Turkey vocalization-the "Gronk" call

[Tail Feathers]

I was hunting in northern TN a couple of years ago and heard turkeys fly up to roost behind me one evening.
The flew up one or two at a time maybe 50 yards behind me on a ridge, and I counted 18 if memory serves.  The last bird up flew up and I could heard him rustling around on the limb and then he let out a call I'd never heard.  Sounded just like GRONK.  I would guess it came from a tom, partly because it was gravelly (tom) sounding and in my experience they are usually the last ones to fly to roost after their hens go up.

A hunting buddy told me there had been a big discussion on an old turkey board if that call existed.  I'm here to say it does.   I know we have some real experienced turkey men here, has anyone else ever heard it?

[silvestris]

Single note, if so, I would say a single gobbler yelp.

[Phattkopp]

I watched a jake Rio do it 30 years ago, and have never heard anyone EVER say anything about it! It sounded JUST LIKE you said. I always wondered if anyone else has heard it. And "GRONK" is exactly what it sounds like. Not a gobbler cluck, more like a canadian goose.

Phattso 

[DAk28]

I have heard jakes doing it when there is a lot of mature birds with them. The only way I knew it was a turkey sound the first time was the jakes came by me after staying on the roost for over an hour while the mature birds stayed out on the ridge. It took me for ever to figure it out and not sure if I could ever reproduce that sound it's strange. This past spring I was on the same farm and as soon as I heard it I knew what it was. I had a buddy with me that has killed a pile of turkeys and he has never heard that sound before and was not sure that a turkey actually made it. I would love for someone to find a sound file of it.

[MK M GOBL]

Can't say I heard it and not to steal a thread but a buddy and I have heard hens making what we call the "Woo Woo" call. We have heard hens making this low call when toms are dancing around them...

MK M GOBL

[Hooksfan]

From the sound yall are describing,  can say I have heard it a few times--mostly from birds I just shot and are flopping hard on the ground and pushing air back out their diaphragm.  Also had a merriams tom make a similar sound when I had just shot his buddy---no way I hit him with any pellets and it wasn't a gobble---kind of an "oh shart" type moment and noise.
Have also heard jakes make that kind of noise.