When you are calling to a turkey initially and you use a slate pot call and get no response, you try again, no response. Do you change your calling surface to say a ceramic or do you change strikers? Or do you do none of the above. It makes me think its not realistic because they turkey just changed sounds. I have had good success with slate so far but I do have a ceramic/glass call I could use. Do you use use the ceramic or glass instead if its a windy day or say a wet day? I seem to just use only the slate. I do live South East so there is also a lot of humidity also.
If i don't have a bird responding to a specific call and I haven't heard any birds, then I will certainly try a different surface or type of call. Not unusual for a turkey to hear different sounding birds, and until you have one fire off to a certain sound keep trying to find something that works.
If I have scouted the area and know for a fact that birds are in the area, I change it up frequently until I get a bird going. I normally carry 4 different pots with about 10 strikers, a couple of trusted mouth calls and a box. They ALL get used if the birds aren't talking.
Thank you, this is very reassuring.
Toms are like any other man, some like blonds, some like brunettes, if I were a turkey I would want to hear a call that sounded like a redhead. They all wanted to hear something else and then the same turkey may want to hear something else on different days, that is why we bring different types of calls.
The main difference is the pitch / sound of the call surface. I've seen gobblers not respond to any calls until I take a box call out and play that call, and the gobbler / gobblers will fire off right back at this call. So in my opinion it's all about the calls pitch / sound ... So I agree different calls will work better than others on certain days, gobblers can be picky also to sound and pitch ...
Something to think about is the turkey sound we have in our head, is more than likely not a true hen sound. To us it may be BUT to gobblers not so much... That's why you need a high / low sound in your calling...
Thanks everyone this is good information.
Shane, think of it this way, if you go fishing and only have one bait and that bait isn't working then what? As Greg stated, you need to think about a variety of baits(calls) and colors (pitch and sounds). Some days birds will answer to anything, then other days it may only be one specific call or nothing. Don't be afraid to throw the Kitchen Sink at them. If they don't respond, then tuck your tail between your legs and head for the truck.
Quote from: bbcoach on December 19, 2024, 01:16:20 PMShane, think of it this way, if you go fishing and only have one bait and that bait isn't working then what? As Greg stated, you need to think about a variety of baits(calls) and colors (pitch and sounds). Some days birds will answer to anything, then other days it may only be one specific call or nothing. Don't be afraid to throw the Kitchen Sink at them, if they don't respond, before tucking your tail between your legs and heading for the truck.
This made the most sense. I love the fishing idea, you are correct you wont throw the same thing all day with no bites.
Quote from: bbcoach on December 19, 2024, 01:16:20 PMShane, think of it this way, if you go fishing and only have one bait and that bait isn't working then what? As Greg stated, you need to think about a variety of baits(calls) and colors (pitch and sounds). Some days birds will answer to anything, then other days it may only be one specific call or nothing. Don't be afraid to throw the Kitchen Sink at them, if they don't respond, before tucking your tail between your legs and heading for the truck.
This is one of the best analogies I have seen
Quote from: shane071489 on December 13, 2024, 11:53:44 AMWhen you are calling to a turkey initially and you use a slate pot call and get no response, you try again, no response. Do you change your calling surface to say a ceramic or do you change strikers? Or do you do none of the above. It makes me think its not realistic because they turkey just changed sounds. I have had good success with slate so far but I do have a ceramic/glass call I could use. Do you use use the ceramic or glass instead if its a windy day or say a wet day? I seem to just use only the slate. I do live South East so there is also a lot of humidity also.
I take 2-3 different pot calls and sometimes a half-dozen strikers. If I'm getting no response, I'll change up.
Something I used to do that I don't do anymore is I used to leave a selection of calls out overnight on the porch and then test them in the morning before I go out. I picked the best sounding ones and left the others behind. Over the years, I found that I kept picking the same ones for the same conditions, so I stopped the practice. Normally, I have a slate, a slate over glass, and a crystal, and then carry a bunch of strikers. Those now usually include hickory, purple heart, and dymondwood .
In addition to switching calls that have different sounds, it is also a good idea to intersperse your calling with multiple calls. Giving the illusion that there are multiple hens together may entice a reluctant gobbler to investigate when he would not otherwise.
In addition, when using the "multiple hen" tactic, vary your calling with each device to give more realism to that multiple-hen scenario. For example, you may imitate a louder hen with a "box call" yelp with one call...and use another call with a varying pitch, cadence, and volume to imitate another distinct-sounding hen.
