Help me understand basic calling strategies

[frogfish]

Hey guys

I'm new to turkey hunting and this spring will be my first time ever chasing gobblers, so hopefully yall can help me out here.

I picked up a slate call and a mouth call (Primos sonic dome), and have been practicing both of them. The slate call sounds pretty good, and I'm getting there with the mouth call.

So on the day of the hunt, i was wondering what calling strategy I should follow when trying to bring a gobbler into range. If i set up at dark o'clock, when should I start calling? Can I call before the gobblers fly down from their roost? From what I've gathered, most people seem to yelp and cut aggressively at dawn, and as the bird moves in (hopefully), purr and putt more softly?

Please help me out here! Thanks!

[dirt road ninja]

For what it's worth I don't call much if any while the birds in the tree. I like to start once they hit the ground. I'll start lightly and let the birds tell me what they want . 

[drenalinld]

Like ninja stated, I don't want to call while the bird is in the tree more than once just to let him know where I'm at. Many times if you call to them in the tree they will gobble and it can be fun but they may just stay in the tree and gobble waiting on that hen to show itself. The exception I make is when I hear hens with the gobbler or close to the gobbler, then I will call more to create some competition and/or strike a nerve with the hen and get the hen(s) to come to you and bring him in tow.

The hardest lesson to learn for me was how soft you should call which also happens to be more difficult for a beginning caller. What you watch on tv will work some, but you will kill more gobblers calling way less and more subtle. Just a series of three to five soft yelps with a few soft clucks and purrs periodically can be deadly.

When the gobbler first hits the ground I like to call just a little excited to get him fired up. Maybe just a few cutts with some yelps. If he responds with a gobble or two, I get quiet and rake leaves.

[chatterbox]

Like ninja stated, I don't want to call while the bird is in the tree more than once just to let him know where I'm at. Many times if you call to them in the tree they will gobble and it can be fun but they may just stay in the tree and gobble waiting on that hen to show itself. The exception I make is when I hear hens with the gobbler or close to the gobbler, then I will call more to create some competition and/or strike a nerve with the hen and get the hen(s) to come to you and bring him in tow.

The hardest lesson to learn for me was how soft you should call which also happens to be more difficult for a beginning caller. What you watch on tv will work some, but you will kill more gobblers calling way less and more subtle. Just a series of three to five soft yelps with a few soft clucks and purrs periodically can be deadly.

When the gobbler first hits the ground I like to call just a little excited to get him fired up. Maybe just a few cutts with some yelps. If he responds with a gobble or two, I get quiet and rake leaves.

This.

[gobbler336]

this is where experience comes into play, no two scenarios are gonna be the same, there is no set sequence or rule to calling a bird in.  get his curiosity up, and tease him until he has to come see.

[Basin_hunter]

this is where experience comes into play, no two scenarios are gonna be the same, there is no set sequence or rule to calling a bird in.  get his curiosity up, and tease him until he has to come see.

^^^^^^^^^^

[30_06]

I usually call once while they are in the tree to let them know where I am. After fly down its a matter of figuring out what they want to hear..

[cahaba]

If Im not lucky enough to get on a roosted bird and he is a 100 or so yards away I just let the natural progression happen. Let him fly down and dont start calling to him right away. Have patience and see where he is wanting to go. If hes got hens chances are you might not call him in but you might can figure out where he is going and you might can set up according. Nothing is absolute in the turkey woods. Patience kills more birds than anything. Soft calling, raking the leaves,low impact.

[frogfish]

Thanks for your help guys!

[hunts4ever]

I dont think you should worry about your calling as much as your setup. You dont have to sound like a championship caller to kill a bird. All good advice from our other members i just want to point out that i believe their some things more important. know where your birds are roosted and set up close about 75 yards helps a bunch! whichever direction they enter the roost that evening thats where i start the next morning. As far as calling when theyre roosted, i do give him a little soft calling before daylight. After that, i wait till he flys down and just play it by ear. Nothing is foolproof and whoever said patience kills more birds is spot on. Good luck

[Final:Roost]

All good info!

[henned up tom]

If you are just starting to use a mouth call, chances are, unless you are a freak of nature, you probably are not very good with it. DO NOT USE IT IN THE FIELD IF YOU ARE NOT CONFIDENT. I have seen gobblers run the opposite direction when somebody who didn't know how to properly use a mouth call used it. I didn't start using mine until 2 or 3 seasons in. 

Generally the first sounds you hear in the spring woods, at least in Alabama, are the cardinals, the crows, and the gobblers....in that order. When you hear the crows, you need to be set up and ready to go. Wait for the gobbles, and if you are close enough to his roost, then stay put and wait for him to fly down, and then call him in. If he gobbles in his roost and is pretty far away, you may want to, very quietly, start closing the gap on him before the fly-down. Once he's on the ground, then I would start calling to him.

It always helps to scout out where the birds are roosting too. Go down to your camp the afternoon before you hunt and find a ridge to sit on, and watch for birds. The more work you put in, the better the feeling will be when you bust that dude.

Good luck!

[redleg06]

Every situation is different. Learning when and how to call is something that will come thru experience just like learning when to move and how to set up. Those are about the most important pieces of turkey hunting (aside from scouting/ knowing where the birds want to be) and experience is really the only good way to learn them because it's hard to give generalities when each scenario is so different.

If I had to give one piece of general advice about calling....I'd say that in the battle between calling too much and calling too little, calling too little kills more birds. You'd rather them be curious and looking for you.

[SonicBanshee]

practice with your slate