What is the longest distance you've...

[redarrow]

I've only heard it once. Started about 20 yards behind me,and stopped about 3 yards away. I shot him soon after.

[TRKYHTR]

I've heard them that far in the right conditions. Early morning strutters on the limb you can hear a long ways. Most of that is because there is less background noise. My last Osceola I killed because I heard him spittin and drummin. I was huntin with a guy who was setting behind me 40 yards. I was intense mode just waiting for the gobbler to show his head a the guy behind me got on his phone and started talking to someone. I finally waved at him to be quiet and he came over to me and I told him I was hearing a gobbler spit and drum. He had no clue there was a gobbler around because he couldn't hear it. I finally crawled up to a tree that I thought I needed to get to and 2 steps from the tree I hear PUTT. I just kneeled up and whacked him before he got away. So to answer your question, yes you can hear them that far away.

TRKYHTR

[Ded Goblr]

I've heard them that far in the right conditions. Early morning strutters on the limb you can hear a long ways. Most of that is because there is less background noise. My last Osceola I killed because I heard him spittin and drummin. I was huntin with a guy who was setting behind me 40 yards. I was intense mode just waiting for the gobbler to show his head a the guy behind me got on his phone and started talking to someone. I finally waved at him to be quiet and he came over to me and I told him I was hearing a gobbler spit and drum. He had no clue there was a gobbler around because he couldn't hear it. I finally crawled up to a tree that I thought I needed to get to and 2 steps from the tree I hear PUTT. I just kneeled up and whacked him before he got away. So to answer your question, yes you can hear them that far away.

TRKYHTR

Was that the last time you hunted with that guy??

[deerhunt1988]

Terrain definitely makes a difference. Here where I do most of my hunting in MS woods, I can hear the drumming once they get to about ~60. Furthest I remember in MS is ~80 yards in some open bottomland hardwoods before green up. However where I hunt in the Missouri Ozarks, I can usually hear them a tad further. The understory isn't near as thick there and I just believe those larger framed birds drum a bit louder. Farthest I know for sure has been ~120 yards in Missouri woods. I was closing the distance on a gobbling bird, heard drumming and immediately plopped down. Wasn't long before I saw him coming straight my way. Last year one evening in Nebraska I watched a Merriam's from about 70-80 yards away strut in a wide open meadow. I could hear the drumming super clearly.

[TRKYHTR]

I've heard them that far in the right conditions. Early morning strutters on the limb you can hear a long ways. Most of that is because there is less background noise. My last Osceola I killed because I heard him spittin and drummin. I was huntin with a guy who was setting behind me 40 yards. I was intense mode just waiting for the gobbler to show his head a the guy behind me got on his phone and started talking to someone. I finally waved at him to be quiet and he came over to me and I told him I was hearing a gobbler spit and drum. He had no clue there was a gobbler around because he couldn't hear it. I finally crawled up to a tree that I thought I needed to get to and 2 steps from the tree I hear PUTT. I just kneeled up and whacked him before he got away. So to answer your question, yes you can hear them that far away.

TRKYHTR

Was that the last time you hunted with that guy??

Yes. He was a good guy he just couldn't hear real well. It was a public land Osceola in Ocala N.F. I think I could go back there a kill another one.

TRKYHTR

[longspur]

never heard one. I have profound hearing loss. I was hunting with my brother once and he heard one that was 75 to 100 yds.