You probably have that many in the mail on the way to you right now anyway. LOL
-
I'm pretty new here....but found this bit of wisdom on another thread. I think it sums things up pretty good.
"When it comes to turkey sound the only sound that matters is the sound the person standing in front of your table wants to hear, the next one that comes by may like a different sound altogether. As far as real turkeys go 99.9% of calls will work, some of the worst turkey sounds you will ever hear will come from real turkeys."
-
As far as real turkeys go 99.9% of calls will work, some of the worst turkey sounds you will ever hear will come from real turkeys."
While I agree completely with this statement, in my opinion, it also underscores the need to be as versatile as possible in one's ability to reproduce as wide an array of turkey sounds as you can with whatever tools you use. Using a single call of any type that has a limited range of tonal qualities and pitch may not attract those birds that are looking for something else.
Being able to make those "worst turkey sounds you have ever heard" when you encounter a gobbler that wants to hear them will, on occasion, make the difference between success and failure. That's not to say that any of us should be satisfied with sounding like a braying donkey on our calls,...and expecting to eventually find a gobbler that will come running to that sound. Being able to MAKE those sounds, though, when needed, is a good ability to have,..just in case they are needed. :D
-
Just like you, I started turkey hunting as an adult. My dad was not a turkey hunter so I grew up hunting deer and ducks. After a friend took me on my first turkey hunt, I fell in love.
I went out and bought vest and a bunch of production calls. I didn't occur to me that custom calls existed or would be that different. The good news is they gave me something with which to practice; the bad news is they are all in a drawer or have been given to new hunters.
I learned a long time ago, you get what you pay for and nothing is more irritating that to have to buy it twice because you did not get what you wanted. That doesn't mean the most expensive is always the best but there is usually a reason why people are willing to pay more or wait for an item (some people wait for years for calls from certain makers). In my limited experience, most custom calls are much easier to play and sound better, even for the beginner. New guys usually need a little bit more forgiveness with their calling than guys that have done it all their life. It won't make you as good as them but a better call will help you sound as good as you can at your level. Who has the best call for the money? Ask 10 different hunters for their list and you will get 10 different answers. The good news is if several people list the same person, you probably can't go wrong with their call. Get a few quality, reasonably priced calls and they will last you a lifetime. Or at least until you just decide you want something else.
That is just my opinion and it along with $5 will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks. Best of luck and I hope you enjoy this new adventure as much as I do.
-
Kayl did you ever end up getting yourself a box call?
Yes sir, I ended up grabbing a Primos Hook Up and a Lynch World Champion for $20 ea locally to try out. Haven't gotten anything fancier. I'm not going to lie, haven't thought about turkey hunting much since last spring with fishing, deer hunting, and then ice fishing. Just starting stuff back up!
-
Kayl did you ever end up getting yourself a box call?
Yes sir, I ended up grabbing a Primos Hook Up and a Lynch World Champion for $20 ea locally to try out. Haven't gotten anything fancier. I'm not going to lie, haven't thought about turkey hunting much since last spring with fishing, deer hunting, and then ice fishing. Just starting stuff back up!
I liked the Primos stuff when I was more or less just getting started, (Have not had any in years, not knocking them) good stuff back then and they are who got me started in turkey hunting. I wish you the best of luck.
-
You got some good sound advice for a lot of good and or great
turkey hunters. My only advice to you is this. Remember: Patience kills more birds than anything else!
-
For the newer hunter looking to get a relatively easy call that sounds natural, I'd go with a Primos Hookup, as seen here -> https://southeasternbowhunting.com/best-turkey-calls/ (https://southeasternbowhunting.com/best-turkey-calls/). Box calls sounds great, cut through the wind, and are the easiest calls to learn on. Push button calls are the only calls that are easier to use, but they don't sound great.
-
:popcorn:
-
For the newer hunter looking to get a relatively easy call that sounds natural, I'd go with a Primos Hookup, as seen here -> https://southeasternbowhunting.com/best-turkey-calls/ (https://southeasternbowhunting.com/best-turkey-calls/). Box calls sounds great, cut through the wind, and are the easiest calls to learn on. Push button calls are the only calls that are easier to use, but they don't sound great.
:popcorn:
You need to buy better quality. I know of 3 that sound just as good as any call I have ever used including one from our fearless leader Old Gobbler. In your defense though I use to think they exact same way until I got here. There is one other member here that makes one I have heard in person but my memory will not let me recall who it was but it was two years ago at Turkey Trot Acres at the Northeast Call Makers Summit that also sounds very good.
