Contact Cluck

[Old Swamper]

I was taught to turkey hunt by a Clucker. He'd always use a series of 3 soft clucks and very rarely yelped.
It worked and I've had some success with it myself, but lately my subtle calling has been yelping more. Very softly.
One of the hardest things you will do is try to make just one yelp and shut up.
I'll do single yelps, or a single cluck followed by a yelp. It's been deadly on quiet birds and henned up birds. Hens almost can't help but come looking.

This is some solid advice, especially on gobblers that have heard it all

[eggshell]

All this discussion about turkey language is exactly why I like fall hunting. The day I started fall hunting my knowledge of turkey vernacular began an exponential swing upward. I have sat and listened to more turkey talk in one fall then 10 spring seasons. That cluck Gobblenut brought up is many times the only response you get from a fall gobbler. If you get it you'll probably see him, but more hunters miss it then hear it. I often make it before I do any other call and listen promptly at the end of it, so as not to miss it. In the spring I think it is less significant, but still effective. I'd use it after an aggressive series of gobbler yelps. In my opinion there are many forms of the cluck. They vary in sharpness and speed. I don't believe hens use it for location or attraction as much as gobblers. If a hen is clucking alone she's pissed or spooked. I prefer the soft sexy talk first and the trashy I'll hump anybody that's horny version of spring calling second. As comfort I will throw in soft whining/purring as sweet bedroom talk. I can't recall using the gobbler cluck much at all in the spring woods. If I do it's associated with gobbler yelps or even a gobble. Late spring when gobblers are reassembling in bachelor groups this is a good strategy. Now if you have gobbler decoys out I imagine this cluck would be effective. I wish I could define the differences, but I can't think how to describe the variations of the cluck I feel are being made by turkeys. The one Gobblenut posted about to me is shorter and softer and simple "guy talk" among gobblers. Like, "hey what's happening dude". 

[EZ]

My advice would be quit worrying about the difference between a cluck and a putt. You become the turkey when you're calling. You are talking to other turkeys and communicating with them. Are you trying to alarm them or just saying here I am....where are you? Your calling will reflect what you're thinking. It's really as simple as that.

[Terry]

My advice would be quit worrying about the difference between a cluck and a putt. You become the turkey when you're calling. You are talking to other turkeys and communicating with them. Are you trying to alarm them or just saying here I am....where are you? Your calling will reflect what you're thinking. It's really as simple as that.

Good advice


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[Paulmyr]

My advice would be quit worrying about the difference between a cluck and a putt. You become the turkey when you're calling. You are talking to other turkeys and communicating with them. Are you trying to alarm them or just saying here I am....where are you? Your calling will reflect what you're thinking. It's really as simple as that.

EZ you mentioned something very similar to that on the podcast tonight. About how when you had met up with a very accomplished caller and asked him how he did it. You said his reply was similar to what you wrote above and when you took his advice it helped your calling a great deal.

I tend to agree as well. My calling is much better when a sassy hen comes in giving me the business cutting, yelping and doing all kinds of vocal acrobatics. It's much easier to copy her calling during the interaction because I'm reacting. If I'm sitting and cold calling trying to accomplish something similar without the hen to mimick my calling isn't nearly as good. I'm not able to readily access all the sounds like I can when I'm reacting to a hen or even interacting with a gobbler for that matter. Calling too them or even with them and not at them.

[eggshell]

My advice would be quit worrying about the difference between a cluck and a putt. You become the turkey when you're calling. You are talking to other turkeys and communicating with them. Are you trying to alarm them or just saying here I am....where are you? Your calling will reflect what you're thinking. It's really as simple as that.

I agree with this comment, but I think the point of the thread is learning the language better. If I'm going to Italy I want to learn enough Italian to communicate and just like in America certain things are said certain ways. we can all pick out foreigners in a second, I don't want to call with a foreigner accent. What you in essence are saying, talk the local slang. You got to know it before you can talk it. As example, the wrong inflection on the cluck/putt is the difference between, "come in and sit down" and "Run like hell"

[EZ]

My advice would be quit worrying about the difference between a cluck and a putt. You become the turkey when you're calling. You are talking to other turkeys and communicating with them. Are you trying to alarm them or just saying here I am....where are you? Your calling will reflect what you're thinking. It's really as simple as that.

