What Does It Mean?

[redarrow]

I shot a gobbler last spring that was the first one I ever heard do it. At first I though"What the heck is that"? Then two hens stepped out at less that 10 feet from me and a light came on and I knew what it was. Sure nuff the tom stepped out  spitting and drumming at about 15 feet. Too cool. Shot him at 20 yards or so.

[Shotgun]

I'll play along...It's equivelant to a high school boy who walks along a beach and flexes his muscles when he see's a good looking girl.  He's trying to get noticed and get her attention.  In the meantime if that girl has a boyfriend close by he's also pissing him off.

Yes, I believe they can control their volume drumming as well as gobbling.

[vaturkey]

All I know is when you hear spittin & drummin you had better have your gun up ! 



   vaturkey   

[Crutch]

I think they might also use it to keep down the volume and avoid alerting another gobbler.

[Gamblinman]

The best sound there is in the turkey woods!!



Gman

[longspur]

they chew. uaually when they spit they have to clear there throat. thats the drumming noise.

[Gobble!]

When the male turkey becomes aroused he begins to drool so he must spit just like humans. The drumming sound is his male part smacking against his legs.

[ncturkey]

Spit and drum Folks use to think was the humming of a gobbler's shimmying tail feathers. Wildlife biologists now agree the spit and drum is a melodious, two-note vocalization forced deep from a gobbler's chest. Just like gobbling a gobbler drums to attract hens. But The Spit and Drum is more of a close range attacting of hens. Some think is is a domiance thing sometimes. Like it tells other gobblers this is my hen you beter back off. I also seen gobblers strutting around each other with no hen around. I think they are just tring to settle the pecking order between them. Depending on terrain, wind and foliage, you can hear drumming 60 to 100 yards away. I have never tried to make spit and drum sounds while hunting. I just do not like to use gobblers sounds when hunting. To many crazy guys in the woods.

[Neill_Prater]

I can't believe none of you guys have a M.A.D. "spit and drum" call! They made them for a while back in the 90's, I'm guessing, and I fell for it and bought one. They actually (to me), sound pretty good, but I never actually had a gobbler come to it, as far as I know, so I finally quit carrying it.

As for hearing the drumming, I have tinnitus, and it is difficult for me to hear it, so if I do, I know he is CLOSE. However, I've hunted with others who can pick it up at 100 yards plus on a still day. It is often the only vocalization a gobbler will make while strutting with hens, so if you are fortunate enough to be able to hear it at a distance, it can tell you an unseen gobbler is close. I do think, however, it is also one of those sounds that is very difficult to ascertain the direction, at least for me. It almost sounds as if it is all around you. Neill

[guesswho]

it is also one of those sounds that is very difficult to ascertain the direction, at least for me. It almost sounds as if it is all around you. Neill

I have excellent hearing, along with creative and selective    I agree with the above statement 100%.  It seems I can narrow it down to somewhere around 120 to 140 degrees.  Even at extremely close ranges I can't pin point it until I have a visual on the bird.   

[Tail Feathers]

Clearly the strutting and blowing up is to look big, strong and pretty for the ladies to convince them he's the ideal mate.
The drumming, I would guess, is a close-in call to do the same thing.  No hen wants to put out when he's gobbling loud in her ear.  Plus the gobbling may attract predators and/or other suitors which would be inconvenient when she succumbs to his romantic displays. :laugh
Or so go my thoughts on it.

[longspur]

I can't believe none of you guys have a M.A.D. "spit and drum" call! They made them for a while back in the 90's, I'm guessing, and I fell for it and bought one. They actually (to me), sound pretty good, but I never actually had a gobbler come to it, as far as I know, so I finally quit carrying it.

Mine is a Lohman. I've had them come in but they always sneak and I've never killed a bird when using it. It stays at home.

[guesswho]

If it is the mating call of the wild turkey then do they only spit and drum in the Spring?

[TRKYHTR]

If it is the mating call of the wild turkey then do they only spit and drum in the Spring?

Nope they'll try to mate anytime of the year if the hen will lay down for him. But they don't spit and drum very often other than spring time.

TRKYHTR