Calling after a gobbler has answered.

[deerbasshunter3]

Once I am setup and have a gobbler answer my call, how many more times should I call/receive a gobble in return before I go silent to get him to come looking for me?

I have been under the impression that you call until you see him.

[Bowguy]

Guess everyone has their own methods. I typically want the bird gobbling much more than I ever call. If he's alone n doing this you're in. Seems you can hear questions in his head, where are you, why aren't you coming? He'll often come looking for you n the less calling the better in this instance. If he is w hens you need to tick the hens off so they come looking, tick off the gobbler or you can try mock fights, that very often brings em right in. Dif scenarios though

[turkey buster]

What bow guy said. Many times I've had to agitate a hen to get her to come so he'd follow. Then there's been times when I had to just shut up and let him keep coming. When your silent at him and he's getting close looking for you don't worry, he'll give you that gobble most times. Just don't jump off of the tree you are on because chances are he's slipped up pretty close to it. Lol

[tomstopper]

Guess everyone has their own methods. I typically want the bird gobbling much more than I ever call. If he's alone n doing this you're in. Seems you can hear questions in his head, where are you, why aren't you coming? He'll often come looking for you n the less calling the better in this instance. If he is w hens you need to tick the hens off so they come looking, tick off the gobbler or you can try mock fights, that very often brings em right in. Dif scenarios though

This is pretty accurate. A thing to remember is IMO if he cuts off our calling sequence with gobbling, I would not call anymore. They can pinpoint your location excellently and it usually means he is hot and committed so just be patient and let him come to you. Another thing to remember, especially on public land, the more you call and he gobbles, it may draw numbers of other hunters who move in and try to ambush/reap the benefits of your efforts (have seen it happen many times). Good luck this season and I hope this helps you.

[Hooksfan]

It depends on several things for me. If I can see the bird and his reaction, it will make a difference. Also, how far away the bird is. My favorite turkey hunting scenario is to catch a bird gobbling in the woods and being able to move closer to him. Nothing will get a bird coming in on a string like being able to move toward the bird calling. Most realistic situation from the perspective of the gobbler that there is, IMO.
In those situations, I will call agressively and a lot. You need to know where the bird is before you can decide if you can move on him.

[shaman]

My favorite tactic is to act like I don't hear him.  I'm just a happy little hen who is going about her business.  Once I have him cutting on my calls and  coming in I usually lay off the heavy hard core yelping and  just cluck and purr, rustle the leaves, etc..  I'm hoping the gobbler responds by thinking he's not being heard and tries to come closer.

What you don't want to have happen is the scenario where you keep calling excitedly and the gobbler stops advancing  and goes into a strut, thinking you are on the way.  It is much better to have him think you're not getting his message and have him rushing your way. 

I have one favorite venue where I sit near the corner of a field.  Gobblers hear me on the other ridge and walk out to the road that comes in from the north to my location.  It is a long curved stretch so I can hear them when they start the trek and hear them coming all the way around. It may take them half an hour to make it all the way.  Once I have them in sight at about 100 yards, I can clam up completely and they will usually finish the journey.

[deerbasshunter3]

I am now going to throw a jake decoy in the mix. Same advice? I am thinking once he sees the jake, no need to call anymore as he is probably going to come on in and assert dominance?

[GobbleNut]

When you are calling to a gobbler, he will generally give you a pretty clear indication that he is on the way,...or not.  If you call and a gobbler answers,...and then the next time he gobbles he is closer, that is a pretty good indicator that you are in business.  At that point, you just want to call enough to him to keep him excited and coming in the right direction.  Nine times out of ten, if a gobbler is getting closer to you each time he gobbles, you have an excellent chance of killing him.  Just let him come and be ready. 

The ones that are tricky are the ones that either don't come at all towards you,...or stop somewhere along the way and won't come further.  That is when having some experience with those kinds of birds becomes important, but even with that experience, it is often a challenge to figure out what they want to hear,...or not hear.

In wide open situations, it may help to have a decoy of some sort out, but in areas with a reasonable amount of ground cover,...i.e. "woods" situations,...it probably won't matter. 

[WildTigerTrout]

Sometimes the best calling tactic is to remain silent.

[silvestris]

When he gives me the gobble I am listening for, the caller goes in the pocket and doesn't come back out unless he fails to come or gobble within thirty to forty-five minutes.  You have a decision to make which is do I want to hear him gobble or kill him.

[TauntoHawk]

There is def no set map or plan, you have to learn to take the birds temperature. That takes trial and error and probably over calling more birds than you are willing to admit

I've called the crap out of birds to finally drag them in my direction after hundreds of gobbles and I've killed birds of only 2 or 3 cluck and purr series they could barely hear.

Start with quieter and less often than you think you need and ramp up from there.

[strut2]

It all depends on the situation for me. I hunt a good bit of public ground so the more I make the bird gobble the more I am likely to get screwed up by another hunter. If I confident that there isn't another hunter around and I think that the gobbler is by himself, I will try to get him to the point where he cuts  my calling off. Then I will shut up for a few minutes. If a few minutes pass and he doesn't gobble and/or don't see him. I give out a few soft yelps to see if he is close. If he is close I stop calling, if he isn't I start calling again usually. If he has hens I work the hens. All depends on the situation. Sometimes I do the right thing and sometimes I don't that's the fun!

[zelmo1]

  Take the birds temp, the hotter he sounds, the less I call. If he wants to play, make him do the work.

[Marc]

I love calling and getting that reaction gobble...  But I have often found that less is far more when it comes to calling...

As Bowguy points out, calling to a hen is a different story...  If the birds are henned up, and I get a response from the hen, my calling becomes much more aggressive and agitated...  Just like any lady (or person for that matter) they hate to be cut off...  If the hen is yelping, I yelp back in the middle of her sequence...  If she is cuttin', I cut while she is...

If I have a tom answer my call, I shut up pretty quickly.  If he is gobbling and coming towards me, I stay quiet...  If I do not hear anything after the first gobble, I will give it maybe 5 minutes and try again...

If a bird is not coming towards me, I might try cutting the distance (if the terrain allows for it), or if he is relatively close, I might try walking away and calling...  Or, on a close bird that will not come in, I might just stay still and quiet, or give a cluck or purr every so often.

I have been perplexed on many a bird that was coming in seemingly hot, and then suddenly stops...  Could be he met another hen on the way to me...  Maybe he met up with a bobcat or coyote...  Maybe he is like me and easily distracted, and something else of interest distracted him on his way in...

[Gooserbat]

When you are calling to a gobbler, he will generally give you a pretty clear indication that he is on the way,...or not.  If you call and a gobbler answers,...and then the next time he gobbles he is closer, that is a pretty good indicator that you are in business.  At that point, you just want to call enough to him to keep him excited and coming in the right direction.  Nine times out of ten, if a gobbler is getting closer to you each time he gobbles, you have an excellent chance of killing him.  Just let him come and be ready. 

The ones that are tricky are the ones that either don't come at all towards you,...or stop somewhere along the way and won't come further.  That is when having some experience with those kinds of birds becomes important, but even with that experience, it is often a challenge to figure out what they want to hear,...or not hear.

In wide open situations, it may help to have a decoy of some sort out, but in areas with a reasonable amount of ground cover,...i.e. "woods" situations,...it probably won't matter.

True.  I might add I usually don't call much more than every 5-10 minutes.