I agree with this comment, but I think the point of the thread is learning the language better. If I'm going to Italy I want to learn enough Italian to communicate and just like in America certain things are said certain ways. we can all pick out foreigners in a second, I don't want to call with a foreigner accent. What you in essence are saying, talk the local slang. You got to know it before you can talk it. As example, the wrong inflection on the cluck/putt is the difference between, "come in and sit down" and "Run like hell"

I agree.....good points. The best way to learn all that is from the birds themselves (how we all learned it before the internet), but with the internet and videos, the learning curve is much quicker.

Beside, my point was more to assure the OP that his chance of making an alarm putt as opposed to a questioning cluck is almost certainly not going to happen. I've never done it in 45 years of hunting. I do remember the old timers, at least the ones that would tell you anything about hunting turkeys, laying great emphasis on being sure NOT to make the alarm putt. The also said to NOT make more than three yelps every 15 minutes or you'd run every turkey out of the area. Not sure if they just didn't know any better or they were trying to keep me from killing turkeys, lol, but it didn't work.

[GobbleNut]

My advice would be quit worrying about the difference between a cluck and a putt. You become the turkey when you're calling. You are talking to other turkeys and communicating with them. Are you trying to alarm them or just saying here I am....where are you? Your calling will reflect what you're thinking. It's really as simple as that.

I agree with this comment, but I think the point of the thread is learning the language better. If I'm going to Italy I want to learn enough Italian to communicate and just like in America certain things are said certain ways. we can all pick out foreigners in a second, I don't want to call with a foreigner accent. What you in essence are saying, talk the local slang. You got to know it before you can talk it. As example, the wrong inflection on the cluck/putt is the difference between, "come in and sit down" and "Run like hell"

Totally agree (and perfect analogy).   
For me personally, I never know for sure (even after decades of doing this) whether my accent when clucking is going to be the proper one for the particular gobbler I am trying to converse with.  I may be talking to an Italian gobbler when, in fact, the gobbler in question is actually from France.     That is the primary reason I tend to add some other subtle calling when trying to seduce a gobbler.

On the other hand, I also agree that unless a guy is trying to intentionally "putt", or is otherwise in a situation where the gobbler might interpret those single (or combined) clucks as putts, MOST of the time there is no reason to worry about it.  It is those times when a gobbler MIGHT interpret my clucks as putts that make me think,..."Hmmm, maybe I should add a soft yelp or purr in with this cluck I am about to whisper to him".   

[eggshell]

Now if someone could post a video of how to make the cute sexy flirting Swedish blonde version of a hen turkey call. I want to learn that one. I bet it's more than a soft cluck....

[Paulmyr]

Now if someone could post a video of how to make the cute sexy flirting Swedish blonde version of a hen turkey call. I want to learn that one. I bet it's more than a soft cluck....

I'll get right on that for yah!

[Zobo]

Simply put the putt is faster, more alarmed sounding and repetitive. Believe me,
I know the sound well

[EZ]

Now if someone could post a video of how to make the cute sexy flirting Swedish blonde version of a hen turkey call. I want to learn that one. I bet it's more than a soft cluck....

I'll get right on that for yah!

I'm taking that secret to my grave, lol!!!

[Paulmyr]

Now if someone could post a video of how to make the cute sexy flirting Swedish blonde version of a hen turkey call. I want to learn that one. I bet it's more than a soft cluck....

I'll get right on that for yah!

I'm taking that secret to my grave, lol!!!

Anybody seen my bikini around here?!!!!

[Happy]

Please no!

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[Old Swamper]

I've noticed the "bubble" cluck to be more of a searching sound, as that "hollow" cluck seems to indicate trouble.