How far away was that gobble?

[knokeb]

This is my first year hunting turkeys and I have a million questions in my head about it (whether I'm out hunting or not), but here's one: how do you know how far away a gobble is coming from? I hunt in an area that's a mix of woods and meadow, bottoms and ridges. When I'm hearing gobbles I just can't decide if it's close-ish by, or 500 yards away and bouncing around in the canyon. My buddy and I have tried to split up and night to triangulate gobbles on the roost, but we come up with wildly different guesses as to how far off the birds might be.

I'm guessing i just need to log more hours and it'll come with experience, but any tips would be appreciated. Much thanks.

[ChesterCopperpot]

You'll learn to judge distance more accurately as time goes on, but the big thing for you to remember is that as season goes on and the woods green up they're almost always closer than you think. Got on a good bird the other day with my wife and she thought he was a good ways off. I told her with all these leaves he's likely closer than you imagine and he wasn't far at all. Sounded 150 and was more like 75.


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[silvestris]

Foliage is a factor.  Is he facing you or facing away from you?  Is he hollering or whispering?  How is your hearing?  If he answers your call, he may come.

[Meleagris gallopavo]

I watched one gobble in an open field one day at about 80 yards and I could barely hear him.  He was going hard to some hens.


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[knokeb]

Thanks for the responses. Sounds like they might be closer than I think... which also might help explain them clamming up after I try to close a little distance...

[PNWturkey]

Also big difference whether they are gobbling from the roost, or once they hit the ground in the morning.

Ideally I like to hear him gobble a couple of times before moving in to set up on him, to best judge his distance and get a better pinpoint on his location.  In my experience, it is better to set up where you consider it to be just a little too far, than to be a little too close (and risk bumping him if you misjudged the distance).

[Marc]

Also big difference whether they are gobbling from the roost, or once they hit the ground in the morning.

YES!

*Birds on the roost sound closer (and louder) than when they hit the ground (even if they fly closer to you).
*Birds on a ridge will sound closer, than when they drop down into that ridge and head your direction.
*The acoustics change from a rocky canyon to a wooded one quite dramatically, and sound seems to "bounce" differently.
*Birds seem to sound closer in the cold crisp air of early morning, than later in the morning when the temps rise (at least to me).
*Wind can be extremely deceiving...  If I can hear a bird downwind, I will likely not move on him (and I assume he is a lot closer than I think).  If I hear a bird upwind, I am very likely to try and get closer.

Experience helps...  Visibly seeing birds and hearing them gobble under different situations can really help.   I know of a few residential populations of birds, and I will watch and listen to them from different locations...  Can be fun to call at them, and see their reactions and responses as well.

[justin.arps]

It comes with time, greenery and elevation changes can fool you. Better to assume he's closer than he is from my experience. If I'm close enough to Question it I'll set up and try him. You can always slip closer and try again if your wrong.

[Paulmyr]

If you can hear the rattle/rasp in his gobble you best sit still and be ready.