A while back I read a post that mentioned soft calling. This made me start to question which is best loud or soft calling? Or maybe a better question is when, where and why would you use one or the other? This might be one of those "it depends" questions but I just had to ask. Thanks
If you have already struck the bird, i see no reason to get louder calling to him, soften up your calling and if he's reluctant to respond or come to your calling i would try to add some louder exciting calls to him, but again it's all about what your receiving him in response to your calling. A wish turkey hunter told me years ago, start off soft and you can always get louder with your calling if you feel the need. I sometimes don't do enough soft calling myself. I think a lot of it has to do with our excitement that hey we have struck a gobbler, now what do i do... But if it's mid-day i will try my best to get pretty loud in trying to strike a gobbler with some loud yelps and cuts etc. MOOD of the gobbler with trying to kill him is the best part in learning to kill these gobblers with your calling and being patient. A lot of us have bumped gobblers just because we think he has lost interest , but remember your trying to call him to you using all your tricks. I've messed with them and got so frustrated that i wanted to throw my gun down, all my calls and cry all the way back to the truck.. LOL... SO again MOOD / soft / loud... but i think less and soft calling is the ticket most of the time.. I think we all over call sometimes regardless.
Great question,...and great response.
I think the right answer depends a lot on where each of us hunts, as well as how we like to hunt. Personally, I have mostly hunted large tracts of public land that have had widely scattered flocks of turkeys. I completely agree that calling loudly out of the gate in an area where turkeys may well be pretty close by is not a good idea. A good axiom is always "start softly and get louder if needed".
However, quite honestly, under those conditions under which I have hunted most of my life, I have found more often than not that I generally strike distant gobblers with loud calling much more often than I strike closer birds with softer calling, even though I adhere to that axiom. I have had gobblers respond more often on the far edge of hearing, even after starting softly. I am confident many of those birds would have never heard my calling had I not called loudly,...and in turn, I would probably have never known they were around.
Having said that, I have also hunted some places where loud calling was unproductive,...and probably quite likely counterproductive. I firmly believe the trick is having the experience/wisdom to make a somewhat educated guess as when to do one or the other based on the circumstances you are faced with. And often times, the right guess is to do a little of both in the proper measure.
Greg nailed it right there. I am a very soft, light, and infrequent caller. Most of the time this brings them in to "the dance". HOWEVER, A turkey's mood is kind of like a thermometer, it cam read hot or cold. If you interact with a "hard gobbling" turkey that is just hammering back at you, raise the temperature and turn up the heat. He is in the mood, ready for love. This in my experience doesn't happen as much with the 3-4 year olds. I wish it happened more, but it just doesn't where I hunt. Opposite of this, if he's reluctant to answer, but he stays in the game with you, keep it "cooler". Soft calling(a little leaf scratching), and infrequent answering just might drive a hung-up gobbler crazy, forcing him to break and waltz in. Curiosity kills these guys, these are the most rewarding trophies for me. Great post, great info hear....
I won't try to restate what has already been pretty well said, but I have learned throughout the years that most of us are a little louder in the woods than we realize. I am still blown away over three decades later at just how far a turkey can hear our calling. Mind boggling really how good their ears are.
The only time I generally get on my calls really loud is on windy days when the trees are rocking. But there are exceptions to everything as no two gobblers think alike. I don't think that turkeys have such a huge issue with loud calling in their natural state, but that it becomes an issue on all the heavily hunted land where they hear so much loud calling, and often calling out of character with what a hen turkey generally does. Last year for example, a guy way down the ridge was doing fly downs cackles at midday and the Tom I was on shut up promptly. Not only was he using it at the wrong time of the day, but his runs were way too long and sounded like a hen flying out of a 500 foot tall pine and to the turkey that was just not natural. So, it is not just volume, but also knowing what sound to use and when.
Thank you all for your very inciteful comments, Certainly learned a few new tidbits
The way I look at it, for what it's worth, if you listen to real hens some are loud, some are soft, some are obnoxious, some are timid, I'm gonna be whatever hen that he wants that day. As far as the loud, soft debate, 90% of the time I'm going loud. You can't call him or shoot him if he doesn't know you're there .
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All the comments above are great. I would add if I strike a gobbler with soft calling I'll keep it soft, elevating intensity as hopefully needed. If I strike him with aggressive calling like cutting I'll get on him right away and hard. If I'm standing at the time I'll be running for the tree I picked out while calling.
