Switching from a pot call to a mouth call

[Marc]

I've been doing the friction to mouth call regimen since I was a teen. If I get a response, it instantly goes back in the pouch and the diaphram comes out. 
Next step is to make sure my gun is ready for duty, I'm in a comfy shooting position,

I actually prefer to set up behind a rock or a fallen tree (as opposed to leaning against a tree)...  Good rest for the gun, with reduced movement...  And...  I always have a friction call beside me, so that I can call to that close bird that is getting nervous...  Hearing a bird he cannot see behind a fallen log seems to make them more curious as opposed to more nervous...

[GobbleNut]

I actually prefer to set up behind a rock or a fallen tree (as opposed to leaning against a tree)...  Good rest for the gun, with reduced movement...  And...  I always have a friction call beside me, so that I can call to that close bird that is getting nervous...  Hearing a bird he cannot see behind a fallen log seems to make them more curious as opposed to more nervous...

Same here, Marc.  Anymore, I always try to set up behind an object that will allow some movement, if needed.  Like you state, a log, rock, tree or bush of the proper size is ideal.  The perfect set-up for me is having that situation and with a larger tree or solid object to lean up against, as well. If there is a gun support about shoulder high on whatever is in front, all the better.  Granted, sometimes (often) it is hard to find that perfect combination in a hurried set-up, but given the time, I will always look for something that fits those preferences. 

It seems that, over the years (decades), the long-promoted idea of just leaning up against a big tree with nothing in front to break up one's outline does not work as well as it once did...for me anyway.  I think that may be a result of both my increasing age-related need to adjust my achy bones more often while sitting for a spell,...as well as pressured gobblers getting wise to approaching an unknown blob sitting out in the open against a tree.   

In addition, in a certain set of circumstances where vision is limited due to ground vegetation or terrain features, I am more and more inclined to choose to stand rather than sit in a set-up.  If I can find a nice pine tree of the right limb density to tuck into and with limbs at "gun-resting height" in that kind of situation, I will take it every time anymore.  That increased vision at standing height as compared to sitting height has come into play on several occasions since I realized that sometimes standing is a better option than sitting.  I can think of at least three gobblers over the last several years that I probably would not have killed if I had been sitting rather than choosing to stand in my set-up.

[TrackeySauresRex]

Great post Everyone,
   If by myself, if he's interested and a good way out. I'm mixing it up between my pot and mouth call. My mouth calling isn't the best, but it's definitely not the worst and confident in doing softly. Almost everything he heard way out will sound familiar as he closes the gap. I wouldn't hit him with a new call if I know he's on the way. Sometimes... in the heat of the moment, My problem w/soft calling is when I get jacked up excited, heart pounding, hyperventilating, with mouth getting dry. Yes this still happens from time to time w/me and I hope it never goes away. When it does happen, I won't even try to produce a sound with that thing. I'll let it play out. Most times, I run a thin latex combo cut. Or something that doesn't require a lot of air to use to make them soft seductive calls.

[Hydrocephalic]

If a gobbler responds to your calling from a pot call and is coming your way the simple answer is stop calling. He's doing what you want and calling to him at this point may only mess things up whether it's with the original pot call or switching to a mouth call.

If, at some point, he hangs up or veers away than refer to gobbnlenuts great points. In my experience,  calling to a gobbler on his way to you may have 2 negative impacts.

 One; It attracts the attention of one or more of the local hens and induces a jealous response from her where she intercepts the gobbler and leads him away.

Two; tells the gobbler your interested making him hang up and wait on you....well.... because your telling him your interested, why wouldn't you go to him like your supposed too.

If I call and get a response from a gobbler I'll keep at it until I know he's coming. When he comes my direction my calling work is generally done. It becomes a waiting game. I want him to come looking for me. The balls is in his court.  If I call at this point he knows I'm still there and I should be showing up at any moment because that's how it works. He gobbles to attract hens to him.

Its hard for me not to call to a gobbling turkey and usually I call pretty aggressively. I still get caught up in all the excitement and let an unwarranted call slip out with neg consequences because I'm trying to fire him up. I'm much better at it than I used to be. The trick is knowing when you got him and letting him do the rest.

It doesn't always work out. I'm tending now to error on the side of caution and it seems to work better than trying to call them all the way to the gun like I tried when I was a greenhorn.

As far a switching calls I can't speak much on that. I started hunting with pot calls and made the transition to mouth calls fairly quickly. When that happened the pots went to the wayside. Coming out mainly in high wind conditions.

 I hear people talking all the time about switching through their bag of calls and finally getting a response from gobbler. I've never had that happen. Probably because my call selection was limited. 2 maybe 3 pots when I started. After my transition to mouth calls it was basically 1.

 Limiting myself to 1 mouth call I found changes in dialect would be similar to the response some get from switching through their call bag.
What I mean by this if a standard yelp isn't working for me I'll pick up the tempo and intensity. Trying to sound more pleading or excited if you will and progress into cutts and cutt yelp sequences. Mind you this is mostly done to birds already gobbling but not responding to me. I'll be waiting on his gobble and hit him right  away, cutting him off if I'm quick enough. I'll test him every so often to see if he responds to me all the while waiting on his gobble so I can answer immediately. When I get his attention I'll  stick with what got it until he starts coming my. When that happens I let him come looking. No calling until he's not coming any longer. If he goes quiet, I'll wait as long as I can stand it for him to show up and than I'll force myself to wait some more before checking on him. Usually checking on him is not needed at some point he'll show up or gobble letting you know where he's at.

When there's no gobbling going on I'm not saying much, mostly listening. Light calling from what I feel is a good position every half hour maybe longer. I don't want to burn through my repertoire until the time is right.

Sorry. That was a pretty long winded way of saying. Don't call, let him come.

Thanks for this... I've been wanting to change to a mouth call to avoid movement but I think this is a better way for me to think about calling.