Question for all you turkey slayers. What hen sound do you think is the most underutilized in the Spring?? I am always learning and open to change if needed, so I want to hear what you many turkey masters have to say.
For me, it has to be the plain basic by itself hen cluck. I have come to believe after three decades of this craziness, that no matter how good one is at calling and making all those other more glorious hen sounds, that hen cluck that sounds like it came from deep inside of a barrel is just really hard to beat.
Very close second if not almost a tie is scratching in the leaves. He has to be pretty close, but that is just a deadly sound for me in getting him to come that last thirty-forty steps.
I agree with scratching in the leaves, it's deadly. My number 1 isn't a hen sound at all. I'm a huge fan of Jake calking. Man, you follow up a cluck and purr with some whines with a couple Jake calks and in my experience you better go ahead and take your safety off.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I agree with you mountainhunter1, the cluck and only the cluck by itself, not the cluck as a sequence with yelps. Just a plain old cluck or two. I am going to try my best to do more of this type calling this year and see how it goes.
My overall strategy is listening to the gobbler in deciding what i need to do and what sounds I need to utilize while trying to work him to the gun barrel. No sound or tricks are off the books for myself. Sometimes he's hot and sometimes you have to encourage him. I will utilize whatever i think he needs from my years of experience hunting them and sometimes this isn't enough in getting him killed. I've came out of the woods after losing the battle with him and wanted to throw my gun down and all my calls and cry all the way back to the truck. So for myself i don't underutilize any hen sounds or gobbler / jake sounds.
I don't even know what to call it but I had a hen going crazy every time I touched my call a few years ago and she actually called up two long beards. I practiced on a glass pot call till I could mimick the call. She started off with 6 or 7 fast excited clucks and rolled right into a series of 4 yelps. After seeing what she did and finally duplicating the call I have killed several birds that hung up on me by using it. Truthfully it is a bit more aggressive than I normally like but since it isn't an every situation call that's OK.
I know there has been a huge joke made out of it since I posted it on Facebook years ago but I have killed several birds by opening a Little Debbie oatmeal cream pie and crumbling up the wrapper. It doesn't work every time but it certainly has worked some of the time.
Of course scratching in the leaves is usually a good closer.
kee kee
I would say the kee kee or the kee kee run. Most people who hunt the spring don't use it. I have used it to bring gobblers in and also call the the henned up gobblers.
Silence..
2 or 3 plain clucks. Leaf scratching
Sent from my SM-G990U2 using Tapatalk
Putt. I use it all the time saves me from having to haul them heavy ole gobblers out of the mountains.
Scratching in the leaves. Closed the deal years ago on a big boy with this trick. He hung up and would not come any closer until I pulled this one on him. Strutted right in and bagged him at 20 yards.
I will add a good dose of silence at the right time is deadly also. The best trophy gobbler I ever bagged( 21 3/4 pounds, 10 3/4 inch paintbrush and 1 3/8 inch sharp spurs) was killed with silence and the patience to resist calling to him as I knew he heard my series of calls nearly an hour before. He gobbled back to me fairly close but then shut up so I did too. He covered the distance silently and I killed him at 25 yards. Total time from start to finish 1 hour 45 minutes. This is why I turkey hunt! What a rush!!
Cackle paired with a wing. Deadly follow up with a cluck wine and purr.
The single cluck is normally used by turkeys as a greeting/hello/are you a turkey call. You here it often after you get done with a series of calls. The turkey comes over and announces it's presence with just a single cluck. Your response should be a single cluck.
Quote from: reflexl on March 23, 2023, 10:50:47 AM
I don't even know what to call it but I had a hen going crazy every time I touched my call a few years ago and she actually called up two long beards. I practiced on a glass pot call till I could mimick the call. She started off with 6 or 7 fast excited clucks and rolled right into a series of 4 yelps. After seeing what she did and finally duplicating the call I have killed several birds that hung up on me by using it. Truthfully it is a bit more aggressive than I normally like but since it isn't an every situation call that's OK.
I know there has been a huge joke made out of it since I posted it on Facebook years ago but I have killed several birds by opening a Little Debbie oatmeal cream pie and crumbling up the wrapper. It doesn't work every time but it certainly has worked some of the time.
