Gobbler cluck

[KYFrid]

Watched the most recent episode of the hunting public where they were hunting with mike pentecost. Aaron had a gobbler coming in and he let out a single cluck as he just came up over a little rise.

I've been working a bird before and had one do the same thing. My question is how most of you guys handle that situation? Are you supposed to cluck back? Or not say anything at all?

Thanks in advance

Rob



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[1iagobblergetter]

I give a cluck back...Off topic a bit,but kee kees in the spring also work sometimes. I usually save it for an extra trick if nothing else is working.

[howl]

I call it a pirt. I cluck back if it hangs up; nothing if it keeps coming. It's telling the other bird to show itself. I use that ID cluck also before leaving a set up. Cluck once, wait a minute then look around to make sure it's not standing back there looking at me.

The main thing to remember about a gobbler pirt is to not jump out of your skin when you heart from a few yards behind you.

[silvestris]

You can rely on this, a turkey always has a reason for speaking, always.

[shaman]

"I seen a front porch swing, heard a diamond ring
I seen a polka-dot railroad tie
But I be done seen 'bout ev'rything
When I seen a elephant fly"

I've seen a hen gobble, a gobbler yelp, and another one cluck.  The latter I called in by matching him cluck for cluck.

I have an aluminum pot call that does a fairly deep cluck if you strike the center.  I have also found that my Shamanic MK I box call is remarkably deep for a hen, but it does a great job of doing all the normal box call things down in a gobbler's register. 

[LaLongbeard]

I watched the same video in this situation the gobbler peaked over the hill and did not see the hen he had been hearing. The cluck was to get the hen to show herself. In open woods like that any call made the gobbler would look right at you see no hen and the end would have been the same.
A lot of times you will hear the gobbler cluck when he's closing in looking for the hen I don't call I get ready to shoot he's usually to close to make any calls.

[GobbleNut]

I totally agree that if a gobbler has gotten close enough that he starts his "where are you" clucking, you should already be in shooting position.  Of course, they need to let you know they are coming beforehand in order for you to be in that prepared position.

I also agree that if they are still in search mode and coming and looking, it is best not to call to them at all.  They will often get to a point, however, that their "concerned clucking" starts to gravitate towards "something ain't right here" clucking,...which, if you don't try something, will quickly turn into the early stages of "I'm getting the heck out of dodge if you don't either let me see you or do something that makes me think you are a turkey" putting.

In short, there are times when your success or failure in these situations will depend upon responding to that gobbler in the manner he expects you to.  When he starts that initial clucking, he usually expects to hear something similar in return.

Accomplished mouth call users can usually imitate those clucks, but a lot of mouth call users cannot,...at least not accurately.  Pot call users, if they have been in these sorts of situations often enough to deal with it, can also work a pot one-handed and pretty accurately replicate those clucks and not be seen while doing so,...if they have positioned themselves correctly and IF the gobbler approaches from where they expected him to.

Most other call users are S.O.L. in terms of being able to cluck back to that bird without visible movement.  There are probably exceptions to that, but generally not. 

One thing any of us can do, however, is to learn to make that gobbler cluck with your natural voice.  It is relatively easy to do with a little practice.  It is done by closing your mouth and then popping your lips open while forcing a quick burst of air out of your mouth.  Once you get the hang of it, all of your problems with those close-in gobblers clucking at you are solved. 

Granted, there are still going to be situations where that gobbler is going to retreat anyway, but being able to make that cluck back to them most definitely will increase your odds of having him come closer for another look.

And finally, if you can make that cluck and have something as a visual aid, as well, your chances of having that gobbler come all the way to you skyrocket.   

[KYFrid]

Thanks fellas to all that answered. I get from you guys that it's all situational. In my case i was set up on a gaswell road and bird was just below it in some thick stuff.
He could probably periscope and not see the hen that was supposed to be there on the road.

I didn't make a call at the time but probably should have tried to turn my head and drift a cluck behind me.

Just trying to limit my mistakes in the future which are many. Ha.

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[falltoms]

I've had gobblers that came in clucking. When they do that, they want you (the hen) to show yourself. Sometimes I will cluck back, most times i don't.  By then he should be in range. If not, you may have set up wrong. I've also had gobblers come in yelping during the spring. Years ago I shot a long spurred gobbler that came in yelping during spring gobbler. He gobbled once on the roost, but yelped when on the ground

[BTH]

When he starts his gobbler clucking I immediately look for his head posture and color to start changing.
I also pay attention to snood length. If the snood starts shrinking and head posturing are changing he is getting uneasy about something. Tail pops and settling his wings back across one another while not in strut are something I pay attention to as well. Soft clucking back at him will usually settle him down.

[Bowguy]

I give a cluck back...Off topic a bit,but kee kees in the spring also work sometimes. I usually save it for an extra trick if nothing else is working.

I do the same thing. Even if someone can only mouth whistle a real basic kee kee is doable and works. People should practice that