1st I want to see if it's was a shock gobble. Second if not a shock gobble and he responds again I want him to stay interested and fire him up. If I take the time to set up and get ready I might miss the opportunity to trigger him, so to speak, and have him elevate his level of interest. If he does get fired up, it leans towards being over pretty quick.
If don't get him to respond again I ease up, calling sporadically and see if he lets me pinpoint him or where he might be headed so I can move on him. When I get to my new set up I'll start from scratch. Trying to get him going with the soft to aggressive routine.
One thing I have a tendency to do after hunting an area for a while and if I'm not planning on coming back to the spot in the near future is tearing the woods up with calling before I head to the truck. It's far from fool proof but It works enough to keep me doing it.
Scoot and Paul
Thank you for more great comments. Both approaches make sense
Paul,
By "tearing up the woods", are you going out like an obnoxious hen? Loud clucking and cutting vs. purring and whitting?
Quote from: Brillo on January 19, 2023, 07:43:06 PM
Paul,
By "tearing up the woods", are you going out like an obnoxious hen? Loud clucking and cutting vs. purring and whitting?
Loud obnoxious cutting and clucking, with some whitts thrown in for good measure. I have pulled a out pot on occasion and thrown in fighting purrs as well. I'll thrash the leaves, snap some sticks, flap my hat, and generally try to make it sound like a real ruckus is going on.
Some on here will say "I could kill dumb 2 year olds too if I didn't mind spooking the old gobblers with that loud calling." I'm here to tell yah that ain't the case. The birds that respond to this type of ruckus are looking to see who the new birds are making all the fuss in their territory and they come quick. That is if it happens at all.
Now, I only do this as a last resort when my hunting time during the season or on the trip is drawing to end. If if had my drothers and the time I'll generally work the birds slow and easy possibly over a matter of days, possibly weeks depending on the situation. If that fails I'll let my hair down and have some fun before it's over so to speak.
Heavy pressured public land turkeys I hunt, I have more success with soft calling and less calling. Loud calling does work for me opening week but even then I tend to start off with calling softly.
Quote from: trad bow on January 20, 2023, 07:18:56 AM
Heavy pressured public land turkeys I hunt, I have more success with soft calling and less calling. Loud calling does work for me opening week but even then I tend to start off with calling softly.
People keep telling me you can't kill pressured public land gobblers with loud aggressive calling and I used to believe them. In fact the, the 1st public Tom I ever killed some 30 plus years ago came running to pot calling so soft I could barely hear it let alone the turkey 150yds away. Been chasing them on public ever since. Never felt the need to ask to ask somebody for permission. There's plenty of action on most public areas to keep me interested.
After that, soft calling was it for me. Until, that is, I got better as a hunter in more confident in my calling ability. Being as calling to gobblers is the reason I get up at 2am, or drive 18 hours to make to a roost before sunrise, I started pushing the envelope with my calling. Throughout this process what I learned and am still learning is loud and soft calling can be equally effective on public land depending on the situation. Doesn't matter if your in the deep south hunting them hard pressured southern birds, Northern Mo where I can guarantee you had the most heavily pressured public land birds back in the day, or Northern Mn. The trick is figuring out the what, where, when, and why to calling turkeys and that only comes from experience.
The loud aggressive obnoxious calling comes out as a last resort. One last hurrah before I hang my hat up on the them birds for year/trip.
As I am getting better and getting them closer I am finding that softer seems to work better once they have shown they are coming to you. Only time I am seeing that louder can be better is if they hang up, and even then not to much of it or they seem to want to leave right away. These other guys know more than I do overall, just what I have noticed in my dealings.
A good question at this point in the discussion is what each of us defines as "loud" (or aggressive) calling as compared to "soft" calling. As Paulmyr decribed as his calling style, what is yours,...and what have you found to work the best where you mostly hunt?
My loud/aggressive calling is almost always a combination of cutting and yelping,...and that is almost exclusively done starting a while after the birds are off the roost and throughout the day, especially when I am trying to strike a gobbler. Again, where I hunt, I would say probably 80 to 90% of the gobblers I strike are responding to that sort of calling rather than what I would describe as my softer stuff. Also as Paul has stated, that percentage has pretty much stayed constant whether I am hunting lightly-hunted, private properties or highly-pressured, public stuff,...although I admit that the number of responding gobblers on the lightly-hunted stuff generally is much higher, whether public ground or private.
