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Q:
I have two questions about turkey hunting.
1.What calls do you use for what scenario, like when do you use a hen yelp or when do you use a male gobble call?
2. Anyone have the lodge outfitters rubber hen decoy, is it good?
Question by thehunter98.6. Uploaded on March 09, 2013
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Answers (7)
The first question is really hard because there is no one answers. I have had birds come no purrs and feeding clucks from far away and not yelps. Toms have responded to gobbles and not to cackles. It all depends on the bird but generally gobbles are great for locating birds when yelps and cackles are for bringing them in. Each bird has some thing it likes and it does not but they are as different as your fingerprints and harder to figure out. I prefer montana decoys because even thought they are 2d they look a lot more real then plastic or rubber plus a slight breeze makes them move a little. Also if a bird tries to circle one then it will "disappear" further peaking the birds interest.
I agree with Mike. It really depends. Over the years have had more gobblers come in to a couple of yelps and 2-3 clucks than to a lot of yelping and cutting. Less is usually better. But, it depends on the bird and the situation. If a gobbler is alone and looking, often a couple of clucks is all it takes. A gobbler with hens may put you in the middle of an aggressive yelping and cutting contest with the hens to try to get him away. (A contest you will loose 4 out of 5 times).
I don't use a gobbler call. I rely on an owl call or once in a while, later in the day, crow calls. I think both calls actually work better as located calls.
I also don't use decoys much. If I'm setting up in a flat, open area like the edge of a field then sometimes. But, I think too many hunters get tied to their decoy. I have a 20 year Carry Lite I carry sometimes. But, setting up and hunting over a decoy doesn't fit well with the terrain I hunt. I like to be able to move fast, use terrain to screen my movement from birds, and get set up quickly and quietly. A decoy is a distraction.
98
What Mike said.
I used to carry a "butt load" of calls everywhere I went. I sounded like a hay baler coming through the woods.
I no longer carry box calls. Too bulky and fragile. (sitting down on a prized, handmade, cedar box call is disheartening, to say the least!)
I don't carry diaphragm calls. I love the "hands free" thing! I just can't make 'em work! LOL!
I learned to make wing bone "yelpers"! I carry a couple of those.
I've learned to use a slate (peg & pot) call, making "kee-kee" runs, yelps (hen & tom) putts and purrs. (feeding purrs work very well at putting birds at ease)
I carry 2 slates to sound like two different birds.
I don't carry "owl hoot" or "crow" calls. Though I've heard birds "shock" gobble, it's not ever been to anything I've done besides yelp, putt or kee-kee.
I carry two "Tom Coffin" (Knight & Hale - it's a "push/pull affair) to make "fighting" purrs with.
With all the stuff advertised, you could kill a pack mule hauling it around.
I use a simple, foam rubber, G&H hen decoy I bought years ago for 7 or 8 bucks. It works...okay?
I spent over $100 on a "Pretty Boy/Pretty Girl" setup about 5 years ago. It's yet to attract the first bird! I no longer haul it around.
Try lot's of different things. Toss aside those that don't work.
BTW! What brought a bird screaming in yesterday, will send them into the next zip code tomorrow! You NEVER know just what may work.
They say you can't call turkeys across a creek. I called one in once who crossed a gully over 100 feet across and 20 feet deep with a creek in the bottom!,? The next year, I had one hang up at a ditch I could step across!? You just never know!
I always carry every kind of call when I go because it can vary everytime in the woods.
your first question is essentially impossible to answer, because there are a thousand different scenarios. and also you can have the exact same scenario 10 times with the same turkey, you do the same thing every time, and he will do 10 different things.
but if it helps, when i first set up in an area, i will usually start out with series of clucks, purrs, and yelps. calls and sequences change based upon whether i receive a gobbles with what i am doing or if i can see a bird and can read his body language.
as for the second question i have no experience with that decoy, but as long as the decoy looks good, it does not matter who makes it.
In the morning, I start out with my owl call. If I locate the turkey, I might get closer and try to call him in. If I don't hear anything, I would pick a good spot, set up, and call. In the afternoon, I try to pick a good spot, set up, call a little bit, but not much, and wait.
When it comes to the gear I use, I'm a pretty minimalist hunter, i carry one box call, 2 locator calls, and 6 diaphragm mouth calls. The box call is a Quaker boy lil one sider, I use a crow call and an owl hooter, then assorted mouth calls with differing tones. Typically, the woods I hunt tend not to have other hunters, but I as well as most hunters I know prefer not to use a gobble call as you are increasing the risk of being stalked by an idiot. If you think you do need to use a gobble call, however, it is typically used as a locator, as toms will often communicate with each other using gobbles. One other practical application for a gobble call would be if you find a tom that is "henned up" he might respond to a gobble call and a jake decoy as he might feel threatened. After I locate birds, I tend to start with the box as it has better range, and once the bird gets close, I switch over to a mouth call to keep my hands free and ready to shoot. As for dekes, I only carry one because it seems unnecessary for me to carry more than one. The most useful deke in my is a standing hen. I use a Feather Flex Hen Decoy ($9.99 gandermountain.com) because I'm really cheep. I can tell you from using it though, it fools birds, and you can't beat it for the money.