Of course scratching in the leaves is usually a good closer.
This call. It's my go to. I'm more of an aggressive caller than most tho. I play this call as loud as I can. Almost break my box call doing it. Lol. Many a gobbler have died due to this call.
Quote from: Paulmyr on March 23, 2023, 03:46:55 PM
The single cluck is normally used by turkeys as a greeting/hello/are you a turkey call. You here it often after you get done with a series of calls. The turkey comes over and announces it's presence with just a single cluck. Your response should be a single cluck.
I should add, if your the one showing up to the scene, your 1st call should be a single cluck.
Cluck
I try not to overthink turkey hunting
I do what the hens do ... Some will yelp once or twice ...if that then they cluck and purr etc.... No stylized calling allowed for me
Cutting , fighting rattle and all that I'll do shamelessly...I avoid over yelping on pressured birds
Probably a cluck but I think a soft purr is deadly.
Dixie 13
Definitely the Kee Kee (lost call). Under certain scenarios, I've found it to be money.
Also agree with the sentiment about silence.
Hard to explain but mine is a half kee, breaking into a one note yelp. I have heard several hens do it in the woods. Also recently saw a YouTube video of a hen doing the exact same thing. I Wish I could find it again and I would post it.
Have a good one, Bo
Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk
Hello Silence my old friend,
I'll never ever yelp again,
Because a Gobbler softly creeping,
Came in strutting while I was sleeping,
And the cutting that was implanted in my brain,
Still remains,
Within the sound of leaf scratching.
Quaver
Screaming Hen and silent Gobble whistle. Got a bunch of them whistles if any one is interested ;D
Single cluck, feeding purr, leaf scratching...
Quiet/relaxed clucks/chirps.
I have all too frequently been amazed at how far away a bird will respond to a quiet chirp that I can barely hear when I am making it.
I think the ability of them to hear leaf scratching at a distance is underrated. I am a little hard of hearing and I could clearly hear the hen (and later the gobbler) scratching leaves at a measured 35 yards. I figure a turkey can hear at least twice as good as me.
The gobbler announced himself at about 45 yards with a clearly audible spit (have to be closer for me to hear drum in the woods unfortunately) after we had heard no gobbling all morning and I matched my SIL's yelp with a couple of kee kee runs.
Whatever he/she's in the mood for. I'll speak whatever language they want up to 40 yards. Then the talking's over!!!
Quote from: crow on March 23, 2023, 11:50:51 PM
Hello Silence my old friend,
I'll never ever yelp again,
Because a Gobbler softly creeping,
Came in strutting while I was sleeping,
And the cutting that was implanted in my brain,
Still remains,
Within the sound of leaf scratching.
:TooFunny: :TooFunny:
Quote from: crow on March 23, 2023, 11:50:51 PM
Hello Silence my old friend,
I'll never ever yelp again,
Because a Gobbler softly creeping,
Came in strutting while I was sleeping,
And the cutting that was implanted in my brain,
Still remains,
Within the sound of leaf scratching.
And the words of the prophets were written on the OG wall.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on March 27, 2023, 04:35:57 PM
Quote from: crow on March 23, 2023, 11:50:51 PM
Hello Silence my old friend,
I'll never ever yelp again,
Because a Gobbler softly creeping,
Came in strutting while I was sleeping,
And the cutting that was implanted in my brain,
Still remains,
Within the sound of leaf scratching.
And the words of the prophets were written on the OG wall.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
and longbox calls
:)
Hello chuffa my old friend
I hope this year you grow again
Because a Drought slowly creeping
Burnt the seeds while I was sleeping
And the Ray Eye DVD that's in my brain
Still remains
Declaring war on silence
And in the youtube light I saw
Ten thousand Tubers maybe more
Hunters yelping without speaking
Hunters clucking without feeling
People making noises that turkeys never shared
And no one dared,
To scratch the leaves in silence
:TooFunny: Sony will offer him a contract.
this is quickly becoming the best topic discussion on this forum!
