Story by Tom Claycomb III

Spring turkey hunting is a blast. It is almost like elk hunting in that to be more successful you need to learn how to call them. That alone is fun because it is more interactive. Some hunters can make realistic sounds but they still aren’t successful.

Here are a few potential reasons. Suppose two guys are trying to work a gobblert. Both have a command of the Kings English. While hunter is successful, the other blows an opportunity.

How come the difference? They both have the same vocabulary. In fact, the second hunter is a little better spoken but still failed. The reason — because he said the wrong words at the wrong time or didn’t say the right words at the right time.

Many times, it comes down to which turkey is responding to the calls being made.  If it is a gobbler that is responsive to the hunter trying to convince the long-beard that the prettiest hen since Raquel Welch is the one offering seductive purrs, putts and soft yelps.

In a different scenario the hunter may be making great calls, but the responsive bird isn’t the gobbler but the boss hen.  The Tom may be with six to eight hens. Don’t waste time trying to call him because the hen will simply move the flock of birds away from another hen’s calling.  Figure out the call that will entice the lead hen to come to you and in turn the other hens and gobbler will follow.

Sometime hens will not respond to subtle calls.  Many times the boss hen will aggressively yelp back.  That is when more aggressive calling or cutting on a call is needed that demands those birds come to the calling location.  It may be more aggressive yelps, calling on top of the other hen, calls before it is finished or cutting on a box call or a diaphragm trying to out call the other hen.  It is a challenge and is exciting.  Sometimes you win, sometimes you don’t

Another instance is when a turkey roost location is known.  At daylight they are flying down off the roost and headed East to get a drink out of the little creek and then hit the pasture to feed. Set yourself up to succeed. Set up so your position is along their line of travel.  It’s a lot easier to call turkey in close if they were heading that direction anyway.

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