When to gobble

[WNCTracker]

When do you ( if ever) do you gobble at a bird?  The one and only time I ever used one  the bird promptly turned around and walked away.

[jblackburn]

I've gobbled (natural voice at a few) never had one walk away (that already wasn't walking away) and only had one turn around and get him self killed.  I use it as a last ditch effort only.

[TauntoHawk]

generally I only do it when they are already walking away, another place I've used it is if I have see him beat on a jake or run another tom off that morning already, then I know his attitude primed to fight. 

[wvmntnhick]

I'll gobble when things are silent. Sometimes it'll entice a bird to open up. Also, when there's a hen in the mix, doesn't hurt to gobble sometimes. If she's not made it to her boyfriend yet, you may pull her in and bring the real Tom along for the ride. I'd like to say I don't overuse the gobble but I've just found it to work often enough that if things aren't working out, I'll grab the tube pretty quick. My facorite time however is while birds are still on the roost. More than once I've been getting ready to leave a small piece of property when birds weren't gobbling from the roost. Hit the tube once and it's started a frenzy. Seems sometimes just getting one real bird to open up will get the neighbors going.

[Gobble!]

Last resort, nothing happening or things are not happening like you want them to, give it a shot. Had a bird in no mans land last year that would not come my way and I couldn't get to him. Knew his pattern was go there and gobble till he gets all the hens he wants the head off. Got to be close to the time he normally shut up so I threw a gobble at him. He gobbled back and I hit him with another one then went silent He was in my lap minutes later. It was around 1030 one morning and I hadn't heard a bird all day. Went to a late morning strut zone and put out a strutter and breeding hen. Called for about an hour with no response. Pulled out the gobble and started throwing that into my calling. 15 minutes later a bird walks out into the field, see the decoys and comes running my way. Not 100% sure the gobble call caused his death but it didn't hurt.

[turkeyfoot]

I've had birds gobble back at me use gobble as locater but I don't use with bird in view I will however use fighting purrs

[tha bugman]

heavily pressured birds I have found tend to respond to gobbling more than yelping, especially late season where the hens are moving away from them and a new stud has moved in...most of the time he just won't be able to stand it.

[Tail Feathers]

Maybe I just suck at gobbling, but it's never worked for me.

[Muzzy61]

I have carried a gobble tube with me for years, never had the courage to use it.

[Dr Juice]

I've gobbled (natural voice at a few) never had one walk away (that already wasn't walking away) and only had one turn around and get him self killed.  I use it as a last ditch effort only.

X2

[ddturkeyhunter]

Used to carry one along all the time, never used much, called more hunters my way then birds so don't use anymore.

[TrackeySauresRex]

Generally I hardly ever do it. Especially on state land. However.... A couple of occasions when things were quiet it has shaken em up to help get things going.
    One time I had birds a good way off they would answer every other call. Seems like they were not interested at all. They were like we're over here,we're not coming over there.
So I gave them the silent treatment for a good while. I shake the tube they gobbled, Wait.... Shook again.... Gobble again,there not budging...wait,shook again.... They Gobble still not budging. So again the silent treatment game.
I don't make a peep for another 20 minutes. I Give some soft yelps,they give me the silent treatment..no answer...  20 minutes later  GRRRRRRR OBBLE OBBLE OBBLE! He sneaks in right on top of me and scares the snot outta me.  Boom!    winner winner turkey dinner! 
Just be aware where you shake it. You don't need some knuckle head walking in on you.
B-Safe
Johnny

[Swather]

In later spring, when most hens are on the nest, the gobblers seem to get more interested in what other gobblers are doing (sometimes it seems more interested than what the hens are doing).  I don't know if it's patrolling the territory and checking the competition, turf battle, boredom, looking for other birds feeding, or whatever.  From mid -morning onward, you can call the occasional gobbler in with nothing but a gobbler shaker tube. 

[OldSchool]

heavily pressured birds I have found tend to respond to gobbling more than yelping, especially late season where the hens are moving away from them and a new stud has moved in...most of the time he just won't be able to stand it.

I agree. A couple of my nicest birds had hens with them every morning and wouldn't come closer than a hundred yards even after they left for the morning. The thought of some other gobbler with gall enough to challenge them was too much for their egos. Other than situations like that, I'll use a gobble as a locator once in a while.

Bob

[wvmntnhick]

In later spring, when most hens are on the nest, the gobblers seem to get more interested in what other gobblers are doing (sometimes it seems more interested than what the hens are doing).  I don't know if it's patrolling the territory and checking the competition, turf battle, boredom, looking for other birds feeding, or whatever.  From mid -morning onward, you can call the occasional gobbler in with nothing but a gobbler shaker tube.

Sometimes it's nice to find a "funny" turkey on the piece of ground you're hunting.