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What is the all the rage over cutting? Over the past 20 spring seasons, I have never heard the cutting runs you'll hear Champ callers demonstrate. I've only witnessed individual cuts sprinkled in with aggressive purrs whenever I've seen birds fighting. Therefore that's the only scenario I imitate using cuts at all. Anyone else relate?

I don't relate. I have fired several gobblers with cutting added in with yelps and brought them in to the gun. I have called in a few hens and they cut when they get excited.

Im sayin that Ive literally never even heard a bird do that in real life.   :P

Quote from: RustyBarrels on April 28, 2021, 11:10:11 PM
Im sayin that Ive literally never even heard a bird do that in real life.   :P

That's really odd. I've heard piles and piles of them cut. A dominant hen will almost always cut if a subordinate hen (or what appears to be a subordinate hen, i.e. you) gets to talking too much. Also hear them cut a lot once they're on the nest and another bird gets too close. Had one going crazy on me Tuesday. She cut and walked circles around us for an hour. All that said, I don't cut on calls very much unless I'm trying to pull a henned up gobbler and she's cutting, or if it's later in the morning, early afternoon and I'm covering ground trying to strike up a bird.


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Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on April 29, 2021, 06:22:05 AM

Quote from: RustyBarrels on April 28, 2021, 11:10:11 PM
Im sayin that Ive literally never even heard a bird do that in real life.   :P

That's really odd. I've heard piles and piles of them cut.

Absolutely. It's a very excited and effective call. I cut at least some on every hunt. Cutting (in the right situation) can take a gobbler from luke warm to fired up hot!

Hens cut all the time.  Listen to real hens in the Spring of the year you will hear it. 

Definitely have heard hens fire up and cut just like the guys do on stage.  It can be an effective calling tool for sure.

As Ray Eye says, if you call softly and very little, you'll get the same reaction from the turkeys.

I believe that 100%.

I'm not saying yak yak blow the woods down. If he or she likes it pour it on. Gotta gauge their temperature.
You might have the most exciting hunt of your life.

Cutting is my number one way to strike or pull a gobble out of one.

I hear and use cutting a good bit in the Spring. 

You can fire up a gobbler or pull a feisty hen to you with cutting. 

That being said, keep in mind, the competing callers are compacting a long sequence down to 3 mins or so.  That naturally adds more vocalizations in that what you would normally hear in the woods. 

Quote from: perrytrails on April 29, 2021, 11:32:00 AM
As Ray Eye says, if you call softly and very little, you'll get the same reaction from the turkeys.

I believe that 100%.

I'm not saying yak yak blow the woods down. If he or she likes it pour it on. Gotta gauge their temperature.
You might have the most exciting hunt of your life.

Cutting is my number one way to strike or pull a gobble out of one.

THIS!  Some will say, only call every 15 minutes and do it softly.  I say get after them.  Don't be timid but don't blow the trees down in the woods.  I've killed more gobblers with aggressive cutts and yelps then with timid calling.  I want the gobbler to know, he has a Lady that is READY to party and READY to be Bred.  Don't be afraid to get aggressive!

 Birds do cutt. It signals aggression or sexual excitement. Following the thread I'll also give people a chance to take exception. Call shyness is a myth. If turkeys stopped listening to turkeys they would be extinct. They will quickly learn to avoid what ain't good enough. If you are sounding like a turkey (with variations like turkeys) the worst thing that can happen is they ignore you. It's not the Pied Piper's magic flute. They may have company or just not interested at the moment. I often get answering calls from birds that is a "come join us" or "we're over here" but they don't come to you. This does not mean you call loud and long every time you step into the woods. Like so many things with turkeys..... it depends on a hundred different things at any moment.

Quote from: CALLM2U on April 29, 2021, 11:41:48 AM
I hear and use cutting a good bit in the Spring. 

You can fire up a gobbler or pull a feisty hen to you with cutting. 

That being said, keep in mind, the competing callers are compacting a long sequence down to 3 mins or so.  That naturally adds more vocalizations in that what you would normally hear in the woods.

I had a competition cutting to a hen once that was so hard and went on for so long that my tongue could hardly move anymore (mouth call) and my right hand was going numb (pot call).....eventually, there were gobblers gobbling on every hillside for as far as I could hear.