-
Turkey hunting is Extremely fun but frustrating at the same time. Learning to call, when to call and when to be quite is just part of the Battle. I believe SETUP is 75 to 90% of turkey hunting. If you are hunting areas that hold birds, you are in the game. Scouting is a very BIG part of the Setup process. If you see birds, know their travel routes and know where they tend to go, you can plan your Setup accordingly and you will up your odds of getting birds within range. As others have said, learn to use the calls you have WITH CONFIDENCE (Practice, Practice and Practice some more). Get a small tape recorder and listen to yourself until you have the Confidence that you sound like a Hen. Scout early next spring! Know where the birds are and where their travel routes are. Put these 2 things together and your Frustration factor will go way down and your Fun factor will climb exponentially. Remember FUN doesn't always mean Killing a Bird, that is Icing on the Cake. Good Luck!
Exactly..... I would add, to be very patient. When I first started, I had no one to teach me, and I was all over the place. When you think you should move, stay put. Try it another 30 min. You are going to have to put in some time and learn on the job, but each year gets more enjoyable with learning and being successful. Good Luck
-
Thanks for all the advice guys! I know scouting is important, but due to family and work I can't be out at sunrise or sunset very often. I've got some ideas of where they're frequenting right now, but we're still over a month out. I'm going to keep scouting midmorning and afternoon, it's better than nothing, right?
-
Absolutely!! Just go every time that you are able to be in the woods. A LOT of turkeys are killed on up in the morning, lunch time. And someone posted earlier that push pin calls are not realistic, that is FALSE!!! There's some very good push pin calls made. Take your time and learn all the different sound and cadence/rhythm. Confidence is very important, calling and shooting. You can do it!!!!
Have a good one, Bo
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
-
Get proficient in whatever call you decide on .... "buck fever" is REAL even when Turkey hunting.....
-
If I could give one piece of advice it would be, buy a recording of undisturbed turkeys such as “Tree Top Turkeys” and just listen, listen, listen. Listen to the different hens, different cadences, different voices. Try to mimic one or two that you like or CAN mimic.
The tv shows or Youtube videos CAN be helpful but you generally only get short clips and not all of them are good callers (not that you HAVE to be to kill turkeys). In addition you get the very end part of the calling episode, which is different from striking them or working them.
All of that said, you can be a pretty sad caller and still call them in. Don’t worry about perfection. Hens aren’t perfect.
You’ll get ‘em. Just have fun. Enjoy the songbirds, the sunrise, a gobble in the morning or a turtle crawling by. Then, suddenly, a gobbler will be there in his glory. It’s a journey. Don’t miss the attractions along the way…
-
Put it all together today with my 11y/o for the youth hunt! We set up in a field that's held turkeys midmorning and had gobbling from the roost shortly thereafter. Spent an agonizingly long time waiting for flydown and then even more time waiting for him to stop being hung up at 75 yards and come in, but she got her shot and dropped him! I used the copper and slate Mike Yingling call I won here last year, a primos diaphragm, and a cheap primos slate. Cutting hard at him and cutting off his gobbles was the key. It was awesome to put it all together and get our first bird ever on public land without outside help!!!
-
Put it all together today with my 11y/o for the youth hunt! We set up in a field that's held turkeys midmorning and had gobbling from the roost shortly thereafter. Spent an agonizingly long time waiting for flydown and then even more time waiting for him to stop being hung up at 75 yards and come in, but she got her shot and dropped him! I used the copper and slate Mike Yingling call I won here last year, a primos diaphragm, and a cheap primos slate. Cutting hard at him and cutting off his gobbles was the key. It was awesome to put it all together and get our first bird ever on public land without outside help!!!
Awesome!!! Be honest, it was the Yingling call that sealed the deal,lol! Congrats!!!
-
Learn to be proficient with your calling under pressure
Spend as much time as possible in the woods listening
-
Put it all together today with my 11y/o for the youth hunt! We set up in a field that's held turkeys midmorning and had gobbling from the roost shortly thereafter. Spent an agonizingly long time waiting for flydown and then even more time waiting for him to stop being hung up at 75 yards and come in, but she got her shot and dropped him! I used the copper and slate Mike Yingling call I won here last year, a primos diaphragm, and a cheap primos slate. Cutting hard at him and cutting off his gobbles was the key. It was awesome to put it all together and get our first bird ever on public land without outside help!!!
That's great, congratulations to the young lady! Now you have to get one!
-
Totally cool. Time is the best advice you can get. Relax and give them time!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
-
So much info it's overwhelming at times ... Keep it simple?