Listen...

[Marc]

Taking my daughter this year, I realize how much I take for granted of the sounds that turkeys make...

Most hunters are listening for that gobble...  or Maybe hens yelping...   But there are a lot of other sounds that are often equally or more important...

Having drumming right behind us, my daughter had no idea birds were nearby, and shifted to get more comfortable.  I later asked her if she heard the drumming, and she asked me what it sounded like...  I did a make-shift imitation and she said "I thought those were frogs!"

We had a bird coming in that was doing that "searching putt," looking for the bird that was previously calling to him...  My daughter again did not recognize it as a turkey sound...

Sometimes birds come in gobbling...  As often as not, they do not though...  Many times you will hear drumming, putting, or even clucking.

Especially in tightly wooded areas, hearing the subtle sounds that a turkey makes can mean the difference between success, and not even knowing a bird was close.

[EZ]

Good points. Even non-turkey sounds can tell you something. Listen to crows and Jays. They can often give you a heads-up.

[Tom007]

Great info, I have tied in blue jay presence to Turkey being close, as well as deer. They seem to be the "escorts" of the hardwoods.

[Marc]

Great info, I have tied in blue jay presence to Turkey being close, as well as deer. They seem to be the "escorts" of the hardwoods.

Good points. Even non-turkey sounds can tell you something. Listen to crows and Jays. They can often give you a heads-up.

Also good points!

Yes scrub often jays make a racket around turkeys...  Ravens do as well, but they are always making noise.  Valley quail will often flush with the approach of turkeys (I see a covey of quail flush on the ridge over, I start looking/listening for turkeys)...  Honkers on farm ponds often raise a ruckus when turkeys are approaching as well.

[Turkeyman]

My absolute favorite turkey sound is drumming. A lot of guys can't hear it either because of the frequency or volume. But if you can hear it you know the game is being played!!

[quackaddict]

My absolute favorite turkey sound is drumming. A lot of guys can't hear it either because of the frequency or volume. But if you can hear it you know the game is being played!!

I love it, but a bird has to be very close for me to hear it. Like inside 40 - 50 yards. Such an awesome sound though!


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[Paulmyr]

Took a long time for me to recognize drumming. I'm talking years. I've always hunted by myself or with my dad who has pretty bad hearing. Not knowing what to listen for, I think I was concentrating on hearing turkey noises in the higher frequencies more adept to the human ear, tunnel hearing so to speak.

One day it came together. More of a result from a bad set than anything else. A Gobbler was traversing the side of ridge 30yds above me. I seen the hen go by and could hear the low boom of the drumming tom in tow. I couldn't see him but the sound was unmistakable it had to be what every one was talking about. It didn't take many more hunts to confirm the sound of drumming. Now I think I hear it everywhere especially when the wind blows.

[Zobo]

/quote]


The silent approach of the first bird I shot last season was tipped off to me by the whistling flush of a single mourning dove. Had that dove not alerted me I doubt I would have been at the ready for the shot.

[Turkeyman]

My absolute favorite turkey sound is drumming. A lot of guys can't hear it either because of the frequency or volume. But if you can hear it you know the game is being played!!

I love it, but a bird has to be very close for me to hear it. Like inside 40 - 50 yards. Such an awesome sound though!

I know I can hear it to at least 75 yards...verified with my rangefinder several years ago. Two strutters in a field with a hen.

[mountainhunter1]

Makes me jealous because I cannot hear drumming. I can clearly hear the spit that proceeds his drum, but not the drumming itself. Ran a chain saw and a wet saw for many years and likely lost that ability to hear certain range and pitch doing so, sad but tis true. But it has not kept me from killing a bunch of birds. I just stay on my toes at all times and let my eyes make up for what my ears may have lost. Usually though, I can hear the spit and know he is in the area if he is drumming.