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Do hens make a lot of sounds in the spring where you hunt?

Started by YoungGobbler, January 20, 2026, 10:26:10 PM

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YoungGobbler

I don't want to hijack Gobblersnut thread, but this topic makes me think of another topic I wanted to post one time...

Do hens call a lot in the spring where you are?

Because, when we talk about calling in the spring, we focus a lot on making yelps and cutts and HENS sound... But from my experience, hens do not make a lot of calling in the spring... Males gobble, hens do a little bit of tree talk... But I've yet to hear a hen try to call in a gobbler with yelps like what we try to do in the spring...

Just food for thoughts... How is it in your neck of the woods?

eggshell

They call some here (Ohio), but not a lot. I think you are not hearing hens because they are already sitting on their nest. If you get out early spring they call a lot. By season they are mated up with dominate gobblers and or incubating.

GobbleNut

From my experience, in their spring flocks, hens (and gobblers) are generally pretty vocal on the roost, probably because they feel safe up there in the tree...and it often seems they are looking for reassurance that all went well for their flock-mates through the night. Once they fly down, there also seems to be a brief period sometimes where they are sorting out dominance within the flock and those squabbles can be pretty vocal at times. However, things tend to taper off quickly and within a few minutes they are quiet...or mostly so.

There are exceptions to the above. It seems there are sometimes extraneous sources of "irritants" that will set them off once they are on the ground. Things like dominance interactions within a flock, alarm warnings associated with predators or perceived danger, those squabbles between individual birds, etc. may cause a vocal outburst at any time.

Overall, though, during the day...and again in my experience...hen turkeys seem to be reluctant to make much noise. Attracting the attention of those things that are out to eat you by doing a lot of squawking is not a good idea...and they seem to know that.  ;D

Yoder409

They will get mouthy on the limb in the morning at times.  But, most of the ground talk I hear from hens in the spring is in response to MY calling.  Either looking for me or cussing me out.
PA elitist since 1979

The good Lord ain't made a gobbler I can't kill.  I just gotta be there at the right time.....  on the day he wants to die.

Meleagris gallopavo

Quote from: Yoder409 on Today at 09:20:41 AMThey will get mouthy on the limb in the morning at times.  But, most of the ground talk I hear from hens in the spring is in response to MY calling.  Either looking for me or cussing me out.
Same


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I live and hunt by empirical evidence.

CALLM2U

I do believe that pressure can impact how much hens call as well.   Unpressured land they seem to be a bit more vocal, but a few high pressure places I hunt, you rarely hear one unless you get close enough to hear their soft purrs and whines while they are feeding.