# Turkey Callin'



## sittingbull (Feb 1, 2008)

I've been out a couple of years now trying to bag a Tom, but no success. One year was general and last year I drew an LE but it didn't seem to make any difference. Anyway, I'm always able to get a gobbler to come in to about 60 yards or so and then they sneak away. I watch a lot of shows and videos and they always seem to yelp with a box or pot call and then bring them all the way with a few real nice clucks from a mouth call. So I've been trying to practice a mouth call but I can't get any sweet sounds from it. The directions aren't very descriptive so I was wondering if anyone would be able to describe how to use one in detail? All I can get is a few squeeks and spit flying everywhere.


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## ram2h2o (Sep 11, 2007)

Get a good DVD with some good mouth callers like Primos and practice, practice, practice. Have to sit still and not move anything. They can spot all most any movement. Make sure you have full camo face and hands covered. Once you get a good Tom coming in to your calling shut up and start looking. He will come in to where he last heard your hen yelp. Big problem is most beginners call too much and too loud. Been hunting Turkeys since I was 11 years old back in Mississippi I am now 65 and have called and killed too many to remember the count. Since I moved out here to Utah I have taken quite a few youngters out and have almost 100% sucess for them. Nothing better than to watch a youngster when a hot gobbler is coming in and see their face when they bag their first Gobbler.


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## jwbateman (Feb 19, 2013)

what about places to go i am told that there are plenty of turkeys but they are all on private land. any good places (just general i dont want to take someones private hunting area) that i can look for birds


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## ram2h2o (Sep 11, 2007)

If you want a good scratch box call that is easy to use and sounds great go to Mississippiscratchboxcalls.com. Tom Crook from Amory, MS makes a really good Turkey call. has a good instructional video on the site also.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

This will be my first year turkey hunting, and I just bought an H.S strut box call, an H.S strut ringzone glass li'l duce striker call, and a 4 pack of H.S diaphragm calls. Will I need any other calls?


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

outdoorser said:


> This will be my first year turkey hunting, and I just bought an H.S strut box call, an H.S strut ringzone glass li'l duce striker call, and a 4 pack of H.S diaphragm calls. Will I need any other calls?


I always figure that "if ya have some empty pockets left in your vest, buy more calls!" Your turkey hunting skills grow exponentially with each pocket that you fill.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> outdoorser said:
> 
> 
> > This will be my first year turkey hunting, and I just bought an H.S strut box call, an H.S strut ringzone glass li'l duce striker call, and a 4 pack of H.S diaphragm calls. Will I need any other calls?
> ...


 :lol:

That depends if you call (sound) worth a **** with the ones you bought. Sometimes a person just can't get one to sound right. I'm building 2 wing bone calls right now, hopefully one will sound good.


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## BPturkeys (Sep 13, 2007)

I laugh, but I guess I am as big a sucker for a new call as the next guy. I got probably 50-60 calls...a great big duffel bag full...I got 'em all. 
But still, there is some truth to the "sounds good" theory of calls. Only trouble is that I have found that each individual bird responds to different calls at any given moment...this producing a real dilemma. What may sound good to us, or even to one bird, may not sound so good to the bird your after. I normally have three or four calls in the vest while in the field and always start with a good old box yelper. The best advise I could give to a young feller starting out is get three or four calls that function correctly..that is functioning as they were designed to do and when in the field, give one a try, if you get a response, never change calls until that particular hunt is resolved. If he's responding, keep it up. I firmly believe turkeys can identify all the birds in their flock and probably many birds in surrounding flocks. If the birds for example are trying to regroup after a breakup or a tom is try to locate a hen he knows is in his flock, he will respond best to a call that is similar to a flock member. If he is wandering around in mid-day trying to get layed, he'll probably answer about any hen call. Just learn to use the call that's in your hand, learn the rhythms, the cadences of different sounds made by turkeys and don't worry to much about "how good" a call sounds to you, remember, you're callin turkeys, not people.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

BPturkeys said:


> I laugh, but I guess I am as big a sucker for a new call as the next guy. I got probably 50-60 calls...a great big duffel bag full...I got 'em all.
> But still, there is some truth to the "sounds good" theory of calls. Only trouble is that I have found that each individual bird responds to different calls at any given moment...this producing a real dilemma. What may sound good to us, or even to one bird, may not sound so good to the bird your after. I normally have three or four calls in the vest while in the field and always start with a good old box yelper. The best advise I could give to a young feller starting out is get three or four calls that function correctly..that is functioning as they were designed to do and when in the field, give one a try, if you get a response, never change calls until that particular hunt is resolved. If he's responding, keep it up. I firmly believe turkeys can identify all the birds in their flock and probably many birds in surrounding flocks. If the birds for example are trying to regroup after a breakup or a tom is try to locate a hen he knows is in his flock, he will respond best to a call that is similar to a flock member. If he is wandering around in mid-day trying to get layed, he'll probably answer about any hen call. Just learn to use the call that's in your hand, learn the rhythms, the cadences of different sounds made by turkeys and don't worry to much about "how good" a call sounds to you, remember, you're callin turkeys, not people.


That's sound advice BP!

I think I have 6 in my vest, it's amazing what changing calls will do sometimes.


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## ram2h2o (Sep 11, 2007)

Ditto! BP. I probably have over 100 calls that I have collected over the past 50 years, but only use about 4-6 when I am calling. I have found that Big Gobblers sometimes will not answer a call that I am using, but if I switch to a different sounding call (freqency) they will answer right back and then its game on again.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

I know we're talking calls here, but if u can get him in to 60 yds, they make chokes that will throw a tight enough pattern at that distance. Get one and pattern it - if you can put enough pellets on a turkey target then your effective range just increased. It's worth a shot (no pun intended) if u get a clear shot at distance.

Disclaimer. - I've never shot a turkey at over 45 yds. I wouldn't stop practicing on the calling either. Nothing beats getting a strutting tom in close! I just hate eating tags, and if I can eke out an advantage, I'll take it.


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Hey I can't find anything definite on this: could you get in trouble for practicing with turkey calls on real turkeys out of season? Like if I go out tomorrow with my new calls and sit in the woods (without a gun obviously) and try to call in some birds, would I be illegal? In the proclamation, it defines "take" as to "hunt, pursue, harass, catch, capture, possess, angle, seine, trap or kill any protected wildlife; or attempt any action referred to above." But I know photographers use calls all the time to get wildlife closer to them. I would imagine there is something saying that you just can't have a firearm, archery equipment or any other weapon that could be used to harm protected wildlife. But I can't find anything like that.


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## ram2h2o (Sep 11, 2007)

I don't know about getting in trouble with the law, but if you go out early before spring hunt opens all you will do is educate the Gobblers and they will be hard to call in (call shy) Best to just go scouting looking for sign and possibly seeing some flocks in the areas that you may be going to hunt in. I would not do any calling.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I call them in quite often outside season, I like to watch them scream and strut! As long as you don't spook them (let them see you) they don't seem to get call shy.

I'm gonna try and video a few this year.


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## MWScott72 (May 23, 2011)

I wouldn't do any calling to real birds outside the season UNTIL you are proficient w/your calls. Get a DVD. And mimic their calling. Once you've mastered that, then try on real birds. If you go out and sound horrible, all you're doing is educating the birds as to what is a real bird vs a really bad calling hunter.


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