Even if no toms talk you should listen for heavy wings thumping up into the treetops. If you hear a turkey gobble or fly up, you know where to hunt the next morning. Slip into the area well before first light, set up 100 to 150 yards away from a turkey’s roost and wait for tom to roar. Then give him your best calling.
What does it mean when you hear a turkey gobble?
If you hear a lot of commotion and turkey gobbling on your property, early spring and mating season is likely beginning to set it. So many male turkeys will start gobbling early in the morning and will carry on for several hours, and it can last quite a few days.
What is the purpose of a gobble?
“The gobble’s purpose is to announce the male wild turkey’s presence to all hens within earshot and hopefully to summon their company plus repel competing males,” said Lusk.
Can gobbling turkeys be heard a mile away?
(But we don’t want him to gobble too much because that will call other hunters into the area.) Turkey gobbles can be heard for a long way on a still day, up to a mile.
What do turkey noises mean?
Louder yelps spaced close together generally mean that a turkey is excited about something – it’s not an alarm call, but it might mean they are angry about an intruding bird or something to that effect. In the fall, hens will often use an assembly call of sorts, which sounds more like a “yawp” than a yelp.
What month do turkeys start gobbling?
April
The data shows peak gobbling usually falls during the first week of April, but a closer inspection reveals significant geographical variation. For example, gobbling activity rises much earlier in southern Mississippi and crests around March 20.
When should I stop calling turkey?
If you hear gobbling and the gobble is getting louder, that means he is getting closer to you – so stop calling.
Do turkeys shock gobble all year?
This may surprise a lot of folks who aren’t in the woods or have trail cameras running every day of the year, but male turkeys do strut and gobble year-round.
Do turkeys shock gobble in the fall?
One of the biggest myths of hunting is that male turkeys respond to calling only in the spring. The fact is, toms gobble all fall, too, and are sometimes more vocal in autumn than in spring. And they can be very responsive to a call.
Do female turkeys gobble?
Only males gobble
There’s a reason that male turkeys are called “gobblers” — they’re the only ones that make that noise! Each gobbler has a unique call that he uses to attract females during breeding season. Female turkeys also make distinct noises, but they sound more like chirps and clucks.
How can you tell how far a gobbler is?
It is clearer and less muffled. As a general rule a gobble made in a tree can be heard twice as far as one made on the ground. That same “twice-as-far” rule applies to all other turkey sounds. A gobbler in an open field will sound clear and can generally be heard twice as far as a gobbler in timber.
How far can you here a turkey gobble?
In thick cover it’s often possible to get closer than 100 yards, but I rarely find myself getting closer than 75 yards to where I suspect a bird to be hanging around. At that distance, there’s just too much that can go wrong.
How long before sunrise do turkeys gobble?
In the past few weeks the toms have always started gobbling about exactly at shooting light, which is a half hour before sunrise, and then they fly down shortly after. This morning they didn’t start gobbling until after sunrise and even then it was only once about every ten minutes.
What do you say in a turkey mouth call?
“Chick,” “chirp,” “chop” and “chalk” are some options, with “ch” as the common sound. Some say “shuck” or “shock” or “shick.” Others say “chee-uck” when making the yelp. Whichever way you go, call with snapping, beak-like lips, just like a turkey. To practice, choose a single word: “shock.” Break it: sh-ock.
Do turkeys gobble at night?
Most studies of gobbling activity show that the evening, though it sees more gobbling than midday, has only 10 to 30 percent of the gobbling a typical morning sees. The toms might be tuckered out after a long day, much of it spent waddling after hens.
What time of day do turkeys gobble?
A lot of turkeys, especially old Easterns, will gobble only once or twice in the afternoon, but they’ll come to your calls fast and silently. Afternoon hunting generally peaks from around 2 to 4:30 p.m., but you might as well hunt right up until dark some days. Gobblers love to roost within 50 to 200 yards of hens.
Does turkey gobble in March?
EARLY TO LATE MARCH – The First Peak
Winter flocks break up. Toms fight with one another and gobble and display to attract hens. Strutting decoys can make all the difference early in the season.
What time of day are turkeys most active?
General Weather Conditions: As a general rule of thumb, turkeys are most active during calm, clear days in morning and early afternoon hours. Turkey activity generally decreases with bad weather conditions including wind and rain. During extremely wet and rainy days, turkeys are neither vocal nor very active.
What time do turkey calls start?
When To Call A Gobbler. OK, so let’s narrow it down to the time of day. In my view, the best times of the day are right off the roost, then again from about 8:30 to 9:30 when more hens start to leave the gobbler to go lay an egg, and again from about 11 until noon.
How long does a turkey mouth call last?
2 to 3 years
A: Turkey Calls can last up to 2 to 3 years if cared for correctly. The two parts of the call that can fail are the latex and the tape. The latex will wear out over time and the tape can delaminate if not allowed to dry.
Can you gobble with a slate call?
You can easily produce a gobble using a hand-held call. Cluck – This call is used in short bursts by both males and females. It is a basic “come-here” call that can be done with a slate, glass, or box call such as the Dual Threat Glass and Slate Turkey Pot Call and Switchblade 3-in-1 Turkey Box Call.