Bad Calling - Advantage or Disadvantage

[Greg Massey]

I have found that most really good callers, don't have much patience. I have used this to my advantage, several times over the years, by coming in and hunting behind them.

Another great point ... thanks for sharing ...

[ScottTaulbee]

I have found that most really good callers, don't have much patience. I have used this to my advantage, several times over the years, by coming in and hunting behind them.

That's my biggest down fall. From 2000 until 2022 around here, we didn't have much competition or traveling hunters. My motto has always been, "if he ain't dead at my feet in 30 minutes, I'm finding one that will be". And it worked, a lot, for me up until 2022. The bird I killed in  2022 took some out of the box thinking to get on the public land I grew up hunting and a whole lot of persistence. Last year, I hunted like I always have and for the first time since I got the first one in 2006, I didn't get to see one flop. It was an eye opener for me, this year, there will be a whole different approach in my turkey hunting to clean up after the crowds and get my gobbler.


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[Yoder409]

I have found that most really good callers, don't have much patience. I have used this to my advantage, several times over the years, by coming in and hunting behind them.

I'm not sure I'd even classify myself as a "good caller" let alone a "really good caller".......  But, I'd put myself on the lower side of the mean on the patience bell curve.   

Not because I can't be patient.  But because I don't wanna.  Patience doesn't fit my preferred means to an end.  I'm the guy who'd rather kill ONE bird that comes in grandstanding than to kill THREE that came in silent.

I have two distinct styles of hunting.  One way when I WANNA kill a gobbler.  Another way if I feel like I HAVE TO kill a gobbler (which ain't too often anymore). 

[ScottTaulbee]

I have found that most really good callers, don't have much patience. I have used this to my advantage, several times over the years, by coming in and hunting behind them.

I'm not sure I'd even classify myself as a "good caller" let alone a "really good caller".......  But, I'd put myself on the lower side of the mean on the patience bell curve.   

Not because I can't be patient.  But because I don't wanna.  Patience doesn't fit my preferred means to an end.  I'm the guy who'd rather kill ONE bird that comes in grandstanding than to kill THREE that came in silent.

I have two distinct styles of hunting.  One way when I WANNA kill a gobbler.  Another way if I feel like I HAVE TO kill a gobbler (which ain't too often anymore).

That's my preference too!. I'd rather hunt for 14 days in a row and get my tail whipped and have one come in hot and heavy than deer hunt one. I know it costs me birds but it's so hard for me to not hunt them the way I like. But with that being said, this season I'm going to be more patient and see where it gets me!.


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[Tom007]

I have found that most really good callers, don't have much patience. I have used this to my advantage, several times over the years, by coming in and hunting behind them.

I'm not sure I'd even classify myself as a "good caller" let alone a "really good caller".......  But, I'd put myself on the lower side of the mean on the patience bell curve.   

Not because I can't be patient.  But because I don't wanna.  Patience doesn't fit my preferred means to an end.  I'm the guy who'd rather kill ONE bird that comes in grandstanding than to kill THREE that came in silent.

I have two distinct styles of hunting.  One way when I WANNA kill a gobbler.  Another way if I feel like I HAVE TO kill a gobbler (which ain't too often anymore).

That's my preference too!. I'd rather hunt for 14 days in a row and get my tail whipped and have one come in hot and heavy than deer hunt one. I know it costs me birds but it's so hard for me to not hunt them the way I like. But with that being said, this season I'm going to be more patient and see where it gets me!.


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You guys would get mad hunting with me. I'll sit for hours if I know or hear a bird. One occasion I sat down at daybreak, finally closing the deal at 10:30. I know I'm nuts, that's ok......

[jb1069]

This is by far the best thread I have read on here. Thanks to everyone.

I can honestly say bad calling will kill birds. I am a prime example. Lol  That said I know my kills would be doubled or tripled if I was a better caller and could totally figure out this conversation thing you guys speak of. Being the caller that I am I have bettered myself with woodsman ship. Like many have said knowing where he wants to be or wants to go makes all the difference. It will make you feel like you are a champion caller when you set up in his path and he responds so easily and makes his way to the gun.

Please keep the examples coming on how and when you might communicate with these crazy birds!

[Yoder409]

I can honestly say bad calling will kill birds. I am a prime example. Lol 

..... I have bettered myself with woodsman ship. Like many have said knowing where he wants to be or wants to go makes all the difference. It will make you feel like you are a champion caller when you set up in his path and he responds so easily and makes his way to the gun.

Turkeys or geese............ A lousy caller can likely get them to come somewhere they wanted to be anyways.   A great caller likely can't get them to come where they DON'T wanna be.

There are more exceptions to some rules than others.  There are few exceptions to this one.

[paboxcall]

I don't think Denny Gulvas does what he does if he's a 'bad' caller.

Denny isn't just a good caller, he's a conversationalist.

[g8rvet]

I have found that most really good callers, don't have much patience. I have used this to my advantage, several times over the years, by coming in and hunting behind them.

I'm not sure I'd even classify myself as a "good caller" let alone a "really good caller".......  But, I'd put myself on the lower side of the mean on the patience bell curve.   

Not because I can't be patient.  But because I don't wanna.  Patience doesn't fit my preferred means to an end.  I'm the guy who'd rather kill ONE bird that comes in grandstanding than to kill THREE that came in silent.

I have two distinct styles of hunting.  One way when I WANNA kill a gobbler.  Another way if I feel like I HAVE TO kill a gobbler (which ain't too often anymore).