On the other hand, my "soft" calling is generally a combination of low-volume yelping with clucks (and short, low-volume cutting) thrown in here and there. That sort of calling is primarily reserved for early-morning just-off-the-roost birds, late-evening going-to-roost birds, and for turning down the volume on birds that have responded (again, mainly to my louder calling) and are closing the distance between us.
Other associated calling discussions might be what each of us does with roosted birds, what kind of calling is used on small, confined properties as compared to larger tracts, calling to "field birds" that are visible as compared to "woods birds" that are not, terrain variations, and that sort of thing. Each of those conditions impacts my personal calling strategies to some degree.
Loud, soft, or No call at all? I had a Old Gobbler a few years ago in late season that I chased for 4 days. He gobbled about 6 times during these 4 days. I never saw him, but twice I heard him drumming, and moving through the brush. It was late May, a few days before the season ended, the foliage was very thick. I was using VERY limited, soft , infrequent calling the first days. I sat in his areas for several hours from daybreak each day. Finally on the 5th day I decided to relocate on the opposite side of this thicker cover, closer to where he roosted, same area, but he had 2 different trees within 100 yards of each other. I got in an hour and a half before daylight and decided NO TURKEY calling at all. I had my wing-flapper, and a small branch at my side. He gobbled once at daybreak, I did not respond. He gobbled one more time, I waited. Just as light broke, I did a "wing beat, branch fly down". No call. I used the branch next to me and pulled it back and forth in the leaves like a "feeding" hen. Never heard another gobble, but an hour after daybreak, I heard drumming in the cover in front of me. Finally, the "tomato head" showed himself at 30 yards in strut through the brush. I picked my spot and "bang". He was a 3 year old or more, 22 pounds, thick beard and nice hooks. The moral here, no Turkey calling at all. Should have thought of this earlier, but now I'll never forget it. This guy must have had a bad experience coming in to a call, he was super cautious with all his moves....Probably one of my most memorable hunts for sure.
Quote from: Tom007 on January 21, 2023, 09:35:50 AM
Loud, soft, or No call at all? I had a Old Gobbler a few years ago in late season that I chased for 4 days. He gobbled about 6 times during these 4 days. I never saw him, but twice I heard him drumming, and moving through the brush. It was late May, a few days before the season ended, the foliage was very thick. I was using VERY limited, soft , infrequent calling the first days. I sat in his areas for several hours from daybreak each day. Finally on the 5th day I decided to relocate on the opposite side of this thicker cover, closer to where he roosted, same area, but he had 2 different trees within 100 yards of each other. I got in an hour and a half before daylight and decided NO TURKEY calling at all. I had my wing-flapper, and a small branch at my side. He gobbled once at daybreak, I did not respond. He gobbled one more time, I waited. Just as light broke, I did a "wing beat, branch fly down". No call. I used the branch next to me and pulled it back and forth in the leaves like a "feeding" hen. Never heard another gobble, but an hour after daybreak, I heard drumming in the cover in front of me. Finally, the "tomato head" showed himself at 30 yards in strut through the brush. I picked my spot and "bang". He was a 3 year old or more, 22 pounds, thick beard and nice hooks. The moral here, no Turkey calling at all. Should have thought of this earlier, but now I'll never forget it. This guy must have had a bad experience coming in to a call, he was super cautious with all his moves....Probably one of my most memorable hunts for sure.
Great story, Tom, and kudos for 1) having the foresight to contemplate that particular strategy and implementing it, and 2) having the perseverance to stick with that bird for as long as you did. The point is well taken and should definitely be acknowledged as a potential method of taking those old, stubborn gobblers that have seen it all in terms of calling. I think that kind of situation is a long shot for success, but when it works, it must be totally satisfying.
