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Turkey Hunting
Well it's that time of year
again where hunters are
starting to get their gear ready to engage in turkey hunting.
Turkey hunting takes a lot of patience, but iI can't think
of any better place to be than out in the woods early in the
morning watching and listening for wildlife.
Spring turkey hunting
involves making hen turkey sounds to try to get a gobbler to
come near you. In the fall turkeys aren't mating, so making
hen sounds won't bring gobblers to you. Fall turkey hunting
usually involves stand hunting--finding a good spot and
waiting patiently or stalking and trying to sneak up on one.
In the fall you can hunt either a gobbler or a hen.
If you're out spring hunting
there are a number of turkey calling devices that are on the
market that you can use to make a turkey sound. The two main
types are friction & Mouth calls. The friction call will
produce sound by rubbing the two surfaces together.
Friction calls
may be the most common turkey calls because they're easy to
use and create lifelike turkey sounds. Friction calls
feature a round (usually) surface, and the user creates
sound by drawing a peg, or "striker," across the surface.
Friction call surfaces can be slate, aluminum, ceramic or a
variety of other materials.
The mouth calls, through
which air is inhaled or exhaled.
Diaphragm calls
are inserted entirely in the user's mouth and require
practice to learn to use correctly. They create the most
lifelike turkey sounds of any other type of call, and in
addition to realism, leave the caller's hands free to hold
the gun.
Push-pull turkey
calls are the simplest of all turkey calls to use, and
create realistic turkey sounds. A push-pull call functions
by pushing and/or pulling a button on the end of the call,
forcing a surface across a peg.
No matter
what type of call you pick, it's important to practice with
the call you plan on using. Most of these calls now comes
with a disc that you can watch and listen too in order to
learn how to produce the correct calls at the right times.
In order to learn turkey calls, you'll need to listen to
live turkeys, a calling recording, or get help from an
experienced turkey hunter. Turkeys make more than two dozen
different calls, but most hunters only notice about 10.
There are nine basic sounds you should be able to recognize.
The Tree
yelp. This is the first turkey sound heard in the
morning. It is a slow, soft, nasal sound, made of 3 or 4
yelps. It is made only at daybreak from the roost. It is a
turkey greeting call to make sure that all is well after a
dark night of not seeing or hearing one another.
The Plain
yelp. The sound is one of the ones most people associate
with turkeys. They use this sound to communicate with birds
far away. This sound is made by both male and female turkeys
in the fall, winter, and spring.
The Cluck.
This sound is a short, soft, single-syllable, non-musical
tone. It is used to get another turkey's attention.
The Purr.
Like the name implies, this is a soft call used by turkeys
when communicating.
The Putt.
This is a short, sharp, loud cluck. It sounds very similar
to the cluck, only the cluck is softer and less distinct.
The Mating
call. In the spring, this is heard as three yelps rising
in volume, a pause, then two soft clucks.
The Cackle.
A cackle is an excited call of a hen and is often heard when
the bird is flying down from a roost. It is usually a series
of 12 or more yelps which rise in pitch and then gradually
decline.
The Cut.
A cut is a short, staccato yelp and is usually made by the
hen in a series, varying in length.
and the
Gobble. This is the sound most of us think of when we
think of turkeys.
Remember to practice
safety at all times while turkey hunting. Never stalk
turkeys because good chances are that the turkey sounds that
your hearing is another hunter. Never wear the colors
associated with a turkey...red, black & blue. Always treat
every firearm as being loaded, always keep it pointed in a
safe direction and always know your target and what is
behind it.
Send your photos of your
hunts!
Good luck and let us know
how you turn out and maybe you might have some good advice,
tips or the stories you would like to share with the rest of
us...send
them to us! |
The New York Hunter