That's my preference too!. I'd rather hunt for 14 days in a row and get my tail whipped and have one come in hot and heavy than deer hunt one. I know it costs me birds but it's so hard for me to not hunt them the way I like. But with that being said, this season I'm going to be more patient and see where it gets me!.


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You guys would get mad hunting with me. I'll sit for hours if I know or hear a bird. One occasion I sat down at daybreak, finally closing the deal at 10:30. I know I'm nuts, that's ok......

Same here, if I know he ain't leaving, neither am I.  That is not deer hunting though.  That is knowing a gobbler is there, even if he is barely talking. Some of my proudest kills were birds that maybe gobbled 3-4 times.

[GobbleNut]

I'd put myself on the lower side of the mean on the patience bell curve.   
Not because I can't be patient.  But because I don't wanna.  Patience doesn't fit my preferred means to an end.  I'm the guy who'd rather kill ONE bird that comes in grandstanding than to kill THREE that came in silent.
I have two distinct styles of hunting.  One way when I WANNA kill a gobbler.  Another way if I feel like I HAVE TO kill a gobbler (which ain't too often anymore).

Fits me perfectly.  The first gobbler I killed calling him in back in the 1970's came in strutting and gobbling all the way.  My first thought at the time was..."THIS is what turkey hunting is all about".  My mind has never changed. 

I have said it before...and will say it again.  If he doesn't want to play the game that way, he can just stay in the woods as far as I am concerned.  For me, it has never been about KILLING a turkey,...it has always been about the way it is accomplished.  I will admit I have had to kill a few of them using the "other" methods,...but it just ain't the same. 

[ScottTaulbee]

This is by far the best thread I have read on here. Thanks to everyone.

I can honestly say bad calling will kill birds. I am a prime example. Lol  That said I know my kills would be doubled or tripled if I was a better caller and could totally figure out this conversation thing you guys speak of. Being the caller that I am I have bettered myself with woodsman ship. Like many have said knowing where he wants to be or wants to go makes all the difference. It will make you feel like you are a champion caller when you set up in his path and he responds so easily and makes his way to the gun.

Please keep the examples coming on how and when you might communicate with these crazy birds!

I'm by no means a great caller and there's a bunch of guys that would make me look like a fool, but I have been told by a few people that they thought I was a hen and a few more have told me I should get in the contests. I say that to not brag or chest thump but to give a background. I'll give an example of how to communicate with a gobbler.

You hear him on the roost, he greets the day with a gobble. You let a couple soft tree yelps and little pits to say "I just woke up, I'm over here". He immediately responds and you can tell it's not just a courtesy gobble. You stop calling, he hits the ground and gives a gobble with authority. He's trying to find you. You respond with some soft calling to try to be coy and he seems like he is losing interest. You respond with some loud "assembly" type yelps and a couple cutts with high emotion to check his temperature. He cuts you off, you cut him off and he's hot again. You stop calling, now it's been 10 or 15 minutes. Instead of yelping, or cutting, or something aggressive, you cluck to say "where are you" to him. He might gobble, he might cluck back, but now you're in a conversation and finding out where he is at the same time.

It's probably not the best example, I'm terrible at explaining anything. But I hope it gives you something to think about!.


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[Kygobblergetter]

I don't think bad calling is an advantage, but I don't think good sounding calling matters as much as most of us think. I've also heard some hunters that don't sound good at all up close. But when they're calling 50 yards away they sound pretty good. People seem to give turkeys mystical powers in their heads. If he's answering your calling, I promise he doesn't think you are a hunter. He's not hanging up because he doesn't believe you are a real hen. He's hanging up because he likes where he is, or doesn't like where you are. Being as good of a caller is important. And I consider myself to be pretty good. But I tell people all the time my calling compared to theirs isn't going to make a noticeable difference in terms of birds called in. As long as they are saying the same thing I'm saying. Calling in turkeys is much more about knowing what to say than about how you sound saying it. Of course saying anything from the spot he wants to be is more important than anything else.


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[Kygobblergetter]

Yoder summed it up perfectly in my opinion. Anyone can get a bird to come where he wants to be. So that's a huge piece to the puzzle. A great caller can get him to change and come somewhere else. That's the biggest advantage to being a good caller. But you can kill plenty of turkeys by making some turkey sounds from the right location. Don't be afraid to move around to find that location.


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[Greg Massey]

This is by far the best thread I have read on here. Thanks to everyone.

I can honestly say bad calling will kill birds. I am a prime example. Lol  That said I know my kills would be doubled or tripled if I was a better caller and could totally figure out this conversation thing you guys speak of. Being the caller that I am I have bettered myself with woodsman ship. Like many have said knowing where he wants to be or wants to go makes all the difference. It will make you feel like you are a champion caller when you set up in his path and he responds so easily and makes his way to the gun.

Please keep the examples coming on how and when you might communicate with these crazy birds!

My suggestion is to listen and watch as many videos of sounds you can find of hens and gobblers and listen to what they are saying... I do watch a lot of Youtube videos, for the reasons of listening to how the turkeys respond and body language.   

Spending time with gobblers / hens with listening is always a plus in the woods as to what they are saying to each other...  you will learn over time ... IMO

[Greg Massey]

I personally never call turkey hunting / deer hunting, the reason why it is not deer season, it's turkey season. I hunt turkey to call them, not chase them through woods and cut them off etc... Now this is just my way of hunting them and by no means am i saying how I hunt them is right or wrong.. This is just my way of hunting them.  IMO .. My satisfaction is calling him to the gun and beating him at his own game... It's called patience's