In thinking about your hunt, my mind wanders to my (and mine only) philosophy on spring gobbler hunting. Personally, I will probably never kill a gobbler like that because, quite honestly, I probably will never be in a situation where I will dedicate that much time to killing a specific gobbler like that. I just won't dedicate that much time to a single bird that does not want to play the game the way I want it to be played. Yes, I will readily admit that I would rather kill a dumb two or three-year-old that comes gobbling and strutting to my calls than kill one by any other method. For me, the entire thrill of spring gobbler hunting is about having a conversation with a gobbler and the anticipation that, perhaps when all is said and done, we will end up meeting face to face while chatting about it through the entire process. The ones that don't want to do that can just stay in the woods and perpetuate the species as far as I am concerned. ...Just an aimless thought on my personal outlook on the matter, and I don't expect others to feel the same.
Again, though, kudos to you for killing that bird by employing the tactic you did. Others should take note for hunting those types of gobblers, for sure. :icon_thumright:
Quote from: GobbleNut on January 21, 2023, 11:01:43 AM
Quote from: Tom007 on January 21, 2023, 09:35:50 AM
Loud, soft, or No call at all? I had a Old Gobbler a few years ago in late season that I chased for 4 days. He gobbled about 6 times during these 4 days. I never saw him, but twice I heard him drumming, and moving through the brush. It was late May, a few days before the season ended, the foliage was very thick. I was using VERY limited, soft , infrequent calling the first days. I sat in his areas for several hours from daybreak each day. Finally on the 5th day I decided to relocate on the opposite side of this thicker cover, closer to where he roosted, same area, but he had 2 different trees within 100 yards of each other. I got in an hour and a half before daylight and decided NO TURKEY calling at all. I had my wing-flapper, and a small branch at my side. He gobbled once at daybreak, I did not respond. He gobbled one more time, I waited. Just as light broke, I did a "wing beat, branch fly down". No call. I used the branch next to me and pulled it back and forth in the leaves like a "feeding" hen. Never heard another gobble, but an hour after daybreak, I heard drumming in the cover in front of me. Finally, the "tomato head" showed himself at 30 yards in strut through the brush. I picked my spot and "bang". He was a 3 year old or more, 22 pounds, thick beard and nice hooks. The moral here, no Turkey calling at all. Should have thought of this earlier, but now I'll never forget it. This guy must have had a bad experience coming in to a call, he was super cautious with all his moves....Probably one of my most memorable hunts for sure.
Great story, Tom, and kudos for 1) having the foresight to contemplate that particular strategy and implementing it, and 2) having the perseverance to stick with that bird for as long as you did. The point is well taken and should definitely be acknowledged as a potential method of taking those old, stubborn gobblers that have seen it all in terms of calling. I think that kind of situation is a long shot for success, but when it works, it must be totally satisfying.
In thinking about your hunt, my mind wanders to my (and mine only) philosophy on spring gobbler hunting. Personally, I will probably never kill a gobbler like that because, quite honestly, I probably will never be in a situation where I will dedicate that much time to killing a specific gobbler like that. I just won't dedicate that much time to a single bird that does not want to play the game the way I want it to be played. Yes, I will readily admit that I would rather kill a dumb two or three-year-old that comes gobbling and strutting to my calls than kill one by any other method. For me, the entire thrill of spring gobbler hunting is about having a conversation with a gobbler and the anticipation that, perhaps when all is said and done, we will end up meeting face to face while chatting about it through the entire process. The ones that don't want to do that can just stay in the woods and perpetuate the species as far as I am concerned. ...Just an aimless thought on my personal outlook on the matter, and I don't expect others to feel the same.
Again, though, kudos to you for killing that bird by employing the tactic you did. Others should take note for hunting those types of gobblers, for sure. :icon_thumright:
I really do appreciate the kind words, especially from you my friend. Yes, I did get "hooked in" to sticking with him. What gave me restless nights during those days was the fact that I heard him drumming, moving in the leaves, but never saw him! This drove me crazy, I am sure he was within 50 yards, but I never saw him. I thought of walking over to where I heard the sounds to look for strut marks or sign, but did not to "booger" up the area. I didn't even try to walk out until an hour or so passed trying not to spook him. You are 1000 % right, a gobbling bird that plays our game and gobbles his way in are unmatched hunts for sure. I just had a "thorn in my side" with this guy that had to be removed...thanks so much for your accolades, it means a lot to me. Be safe, good luck this spring
Quote from: Tom007 on January 21, 2023, 09:35:50 AM
I did a "wing beat, branch fly down".
One of the best calls one can make at flydown.
