which is more important ? calling ability or turkey knowledge

[backforty]

In my opinion to many new turkey hunters spend to much time learning how to call and not enough time learning about the turkey they are hunting. I was guilty of it when I first started also but quickly figured out that understanding what the birds were doing and where they naturally wanted to go made me a much better hunter.  In my opinion a guy that can cluck and yelp but knows the turkey and the terrain he is hunting in will kill more birds than a championship caller that doesn't know turkey "habits" or study the area he is going to hunt. 

[Sir-diealot]

Knowledge

[Greg Massey]

It takes knowledge to know you calling ability ... So in a sense you need both some calling ability and knowing what that bird is telling you in his response ... Time in the woods will for sure make you a better hunter ... Learn how to use you cadence in calling your birds and patience ... So you need both in my opinion .. but i agree you don't have to be championship caller.....

[Bowguy]

I'll also say you need both w the stronger emphasis on knowledge.  After all turkey calling contests have some great callers but not one bird to my knowledge has been shot there. Obviously you need to be near the birds.
Calling can even consist of a simple leaf scratch or wing on a tree trunk. That anyone can handle. As said simple yelps, clucks in decent cadence are all you need. Not hard at all to learn that.

[Happy]

Knowledge. However the more you have of both the better.

[Upfold99]

I agree knowledge. However, what comp caller is not a turkey killer? I think calling comps are another way to keep the drive going all year. People who comp call do not just think about turkeys during the spring months.

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[bobk]

I agree that Knowledge is the most important.  Calling ability is a necessity, however you don't need to be a championship caller. Spending time in the woods will make you a better hunter.

[GobbleNut]

There are two extremes in the calling ability vs turkey knowledge debate.

The first is "If I can call flawlessly, I will call-in and kill more gobblers".  The other is "If I just get in the right spot in the woods at the right time, I will kill more turkeys".  If you had to choose one or the other extremes, then the second is the one to go with.  From my perspective, that extreme also takes away the real charm and attraction of turkey hunting

Neither extreme is correct.  Having the right combination of calling ability and "turkey knowledge" not only will get you the most gobblers, but it is a much more enjoyable way to hunt them in my personal opinion.  If you know how and what to say to a gobbler,...and do that in some semblance of the right place,....he will usually strike up a conversation with you and want to meet you face to face to chat.  That is the essence of turkey hunting.

Being able to go to the right spot in the turkey woods and kill a gobbler without having the ability to get him to let you know he is there and talk about "turkey bizness" just doesn't hold any appeal to me at all.  As a bunch of us have stated before, that element of inspiring a conversation with a gobbler is quite often the result of "experience" more-so than calling ability. 

[jordanz7935]

Woodsmanship will always trump calling ability, IMO. But you have to be decent at calling. I enjoy watching contest calling and its great for our sport! But in all reality where i hunt, those long drawn out calling sequences they do wouldn't kill many birds, 80% of the time less is more. Setup and knowing your birds are the keys to success.

[TM]

Knowledge and learn from your failures.  What went wrong and what could I have done differently.  Location, be in right spot at the right time.  That comes with experience on the same property.

[sasquatch1]

Calling. I do exclusive public land hunting and most times have never seen the place before so the knowledge would always be beneficial but I do pretty good without any knowledge of a lot of the areas I hunt.

I like to slowly creep in on a bird to the point I feel he will see me or something and make it convenient for him to come take a look. But with barriers in the way he can't see where the noise is coming from without being in range


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[paboxcall]

The famous author Jim Spencer once pointedly wrote "sit down wrong, and you're beat."

Its knowledge. In the right place at the right time, a single cluck can close the deal.

[SteelerFan]

There are two extremes in the calling ability vs turkey knowledge debate.

The first is "If I can call flawlessly, I will call-in and kill more gobblers".  The other is "If I just get in the right spot in the woods at the right time, I will kill more turkeys".  If you had to choose one or the other extremes, then the second is the one to go with.  From my perspective, that extreme also takes away the real charm and attraction of turkey hunting

Neither extreme is correct.  Having the right combination of calling ability and "turkey knowledge" not only will get you the most gobblers, but it is a much more enjoyable way to hunt them in my personal opinion.  If you know how and what to say to a gobbler,...and do that in some semblance of the right place,....he will usually strike up a conversation with you and want to meet you face to face to chat.  That is the essence of turkey hunting.

Being able to go to the right spot in the turkey woods and kill a gobbler without having the ability to get him to let you know he is there and talk about "turkey bizness" just doesn't hold any appeal to me at all.  As a bunch of us have stated before, that element of inspiring a conversation with a gobbler is quite often the result of "experience" more-so than calling ability.

^^^ This! It's not all one or the other, it's a combination. Put yourself in the right location, and be as competent as possible with your calling. That, in my opinion, provides the most enjoyment.

Calling like a champ in an area that turkeys will never be, or sitting in the perfect spot without having a conversation with a bird is not appealing to me.

[Yoder409]

Agree with the above.

If you have more than a basic knowledge of the area you are hunting AND you have, likewise, more than a basic knowledge of what makes a gobbler's pea brain do what it does, you will stand a better chance of plopping your butt where he wants to come to die.

The more you SOUND like a real turkey............the better chance you have of convincing him to come to where you plopped your butt.

[daddyduke]

75% Knowledge 20% Calling 5% Luck (We are dealing with bird brains)