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230328/fd4f988700724a3c86dee06651c6a941.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
:TooFunny:
My top secret hen call is the one that says. " (in sexy hen tone) Hey. Big boy you number 1 hot man. Bring all that big old gobbler stuff over here a me make you very very happy! I'm not sure how to say that in English as a call name. On the serious side. After I get a gobbler going I will often use a real soft I can best describe as a whiny yelp
Quote from: eggshell on March 28, 2023, 11:23:01 AM
My top secret hen call is the one that says. " (in sexy hen tone) Hey. Big boy you number 1 hot man. Bring all that big old gobbler stuff over here a me make you very very happy!
Why do I hear the Vietnamese hookers voice from Full Metal Jacket when I read that?
Quote from: crow on March 28, 2023, 01:31:13 AM
And in the youtube light I saw
Ten thousand Tubers maybe more
Hunters yelping without speaking
Hunters clucking without feeling
People making noises that turkeys never shared
And no one dared,
To scratch the leaves in silence
Fools the youtubers do not know
How hearts and likes make their narcissism grow.
Fanboys posting "I know that place!"
Youtubers claim no time to monitor comments and erase.
Opening day, getting pushed to a later date.
Next year take a number to park at this gate.
Only to scratch the leaves in gobble silence.
Who else is singing the song in their head as we read this?
Excellent job gentlemen.
Quote from: paboxcall on March 28, 2023, 01:30:35 PM
Quote from: crow on March 28, 2023, 01:31:13 AM
And in the youtube light I saw
Ten thousand Tubers maybe more
Hunters yelping without speaking
Hunters clucking without feeling
People making noises that turkeys never shared
And no one dared,
To scratch the leaves in silence
Fools the youtubers do not know
How hearts and likes make their narcissism grow.
Fanboys posting "I know that place!"
Youtubers claim no time to monitor comments and erase.
Opening day, getting pushed to a later date.
Next year take a number to park at this gate.
Only to scratch the leaves in gobble silence.
:TooFunny: Far Out Man
Hello Public my old Friend
Some trucks have blocked me in again
E Bike tires humming everywhere
Sitting in the dark I despair
I am back in as far as I can go
No one knows,
There's no gobbling, just silence
Lol, OMG, I've been missing this. Thanks for the belly laughs!!!
Hello youtube my old friend,
Another how to call again,
You must be raspy and sound like Zack,
If you want that gobbler in the sack,
I just slapped together some old bones,
Had great tones,
And blew the head off another one of those demons....that came in silent!!!!
:TooFunny: We're in the presence of greatness
Quote from: EZ on March 30, 2023, 06:48:09 PM
Lol, OMG, I've been missing this. Thanks for the belly laughs!!!
Hello youtube my old friend,
Another how to call again,
You must be raspy and sound like Zack,
If you want that gobbler in the sack,
I just slapped together some old bones,
Had great tones,
And blew the head off another one of those demons....that came in silent!!!!
:TooFunny:
EZ Top
Quote from: g8rvet on March 28, 2023, 01:59:59 PM
Who else is singing the song in their head as we read this?
Excellent job gentlemen.
No one under the age of 45
I am insulted. I know that song well, and I am 42. I do prefer Disturbed's version though.
Quote from: Happy on March 30, 2023, 07:36:27 PM
I am insulted. I know that song well, and I am 42. I do prefer Disturbed's version though.
Definitely check out the Taylor Swift version too, highly recommended
Quote from: Happy on March 30, 2023, 07:36:27 PM
I am insulted. I know that song well, and I am 42. I do prefer Disturbed's version though.
Just found this the other day. Awesome.
Wow paralysis by analysis after reading 4 pages of posts as a newbie turkey guy. Good info though thanks for cluttering my mind.
Quote from: crow on March 30, 2023, 01:47:25 PM
Hello Public my old Friend
Some trucks have blocked me in again
E Bike tires humming everywhere
Sitting in the dark I despair
I am back in as far as I can go
No one knows,
There's no gobbling, just silence
Dude you may missed one of your callings. And Old Mr. Cox has nothing on your song writing skills and I in some ways like your current version better than Simon and Garfunkel's.
I have been singing this stuff for two days and the thing about it, much of this stuff you guys wrote is spot on true.
:laugh: It's hard to get the tune out of your head.
I like the Bible verses at the end of your signature