Early morning i avoid cutting at the gobbler, because i don't want the competition of the hen's, but say mid morning i will try to use cutting to my advance. You can possibly get a response from the gobbler, but regardless if he's not seeing what's cutting in this instant real hen, he more than likely will give you a gobble or just walk away without responding all together. It's all about competing with real hen's and reversing the roll of the gobbler coming to you..  Competition calling is just what it is competition calling, you only have so long to compete.

the property i'm hunting this week is thick with hens. have seen a dozen in last 2 mornings

had one cutting like crazy for a few minutes just over the hilltop from us this morning. 2 toms were thinking of coming over the top to us and a deer snorted 30 yards to our left. apparently that set her off.

I've almost got to the point where if I don't shoot one early (which almost never happens), I look at my phone to check the time and can't wait until it approaches 9,930, 10 so I can let it eat. As someone mentioned, I don't really cut early. But at 930 or so I let it eat and it seems to work

I'm just dumbfounded that in twenty seasons in the woods the OP has never heard a hen or jake cut.


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Quote from: EZ on April 29, 2021, 02:35:09 PM

Quote from: CALLM2U on April 29, 2021, 11:41:48 AM
I hear and use cutting a good bit in the Spring. 

You can fire up a gobbler or pull a feisty hen to you with cutting. 

That being said, keep in mind, the competing callers are compacting a long sequence down to 3 mins or so.  That naturally adds more vocalizations in that what you would normally hear in the woods.

I had a competition cutting to a hen once that was so hard and went on for so long that my tongue could hardly move anymore (mouth call) and my right hand was going numb (pot call).....eventually, there were gobblers gobbling on every hillside for as far as I could hear.

I had to laugh EZ, been there myself....lol

Quote from: gergg on April 29, 2021, 08:16:06 PM

Quote from: EZ on April 29, 2021, 02:35:09 PM

Quote from: CALLM2U on April 29, 2021, 11:41:48 AM
I hear and use cutting a good bit in the Spring. 

You can fire up a gobbler or pull a feisty hen to you with cutting. 

That being said, keep in mind, the competing callers are compacting a long sequence down to 3 mins or so.  That naturally adds more vocalizations in that what you would normally hear in the woods.

I had a competition cutting to a hen once that was so hard and went on for so long that my tongue could hardly move anymore (mouth call) and my right hand was going numb (pot call).....eventually, there were gobblers gobbling on every hillside for as far as I could hear.

I had to laugh EZ, been there myself....lol

That's how he got the nickname Numb Tongue Tony.


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Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on April 29, 2021, 08:34:36 PM

Quote from: gergg on April 29, 2021, 08:16:06 PM

Quote from: EZ on April 29, 2021, 02:35:09 PM

Quote from: CALLM2U on April 29, 2021, 11:41:48 AM
I hear and use cutting a good bit in the Spring. 

You can fire up a gobbler or pull a feisty hen to you with cutting. 

That being said, keep in mind, the competing callers are compacting a long sequence down to 3 mins or so.  That naturally adds more vocalizations in that what you would normally hear in the woods.

I had a competition cutting to a hen once that was so hard and went on for so long that my tongue could hardly move anymore (mouth call) and my right hand was going numb (pot call).....eventually, there were gobblers gobbling on every hillside for as far as I could hear.

I had to laugh EZ, been there myself....lol

That's how he got the nickname Numb Tongue Tony.


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That's the clean version  ;D

Quote from: EZ on April 29, 2021, 08:59:38 PM

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on April 29, 2021, 08:34:36 PM

Quote from: gergg on April 29, 2021, 08:16:06 PM

Quote from: EZ on April 29, 2021, 02:35:09 PM

Quote from: CALLM2U on April 29, 2021, 11:41:48 AM
I hear and use cutting a good bit in the Spring. 

You can fire up a gobbler or pull a feisty hen to you with cutting. 

That being said, keep in mind, the competing callers are compacting a long sequence down to 3 mins or so.  That naturally adds more vocalizations in that what you would normally hear in the woods.

