Bad Calling - Advantage or Disadvantage

[g8rvet]

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

Fall hunting turkey gives you a lot of rapid experience in hearing live bird interactions as well.  Nephew and I were in on a flock and heard every sound a turkey makes except gobble and putt.  It was awesome.  I passed on the lead hen (legal where I was) because I knew there were a bunch of jakes with her and don't regret it, but that was one of my favorite days turkey hunting.

[Greg Massey]

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 1070'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.

Amen, this is the way i feel and what i just said in my last post... Great post my friend ...

[Yoder409]

Fits me perfectly.  The first gobbler I killed calling him in back in the 1070'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.

Me and you........... We'd get along JUST SWIMMINGLY in the turkey woods !!!

Yep !!!

[ScottTaulbee]

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

I don't chase them, or cut them off. And I've never killed one by ambushing. I've never killed one that I didn't call to the gun. But I do move, and create the illusion of hens moving along. And use the terrain to better my position based on what he's doing or not doing. What I was referring to by deer hunting them is watching where a tom walks by a couple times over the course of a day or two and then sitting at that spot waiting on him. And I just don't have it in me to call to a gobbler at 8 am and sit there until 1pm hoping he gets lonely enough to come over. I'll find another bird that's more willing. That's just the way I enjoy it. I don't use decoys and hunt mountains in the hardwoods. That's just what trips my trigger!.


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[eggshell]

I agree with the last few post. I want to interact with a gobbler and hear him respond to my call. A show off gobble his tail feathers loose two year old is a wonderful creature to encounter. That doesn't mean I won't tangle with old mr. contrary though. However, if he won't gobble I won't stay. I will stay with one for hours but he better be answering me. Add me to the impatient camp if that's what you want to call it. I wanna have fun, just plain killing grew old many years ago. I killed them about every way you can think of over the last 50 years, but my preferences have changed a lot.

As for listening to turkey talk. I live right in the woods with them. Many days I can set on my porch and drink my coffee while listening to the local flock chat it up. Some days they are even in the yard/field and I can watch. I am very lucky to have that at my back door. I sat and listened to a few hens and a couple gobblers getting together just a few days ago. You learn a lot like that.

[Happy]

The guys who believe in patience are some of my favorites.

[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

I don't chase them, or cut them off. And I've never killed one by ambushing. I've never killed one that I didn't call to the gun. But I do move, and create the illusion of hens moving along. And use the terrain to better my position based on what he's doing or not doing. What I was referring to by deer hunting them is watching where a tom walks by a couple times over the course of a day or two and then sitting at that spot waiting on him. And I just don't have it in me to call to a gobbler at 8 am and sit there until 1pm hoping he gets lonely enough to come over. I'll find another bird that's more willing. That's just the way I enjoy it. I don't use decoys and hunt mountains in the hardwoods. That's just what trips my trigger!.


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Another great point and post,,, It's all about what you expect and what your wanting in return from hunting them.. Satisfaction / fullfillment / accomplishments...

[Yoder409]

The guys who believe in patience are some of my favorites.

I guess we just can't be friends.............

[Happy]

Maybe.. maybe not. I ain't gonna give any more context than that. I ain't gonna sit for hours twiddling my thumbs on a gobbler, though. I will say this: Not so long ago, I sat back and watched a guy "patience" his way after a particular gobbler every day for two weeks. He finally skipped a day, and that gobbler disappeared pretty quickly and hasn't been seen or heard since.

[g8rvet]

Not so long ago, I "patienced" a gobbler into a truck ride.  But there are different ways to be patient.  Sitting at one spot and calling?  Nah, effective maybe but boring.  But if I know the bird is there and he is answering me, why should I move?  He'll be around there directly.  It will just be on his time and not mine. 

An old man I knew that gave me lots of good advice once said to me "If he answers you on the roost, sit tight, he will be back at some point to check on you".  I believe him and know he killed a pile of birds, but that is TOO patient for me as well. 

I won't bushwhack or crawl on one, but I like to eat turkey and if he plays the game, even if it is not with 100 gobbles, I am gonna do my part. 

I appreciate what you guys are saying, I play by my own set of rules as well.  If it is not fun, why do it?  Let me ask y'all this (there is no wrong answer, just curious).   You are working a vocal bird and another slips in while calling without a peep.  It is a mature gobbler (that has maybe had his arse whooped) and in range and you KNOW it is not the bird you were working.  Do you shoot?

[ScottTaulbee]

Not so long ago, I "patienced" a gobbler into a truck ride.  But there are different ways to be patient.  Sitting at one spot and calling?  Nah, effective maybe but boring.  But if I know the bird is there and he is answering me, why should I move?  He'll be around there directly.  It will just be on his time and not mine. 

An old man I knew that gave me lots of good advice once said to me "If he answers you on the roost, sit tight, he will be back at some point to check on you".  I believe him and know he killed a pile of birds, but that is TOO patient for me as well. 

I won't bushwhack or crawl on one, but I like to eat turkey and if he plays the game, even if it is not with 100 gobbles, I am gonna do my part. 

I appreciate what you guys are saying, I play by my own set of rules as well.  If it is not fun, why do it?  Let me ask y'all this (there is no wrong answer, just curious).   You are working a vocal bird and another slips in while calling without a peep.  It is a mature gobbler (that has maybe had his arse whooped) and in range and you KNOW it is not the bird you were working.  Do you shoot?

I agree, if he's answering me, I can't make myself leave him. But if he goes quiet for a spell, say 30 or 40 minutes and hasn't shown up and isn't responding. He ain't gonna ride in my truck that day. I also agree with if it's not fun, why do it?. This year, I'm going to try to take one with my long bow. I'll have to execute a lot more patience than if I had my 835 and I'm fine with that going in to it.

As far as your scenario, yes, I'll shoot that rascal every time. He was still called in, I may not have known about him but I'd consider that a bonus while trying to work the other.


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[soILstrutter]

I would like to think that every bird I have killed has been the one I was working, but I know that's probably not the case..... and I am totally fine with that. I figure those are just a gift and due karma from all of the ones that have aggravated the hell out of me in the past. I will take that slip-in satellite bird any day of the week!

[Happy]

Let me ask y'all this (there is no wrong answer, just curious).   You are working a vocal bird and another slips in while calling without a peep.  It is a mature gobbler (that has maybe had his arse whooped) and in range and you KNOW it is not the bird you were working.  Do you shoot?

That really depends on whether it's gotten personal with the targeted gobbler. In all honesty, I can't say i have ever had one sneak in completely silent. I have always had a vocal indication before they were in view. Typically, I get a gobble if they feel they are far enough away to escape the woopin'. If they are in tight, its drumming or soft clucks. We aren't exactly covered up in turkeys in my neck of the woods, though.

[runngun]

A bird in hand, beats 2 in the bushes!!!
I know that I have had them sneak in.  Just like I have had hens that I never heard, walk between me and a Longbeard that WAS coming and walk off with HIM. It was a short hunt that morning, but one of those I will never forget.

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[eggshell]

I will shoot him, and not even hesitate. I've already had all the fun with the one answering. I learned a long time ago not to pass on a gift bird, the earned bird may be a long time coming.