Bottom line is that a gobbler that will not break to come to a single hen calling sporadically might eagerly want to join the party if he thinks there are several ladies awaiting. ;D :D
Shaman and Gobblenut are spot on as well. Adding in multiple hens (2 or more different calls at the same time, a conversation between the hens, if you will) and the different pitches and cadences, as Greg and Shaman said, may get a gobbler going and get him within range. What works today, may not work tomorrow and vice versa. Herein lies the FUN of this sport, interacting with a Live animal and trying to get him to reverse nature and come find you (the hen or hens), instead of the hen/hens going to him. Throw in woodsmanship and setup and you have a GREAT challenge.
You've gotten some really good advice here. There is no doubt that some sounds will make turkeys respond when others won't. This is exactly why turkey hunters are so obsessed with turkey calls.
I will use every call I have on my person to get a gobbler going. Once he sounds off the game is on!
One more bit of information that has been on my mind. Don't settle on one style of call. Learn to use all types of pots, boxes, diaphragm, wing bones and trumpets. Each of these type calls have a unique sound and will increase your odds of striking and ultimately getting birds into gun range. I started with pots and boxes and have gotten really proficient with mouth calls now and plan on building my own wing bone call soon and getting a couple of trumpets. This sport is very addicting and interactive, so continue to learn and interact with this magnificent creature.
There are two sides to this:
#1 - I have absolutely had turkeys be more responsive to one call than another, on a given day. It is advantageous to have options, it will sometimes make the difference.
#2 - The majority of us here, myself included, have purchased way more turkey calls than actually needed to solve #1, because SHINY NEW CALL I WANT IT. But, that's why we are all here on OG :toothy12: It is part of the fun of turkey hunting.
Quote from: bbcoach on December 19, 2024, 01:16:20 PMShane, think of it this way, if you go fishing and only have one bait and that bait isn't working then what? As Greg stated, you need to think about a variety of baits(calls) and colors (pitch and sounds). Some days birds will answer to anything, then other days it may only be one specific call or nothing. Don't be afraid to throw the Kitchen Sink at them. If they don't respond, then tuck your tail between your legs and head for the truck.
I agree with this and unfortunately the last part of this happens to me more often than not when they aren't talking, but sometimes that last trick in the bag works and keeps the hunt going.
Quote from: Tclipse01 on January 17, 2025, 03:16:14 PMThere are two sides to this:
#1 - I have absolutely had turkeys be more responsive to one call than another, on a given day. It is advantageous to have options, it will sometimes make the difference.
#2 - The majority of us here, myself included, have purchased way more turkey calls than actually needed to solve #1, because SHINY NEW CALL I WANT IT. But, that's why we are all here on OG :toothy12: It is part of the fun of turkey hunting.
#2 is going to be the cause of my future divorce/homelessness
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I carry 3 pots and usually 7 strikers the strikers have different tones on different surfaces yes I switch em up all the time. :firefighter:
If I am not getting a response, I will try every call I have... I feel that sometimes you find that call that might sound like a hen in the area that the tom is used to hearing...
Also, when listening to birds on the roost, I pay more attention to the hens than the gobbles. Tone, pitch, cadence, etc., and will put her calling in the memory books and try to imitate her later in the morning when hens leave for the nest. Heck, I will imitate that hen to irritate her, and get them to come to me at fly-down as well.
Quote from: Tclipse01 on January 17, 2025, 03:16:14 PMThere are two sides to this:
#1 - I have absolutely had turkeys be more responsive to one call than another, on a given day. It is advantageous to have options, it will sometimes make the difference.
#2 - The majority of us here, myself included, have purchased way more turkey calls than actually needed to solve #1, because SHINY NEW CALL I WANT IT. But, that's why we are all here on OG :toothy12: It is part of the fun of turkey hunting.
Spot on post...
Turkey calls are probably the most fun gear to purchase... I do not get excited about purchasing a new shirt or pair of pants for hunting, or even a new vest, but I am always excited to receive that new call in the mail... (My family having to listen to that call after I open it, NOT so much)
I have a couple calls that are always in my vest, cause they have consistently draw responses from birds... I have many more call that go in the drawer or get donated.
I carry an old box call, that I actually do not really like. It will not pur, and is not great at clucking, or much else besides yelping... But it so consistently gets a response when no other call works, that it stays in my vest.
I am always hoping to find that "magic" call, or what I call a "vest-keeper."