when to call

[firstimer]

This will be my first year turkey hunting, and I'm going it alone.  I have been reading all the good advice on this forum, and it is very helpful.  My question is when in the year can you call a turkey?  Only during their mating season in the spring?  I want to practice in the woods now before the spring season, but would I expect to hear a return gobble to any calls I make?  Is there only a certain time of year that this works, or is any time OK?  Thanks

[buck_hunter21]

I would not call to a gobbler before your season comes in. Before season I would just go to the woods and listen and figure out how they move through out the day.

[redleg06]

Congrats on getting into it...


Turkey communicate by calling to each other year around. It's usually how they find each other and express emotion, dominance/pecking order, aggitation, contentment etc... The calls you might hear can change a little bit during the mating season vs the fall because the birds tend to have different priorities and the dynamics of the flock will change during this time of the year. I'd say more than any other time of year, the window of 8-12 weeks of the late winter - late spring  is the biggest moving target of the year with regards to how birds behavior (and vocalizations as a result) change so rapidly from week to week as they go thru the breeding phases.

When I first started out hunting ( with my dad who was primarily a deer hunter) we had a fall turkey season in Tx and that's really how I started learning about how turkey communicate. 

Anyhow, most turkey hunters WILL NOT call to turkey before the season because you run the risk of putting unneccessary pressure on them before the season starts.  If you have a state park or something that is off limits to hunting or something and you just want to go practice on the real thing then go for it. I'd personally spend that time practicing with an instructional tape and scouting the areas you plan to hunt.  One thing I learned a long time ago is that you can be a subpar caller and kill turkey if you know where the turkey want to be at a given time...In other words, figure out where they like to go during the day and then call sparingly and you'll be better off....

Sorry for the ramble but I had to learn most of this by a lot of trial and error.

Go get Tree Top Turkey 3  (google it) it's a great cd you can play in your car of live turkey sounds and what they mean.

[jakebird]

Cant add much to the previous post. Summed it up nicely. Congrats on choosing to indulge in such a fine sport. Best of luck in the coming season!

[Flyrodder]

I want to practice in the woods now before the spring season, but would I expect to hear a return gobble to any calls I make?  Is there only a certain time of year that this works, or is any time OK?  Thanks

In some states, it's illegal to turkey call to a wild turkey before spring turkey season. Length of time before season when callling is prohibited varies.
Flyrodder

[Gooserbat]

I want to practice in the woods now before the spring season, but would I expect to hear a return gobble to any calls I make?  Is there only a certain time of year that this works, or is any time OK?  Thanks

In some states, it's illegal to turkey call to a wild turkey before spring turkey season. Length of time before season when callling is prohibited varies.
Flyrodder

I wish it was ileagal here in OK but to the OP It's more important to know when not to call.

[golfernash]

Good luck

[CallMaker]

Good luck hunting....Wecome to the addiction!