For me, the gobble is one of the most exciting aspects of turkey hunting... It is my favorite sound in the turkey woods...
Hearing the distance gobble and knowing "Game ON!" Or hearing that gobble getting closer, and building that anticipation...
That drumming is a cool sound... But, I would guess that a good percentage of birds I hear drumming, I never see... Or they never quite make it into range.
To me, the gobble says "here I am" and sometimes (hopefully) "here I come!" Drumming says "here I am, come on over..."
I think that we have to be really paying attention to the woods to hear drumming, and I would guess that there are a fair number of us who have not paid attention or not heard it... Even when close...
This year, I was working some birds in front of me... They were strutting and drumming with some hens but not gobbling... I was completely focused on these birds (about 80 yards away), when several feet behind me came a cascade of gobbles (from a trio of jakes)... I literally jumped, and sent everything running, every which a'way....
Drumming often tells me "I need to put my thinkin' cap on..." I hear a gobble and I think "Oh boy, I hope they keep coming..."
Gobble for me. Usually the first sound I hear from them and the I know it's game on and I get locked in
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I like both, but I prefer the drumming. When I hear him drumming I know what's on his mind and how to take advantage of it. With a gobble there can still be a few things to sort out. But I'm happy with either one!
Drumming for me as well. If I hear Spitting and Drumming, I know it's GO TIME!!!! Gobbling is OK but if they don't close the distance while gobbling, then ......... Gobbling for 2 hours with NO return on investment, Drumming for 2 minutes with a return on investment PRICELESS!!!!!!
I love both gobbling and drumming but if I had to chose one it would be the drumming. I know it's almost go time when I here that.
Would have to say gobble. I love to hear one drumming but there is just something about an Appalachian mountain bird sounding off on a calm morning that gets me.
Years of construction work and loud farm machinery (and shooting without ear protection) have really played heck with my hearing. I can still hear gobbling fairly well but the bird has to be dang close for me to hear it drum. So for me, drumming gets my heart pumping more than gobbling
I have yet to hear drumming while hunting, so it is the gobble for me.
It's all in the name! I can Make Em' Gobble :)
MK M GOBL
I like to hear both. The last bird I killed never gobbled but drummed a lot.
Drumming for sure, it tells me i've done almost everything right and i just have to finish the deal. I know at that point he's close enough that one small mistake and it's game over. Unless it's a surprise gobble 20 yards away from a bird I didn't know was there. Kind of the same deal, close enough that the smallest mistake is a big mistake and i know everything is going to have to play out just right to get that bird killed.
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DRUMMING!!
Just like my name: SPITTEN And DRUMMEN
Drumming for sure. At least if I hear that, I know they are close.
Love the Drumming,but love hearing the Gobble even more especially when it's closing the distance.
Gobble, all day, every day.
Drumming for me. I kill probably half or more of the birds i hear drum. And probably close to 75% of the toms i call in do some drumming. Lot of hunters don't realize the amount of drumming birds do. Gobbling is nice, but when i hear the drumming my heart goes into overdrive.
I would much rather hear drumming. You can make them shock gobble, but you can't make them shock drum.
Unfortunately I did too much shooting without ear protection. I can't hear one drum anymore at the old age of 32.... I can still hear gobbles pretty well though!
I love them both but if you hear one drumming you should kill him, the last bird I killed this year I was listening to one that had gobbled way off and then I heard another drumming so close all I could do was sit down, he was close, made three light yelps and I heard no more drumming but I saw him running in!
I love to hear both, but drumming gets me going.
Drumming for me. When I hear drumming, I click the safety off and just about hyperventilate!
Gobble for show, drum for dough!
I love to hear them drumming when conditions allow for it, but for me, the essence of spring gobbler hunting has always been about having a conversation with a gobbling turkey. Initiating that conversation from a distance, and then having a bird getting closer and closer as we talk to each other is what it is all about. When he arrives, if he comes in strutting and drumming, all the better,...but the real thrill is having him tell me he is on the way during the trip.
Absolutely love drumming...then you know the game is being played. With a gobble you're not so sure.
Gobbling for me since I can't hear the drumming
Sadly for me it would have to be gobbling - only because I have never heard a turkey drum. I have seen them strutting and knew when they were drumming (confirmed by those hunting with me). Actually I feel cheated that I cannot hear that sound. It is a frequency that I cannot hear.
I am cursed because I can hear our locals coming down the road from a mile away with that dang thumping bass on their stereo and have had some describe the sound to be similar in ways.
I always wonder how many times I have had a gobbler go quiet on me only to stand up 30 or 45 minutes later and spook him off and not even know it. I know , I know - theres' no crying in turkey hunting - :'(!
Unfortunate that many can't hear it. I started turkey hunting before most of you and, back then, little was said about drumming. After I realized what I was hearing I recalled a number of instances where I up and left an area because I thought he went away, but he hadn't and just went to strutting and drumming on his way in, sans gobbles. Anymore when he goes quiet I concentrate for the drum. Although my ears are old and I can't hear the high frequencies very well I can still hear the drumming quite well.
Had to birds come in where all we heard was drumming which got us pretty excited. Its hard to beat a gobble though.
the gobble
Of course, I like them both. But drumming can only be heard when they are close, and if I had to choose one only, it would be that. Not by much, though...
I love to hear drumming and gobbling, but when i hear drumming my heart rate increases about 2x. HOWEVER, when a bird gobbles at about 20 yards or less and you can hear that rattle deep down in his body in the gobble, that's almost more than this ol boy can take.
gobbling for me