I had a competition cutting to a hen once that was so hard and went on for so long that my tongue could hardly move anymore (mouth call) and my right hand was going numb (pot call).....eventually, there were gobblers gobbling on every hillside for as far as I could hear.

I had to laugh EZ, been there myself....lol

That's how he got the nickname Numb Tongue Tony.


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That's the clean version  ;D

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Like i said, ive only heard it sprinkled in when theyre fighting
Thats why i only mix it with fighting purrs, & that works ridiculously well for me

Quote from: RustyBarrels on April 29, 2021, 10:25:12 PM
Like i said, ive only heard it sprinkled in when theyre fighting
Thats why i only mix it with fighting purrs, & that works ridiculously well for me

Then it sounds like you should stick with it!

If I strike a bird that I hadn't previously(that day) been on while running and gunning, I love to fire back with some hard cutting. "Oh my goodness I thought I'd never find you, big boy!" type cutting. Works well!

Quote from: RustyBarrels on April 28, 2021, 11:10:11 PM
Im sayin that Ive literally never even heard a bird do that in real life.   :P

I look at it like I did many (many, many) years ago when I was at a bar with my buddies and some "young thing" would say "hey, let's go to my place".  That rarely ever happened, but when it did, it sure got my attention,...and usually worked like a charm!   ;D :laugh:

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on April 29, 2021, 06:15:50 PM
I'm just dumbfounded that in twenty seasons in the woods the OP has never heard a hen or jake cut.


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I think it's weird too! In that same vein, I'm also the 29 yr old who's never stumbled upon a shed.....  :TooFunny:

Quote from: ChesterCopperpot on April 29, 2021, 06:15:50 PM
I'm just dumbfounded that in twenty seasons in the woods the OP has never heard a hen or jake cut.


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Man I was thinking the same thing lol.

new guy here,  lurked for a while but want to start adding info If I have some.

After reading this post I went our hunting in the afternoon.   Stating calling using yelps with cuts about every 15 minutes.   About 1 hour before quiting time I heard a gobble.   I waited for 10 minutes and just did cuts.   a Tom steps out into the field, sees my decoys and makes a beeline for my jake.   Hunt is over.   I have to believe cutting helped as I had called before just using yelps and nothing came in.

Thanks

Quote from: RustyBarrels on April 28, 2021, 01:30:04 PM
What is the all the rage over cutting? Over the past 20 spring seasons, I have never heard the cutting runs you'll hear Champ callers demonstrate. I've only witnessed individual cuts sprinkled in with aggressive purrs whenever I've seen birds fighting. Therefore that's the only scenario I imitate using cuts at all. Anyone else relate?

Hens cutt all the time when they are agitated, that is the hen that is best called in. I have thrown cutts in my calling sequence for 25 or so springs. I have mentored a few that believe in "over calling", when they witness calling in a boss hen and how you will flat out wear a hole in your call and a cramp in their hand, then they are a believer. Especially when it results in a spittin n drummin longbeard in the decoys.

Never bought into the light 'n low clucks and purrs every 30 min of the 'ol timers. Sounded like "snipe hunting" to me.  Seems like something an 'ol timer would say to a manlet with a mullet trying to kill a turkey to get views and likes on their instaweb

Cutting is my favorite call.  2x this season it brought in toms, I failed to capitalize though.  1st was early season, about 8:30 ish. We set up on a major feeding flat. Called soft, yelping and purring with tons of leaf scratches.  After about 30 minutes I got on the call hard a cutt up a storm.  Instant gobble at 500 yards at least.  Within 15 minutes we had 8 hens feeding in front of us.  They stayed about 15 minutes scratching leaves.  All the while the distant gobble kept gobbling and getting closer.  As the hens fed off he hammered in front of us.  The hens starting cutting like crazy. He kept gobbling and moved right to them. I cutt back but he wasn't turning around.  Then 2 more hammered 100 yards to our right.  Had them coming to us until a deer spooked and ran them over.  It started with cutting and ended with cutting.  Just hard to make a gobbler pass by live hens. 
2 weeks later we end up in the same spot for an afternoon hunt.  Very slow and quiet afternoon until Espo had a hen fight.  He was running 2 strikers on 1 pot call.  10 minutes later we had a gobbler spittin and drumming in the road behind us. 

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