Go figure

[The Cohutta Strutter]

Just wanted to share a turkey hunting experience I had this year in reference to calls. My Dad and I went out on public land and commenced to doing some calling. I was running a production glass pot and a pretty high end production box call. He was running just a run of the mill production box call, the waterproof type he picked up at Walmart. After about 15 minutes one fired up waaaay off and I could just barely hear him, my Dad could'nt. We continued to call and he was coming on a string. Dad finally heard him as he got closer. During all this calling what became apparent to me was that he was only answering to Dad's call. Of the 3 calls we were running by far to my ear his sounded the worst. It was extremely choppy sounding and raspy to the point where I thought it may be confused for a gobbler.lol.. But that gobbler was absolutely loving it. My calls sounded much sweeter and natural to my ear but he wanted no part of it. It turned out  the gobbler hung up on the ridge just above us and would not come down any further through some thick brush we had between us. Yep, one of us should have moved on him. Fast foward three days as I went back to this same spot thinking this gobbler is killable but knew not to go back without Pop's box call. As an expeirment I first tried my 2 calls already mentioned for about 20 minutes with nothing happening. I pulled out Dad's call and ran some loud yelps and lo and behold he fired up again waaaay off. I continued calling and determined he was coming and I got a line of travel on him. Now I'm thinking you got me once but not twice. So I pulled the dirty bird shuffle on him and closed the gap his way about 30 yds or so,went silent and it worked out. Got him. So what's the point in all this? Run every call you got on you.lol Seriously, just wanted to see if anyone has had similiar experiences? Also, do you folks think the custom calls out produce the prodution calls day in and day out?    I know we got a keeper in that particular box call.  Lastly, if you've read through all this mess your definantely a turkey hunter! The Cohutta Strutter.  

[Houndstooth Game Calls]

I think different tones hit different chords in turkeys I have had the same experience with birds more than once everyone has got there favorite calls that sound good and then you start putting all your eggs in one basket after experiencing  the same thing you did I will try to strike a bird or blind set up on a bird or even sit down to a turkey using old faithfull but if no luck I will always try a different call just because you never know and might as well if you havent had any luck with the call your using at that given time or day! It is funny how turkeys do that I had a buddy hes 74 years old and he loves to turkey hunt with me and I had been hitting the tube call to try and strike a bird no luck at all I told him grab a call and hit it he pulled a glass call out and it sounded like a dying hen you could hear the striker slapping the glass each note as a box call would run lifting the paddle! But wala gobbbbbble 20 minutes later my old friend put his foot on his head! Plus made me a beleiver that it aint all about perfect or consistent calling so I when I go turkey hunting I try different stuff in calls no matter what sometime you gotta make your own luck! Also never knock someones calling LOL just might jinx ya!! I did have a friend that loved this crow call and I swear there could have been 20 birds gobbling and if he blew that thing he shut it down the whole forrest would go quiet nothing lol it was the most annoying sound you ever heard infact the joining landowners would call me mid morning what the heck were yall blowing no yall here I would tell them so one day we walked up on a pond dam I asked to see it throwed her slap in the pond it was a jinx callLOL! But anyway good observation on your thread!

[The Cohutta Strutter]

Thanks for the response as I thought the box call my Dad was using would have been our jinx call as I had never heard it until that morning. Boy, was I wrong! It was just the ticket for that bird. Who's to say it was the same bird that I called back 3 days later but I feel pretty certain it was. Yep, I guess it's a crap shoot so to speak as to what a particular bird is going to respond too and any given time. I do know he got another bird fired up pretty good in a completely different area so I know their liking something about that call.

[barry]

I've been with friends whose calling didn't sound so good when they were right beside me but at a distance it sounded awesome. I think a lot of high pitch calls are like this. Whatever, if a bird likes it, play it.

[Houndstooth Game Calls]

  Barry!!!!!!!!

[GobbleNut]

I have seen that same thing happen so many times it ain't funny!  No matter how good you think you are with a call, if you hunt long enough, there will be a time...or fifty...when the guy that's with you, who sounds like a sick goose, has a gobbler go crazy for his calling while your "classic" calling goes unanswered.  Just a fact of turkey hunting, my friend. 

[drenalinld]

My brother will just not spend the time to become proficient with pot, box, or mouth call. His yelps don't break over, they sound like a goose with the lower tone first. I practice almost every day of the year with some kind of call. He calls up just as many turkeys as I do in AR. When hunting together the turkeys honor his calls more than mine. Maybe the sound is different and that fires them up? I know one thing, I have heard real hens that sound horrible. Maybe what I think sounds good really doesn't???

This Spring in NE, I had been calling to hens and gobblers for almost two hours and they had not come inside gun range. My hunting partner blew an awful sounding five yelp sequence on a mouth call with stuck reeds and the hens came running with the longbeards close behind.

I think the moral of the story is try everything you have and then some.

[davisd9]

I had a great hunter give me his theory on why some Gobblers will respond to one call like you have them on a hook but will not pay one bit of attention to another and I agree with his assessment.  What he told me was, he believed that if a turkey responds to a call it is because it is a reconizable sound to him like it is a particular hen he has encountered before and knows.  We as humans have distinct sounding voices and those that we contact on a regular basis knows the sound of our voice and it is his theory that turkeys work the same way and I have to agree. Maybe that bird's favorite hen was an old girl that no longer sounded sweet, but was "mature".     I strongly agree with this theory but you can disagree if you want.  The great hunter that I learned this theory from is the best I know in SC and tags out with over 100 turkeys under his belt, so I when he talks, I LISTEN! 

[The Cohutta Strutter]

Great insight guys! Davisd9 you may just be onto something.

[mnturkey]

David 9 is right,
A turkey will do what it wants.
I have been sitting there in the afternoon and nothing, I get my call out and only halfhearted try it maybe slipping the striker or hitting the paddle wrong and all of a sudden a gobble.
You have to try all of the calls you have, even if it sounds bad to you, the turkey is the one you want to please.

[S.C.C]

Cohutta Strutter you have described a box call sound that will call 90% of all Gobblers to the gun 100% of the time!!

[MarkJM]

I have seen that same thing happen so many times it ain't funny!  No matter how good you think you are with a call, if you hunt long enough, there will be a time...or fifty...when the guy that's with you, who sounds like a sick goose, has a gobbler go crazy for his calling while your "classic" calling goes unanswered.  Just a fact of turkey hunting, my friend. 

hahaha this just reminded me, I was hunting with my friend who has never used a mouth call and bought one the night before the season. the next day he ran it all day and killed a gobbler. obviously that gobble wanted to pick a fight with a goose slash dog...

[stone road turkey calls]

Turkeys like people speak there language, but we all sound different. any call used correctly will bring in a bird.

[The Cohutta Strutter]

Cohutta Strutter you have described a box call sound that will call 90% of all Gobblers to the gun 100% of the time!!

Gosh, I hope so..... I think Dad's call  definitely produced the sound of a mature hen. I'm leaning towards the birds liking the raspier sounding calls more, at least in this area.  I'm in the market for additional calls for next year and think it may be wise to equip myself with different type calls that produce different ranges of raspy tones in hopes that one will match up to what a gobbler is wanting to hear. Yet, still carry a call or two that produces the sweeter younger hen talk. I'm learning.....

[hookedspur]

I have seen that same thing happen so many times it ain't funny!  No matter how good you think you are with a call, if you hunt long enough, there will be a time...or fifty...when the guy that's with you, who sounds like a sick goose, has a gobbler go crazy for his calling while your "classic" calling goes unanswered.  Just a fact of turkey hunting, my friend.