Calling Gobbler's Soft/Aggressive

[Greg Massey]

In most of your hunting scenarios while calling your gobbler are you aggressive or do you soft call mostly? Taking into consideration most of the time hen's are not walking around being loud or aggressive during the day. Do you feel soft calling kills more bird's for you or do you feel being aggressive with your calling kills you more bird's? Do we practice enough soft calling? I know from running my calls or practicing it's pretty easy to get away from soft calling.  SO what KILLS more birds for you aggressive calling or soft calling?  Do you soft call more in the woods and are you more aggressive hunting field edges? What is your favorite call to soft call on is it pot call, mouth call, tube call, box call, trumpet, push pin or just plain old not calling much or over calling period?  Opinions please ... I think we all agree there's a time and place for both soft /aggressive calling. But again what do you see yourself doing most of the time in calling?  Now you already have a bird gobbling your not trying to locate one, that's different or is it different?

[Dtrkyman]

I am generally aggressive.  But it all boils down to the moment.

[ChesterCopperpot]

Context is key, but just as a general rule, say, without a bird actively being worked to provide that context, I tend to call softer early, and as the day progresses and I start trying to strike birds I'm more apt to get really aggressive and cover a lot of ground. With birds working it's whatever they seem to be responding to, sometimes it's going crazy and sometimes it's contentment purrs and leaf scratching. Don't know that I've noticed higher rates soft or aggressive, probably six of one, half dozen of the other.


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[Master Gobbie]

Of all the birds I've been fortunate to call in and kill, not one was done in the same way, or at least that's what I think.

As Dtrkyman said, all boils down to the moment, for me the gobbler leads the dance, I don't think I've ever had a conscience thought when working a bird "better call like this, cuz it worked last time" I sort of just react to the situation.

I've stuck up gobblers that take a lot of time to work, and have also struck up gobblers that are in my lap before I can make a move. It's Turkey Chess and there's nothing better!

Undoubtedly it's in all our best interest to be well versed in calling.

[MK M GOBL]

I start soft on an initial blind set, then if no responses after half hour or so I will get more aggressive to see if I can elicit a response. If nothing I am somewhere in between. From there if I do get one going, I just match his "temperature".  When I finish him, I have usually toned it down as he works closer his last few steps.

Of course, every set is a bit different, if in the timber, field edge, or if run & gun. I just play the game by the scenario. I try to call loud enough / low enough to keep him coming but as you know it's all just a chess game and making the right "moves" wins you the game. If not you just get to play again.


MK M GOBL

[tal]

 Soft most of the time. If I'm going in cold and looking to make contact I usually do nothing but cluck, maybe add two or three soft plaintive yelps and/or purrs. I hunt woods 95% of the time. I've also had luck with loud hard cutting right out of the gate. A bird might surprise you. If I know a gobbler is there I'll move in and call softly not moving much. It helps to change position slightly for realism. I think pressured birds get suspicious of calling from the same spot for a length of time. I use tube calls mostly mixing in yelpers.
If a bird is gobbling I'll get more aggressive. Be the hottest hen he's seen or interrupt him and take over the conversation. Nothing is foolproof. Every day is different.

[MISSISSIPPI Double beard]

Soft calling kills more gobblers for me without a doubt. I only get louder if a real hen is involved.

[paboxcall]

When I first started out it was all about hearing myself. Didn't take long to learn its about hearing them.

Soft most of the time. If I'm going in cold and looking to make contact I usually do nothing but cluck, maybe add two or three soft plaintive yelps and/or purrs. I hunt woods 95% of the time. I've also had luck with loud hard cutting right out of the gate. A bird might surprise you. If I know a gobbler is there I'll move in and call softly not moving much. It helps to change position slightly for realism.

That pretty much sums up my approach.

[boatpaddle]

SOFT...

Pa. has enough hunters, that call to loud & to much....

With predatory factors equated in, plus all the loud calling, it's surprising,  that our Pa. turkeys make any turkey talk at all...

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[Spitten and drummen]

Most of the time I try to figure out what stage the turkeys are in. Next if he wants it loud and fast , thats what he gets. If he wants it low and slow I can do that too.

[Tom007]

Soft, soft, soft. Now, if he hammers me, or he has a hen, I'll bring up the pressure. But generally, I am a soft caller......

[hunter85]

I have found that a few clicks here and a yelp there gets more in front of a gun barrel more often that really getting after it and it doesn't seem to get blundered or get other hunters in on the bird gobbling his head off at the aggressive stuff. About the only time I do get aggressive is when I get a hen fired up then the yelling match is on.

[King Cobra]

As you mention there is a time and place for both but In my experience soft calling definitely kills more birds. When I know he is alone I try to strategically set up then try to make calls that are barely audible to him. Actually, sometime my best call is no call at all once he knows that you are there. My pot call works best for me soft calling ( clucks, purrs, short yelps ) but I always have my mouth call ready to go. Every bird is different and you have to get into their head and feed them what they want. There is no substitution experience...

[bobk]

Every encounter with a Turkey is different and requires different calling tactics.  By and far soft calling is what brings them to the gun.

[eggshell]

This very simple start soft and go up. Stop when he starts cutting you off. Call at the minimum level that keeps your gobbler engaged.