Quote from: Tom007 on January 21, 2023, 09:35:50 AM
Loud, soft, or No call at all? I had a Old Gobbler a few years ago in late season that I chased for 4 days. He gobbled about 6 times during these 4 days. I never saw him, but twice I heard him drumming, and moving through the brush. It was late May, a few days before the season ended, the foliage was very thick. I was using VERY limited, soft , infrequent calling the first days. I sat in his areas for several hours from daybreak each day. Finally on the 5th day I decided to relocate on the opposite side of this thicker cover, closer to where he roosted, same area, but he had 2 different trees within 100 yards of each other. I got in an hour and a half before daylight and decided NO TURKEY calling at all. I had my wing-flapper, and a small branch at my side. He gobbled once at daybreak, I did not respond. He gobbled one more time, I waited. Just as light broke, I did a "wing beat, branch fly down". No call. I used the branch next to me and pulled it back and forth in the leaves like a "feeding" hen. Never heard another gobble, but an hour after daybreak, I heard drumming in the cover in front of me. Finally, the "tomato head" showed himself at 30 yards in strut through the brush. I picked my spot and "bang". He was a 3 year old or more, 22 pounds, thick beard and nice hooks. The moral here, no Turkey calling at all. Should have thought of this earlier, but now I'll never forget it. This guy must have had a bad experience coming in to a call, he was super cautious with all his moves....Probably one of my most memorable hunts for sure.
Enjoyed the story and the hunt... Persistence paid off. It's about the challenge of trying to beat him in his own game ... Sometimes we are successful and sometimes not but we do love playing the game while hunting these gobblers and trying to outwit them..
Quote from: Greg Massey on January 21, 2023, 03:16:47 PM
Quote from: Tom007 on January 21, 2023, 09:35:50 AM
Loud, soft, or No call at all? I had a Old Gobbler a few years ago in late season that I chased for 4 days. He gobbled about 6 times during these 4 days. I never saw him, but twice I heard him drumming, and moving through the brush. It was late May, a few days before the season ended, the foliage was very thick. I was using VERY limited, soft , infrequent calling the first days. I sat in his areas for several hours from daybreak each day. Finally on the 5th day I decided to relocate on the opposite side of this thicker cover, closer to where he roosted, same area, but he had 2 different trees within 100 yards of each other. I got in an hour and a half before daylight and decided NO TURKEY calling at all. I had my wing-flapper, and a small branch at my side. He gobbled once at daybreak, I did not respond. He gobbled one more time, I waited. Just as light broke, I did a "wing beat, branch fly down". No call. I used the branch next to me and pulled it back and forth in the leaves like a "feeding" hen. Never heard another gobble, but an hour after daybreak, I heard drumming in the cover in front of me. Finally, the "tomato head" showed himself at 30 yards in strut through the brush. I picked my spot and "bang". He was a 3 year old or more, 22 pounds, thick beard and nice hooks. The moral here, no Turkey calling at all. Should have thought of this earlier, but now I'll never forget it. This guy must have had a bad experience coming in to a call, he was super cautious with all his moves....Probably one of my most memorable hunts for sure.
Enjoyed the story and the hunt... Persistence paid off. It's about the challenge of trying to beat him in his own game ... Sometimes we are successful and sometimes not but we do love playing the game while hunting these gobblers and trying to outwit them..
Quote from: silvestris on January 21, 2023, 01:37:27 PM
Quote from: Tom007 on January 21, 2023, 09:35:50 AM
I did a "wing beat, branch fly down".
One of the best calls one can make at flydown.
I really appreciate it friends. I do a lot of unorthodox things when dealing with these "Snotty Snoods". Believe me, I get my tail whipped plenty of times. The good thing is that my defeats have forced me to figure out and learn things that they don't expect. These little "forest secretes" have helped me win some battles against the toughest birds in my woods. That's why I love Turkey Hunting!. Greg, I haven't forgot about your "Bread Bag"Be safe.....
Quote from: trad bow on January 20, 2023, 07:18:56 AM
Heavy pressured public land turkeys I hunt, I have more success with soft calling and less calling. Loud calling does work for me opening week but even then I tend to start off with calling softly.
This heavy pressured National forest gobbler liked loud cutting, loud yelping, and fighting purrs. Shot him running to me at 30 yards(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20230124/422bb79edc6ce08aeae051c828d2d492.jpg)
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I say play the game however it makes you happy.