Post an Answer
The first question is really hard because there is no one answers. I have had birds come no purrs and feeding clucks from far away and not yelps. Toms have responded to gobbles and not to cackles. It all depends on the bird but generally gobbles are great for locating birds when yelps and cackles are for bringing them in. Each bird has some thing it likes and it does not but they are as different as your fingerprints and harder to figure out. I prefer montana decoys because even thought they are 2d they look a lot more real then plastic or rubber plus a slight breeze makes them move a little. Also if a bird tries to circle one then it will "disappear" further peaking the birds interest.
I agree with Mike. It really depends. Over the years have had more gobblers come in to a couple of yelps and 2-3 clucks than to a lot of yelping and cutting. Less is usually better. But, it depends on the bird and the situation. If a gobbler is alone and looking, often a couple of clucks is all it takes. A gobbler with hens may put you in the middle of an aggressive yelping and cutting contest with the hens to try to get him away. (A contest you will loose 4 out of 5 times).
I don't use a gobbler call. I rely on an owl call or once in a while, later in the day, crow calls. I think both calls actually work better as located calls.
I also don't use decoys much. If I'm setting up in a flat, open area like the edge of a field then sometimes. But, I think too many hunters get tied to their decoy. I have a 20 year Carry Lite I carry sometimes. But, setting up and hunting over a decoy doesn't fit well with the terrain I hunt. I like to be able to move fast, use terrain to screen my movement from birds, and get set up quickly and quietly. A decoy is a distraction.
98
What Mike said.
I used to carry a "butt load" of calls everywhere I went. I sounded like a hay baler coming through the woods.
I no longer carry box calls. Too bulky and fragile. (sitting down on a prized, handmade, cedar box call is disheartening, to say the least!)
I don't carry diaphragm calls. I love the "hands free" thing! I just can't make 'em work! LOL!
I learned to make wing bone "yelpers"! I carry a couple of those.
I've learned to use a slate (peg & pot) call, making "kee-kee" runs, yelps (hen & tom) putts and purrs. (feeding purrs work very well at putting birds at ease)
I carry 2 slates to sound like two different birds.
I don't carry "owl hoot" or "crow" calls. Though I've heard birds "shock" gobble, it's not ever been to anything I've done besides yelp, putt or kee-kee.
I carry two "Tom Coffin" (Knight & Hale - it's a "push/pull affair) to make "fighting" purrs with.
With all the stuff advertised, you could kill a pack mule hauling it around.
I use a simple, foam rubber, G&H hen decoy I bought years ago for 7 or 8 bucks. It works...okay?
I spent over $100 on a "Pretty Boy/Pretty Girl" setup about 5 years ago. It's yet to attract the first bird! I no longer haul it around.
Try lot's of different things. Toss aside those that don't work.
BTW! What brought a bird screaming in yesterday, will send them into the next zip code tomorrow! You NEVER know just what may work.
They say you can't call turkeys across a creek. I called one in once who crossed a gully over 100 feet across and 20 feet deep with a creek in the bottom!,? The next year, I had one hang up at a ditch I could step across!? You just never know!
I always carry every kind of call when I go because it can vary everytime in the woods.
your first question is essentially impossible to answer, because there are a thousand different scenarios. and also you can have the exact same scenario 10 times with the same turkey, you do the same thing every time, and he will do 10 different things.
but if it helps, when i first set up in an area, i will usually start out with series of clucks, purrs, and yelps. calls and sequences change based upon whether i receive a gobbles with what i am doing or if i can see a bird and can read his body language.
as for the second question i have no experience with that decoy, but as long as the decoy looks good, it does not matter who makes it.
In the morning, I start out with my owl call. If I locate the turkey, I might get closer and try to call him in. If I don't hear anything, I would pick a good spot, set up, and call. In the afternoon, I try to pick a good spot, set up, call a little bit, but not much, and wait.
When it comes to the gear I use, I'm a pretty minimalist hunter, i carry one box call, 2 locator calls, and 6 diaphragm mouth calls. The box call is a Quaker boy lil one sider, I use a crow call and an owl hooter, then assorted mouth calls with differing tones. Typically, the woods I hunt tend not to have other hunters, but I as well as most hunters I know prefer not to use a gobble call as you are increasing the risk of being stalked by an idiot. If you think you do need to use a gobble call, however, it is typically used as a locator, as toms will often communicate with each other using gobbles. One other practical application for a gobble call would be if you find a tom that is "henned up" he might respond to a gobble call and a jake decoy as he might feel threatened. After I locate birds, I tend to start with the box as it has better range, and once the bird gets close, I switch over to a mouth call to keep my hands free and ready to shoot. As for dekes, I only carry one because it seems unnecessary for me to carry more than one. The most useful deke in my is a standing hen. I use a Feather Flex Hen Decoy ($9.99 gandermountain.com) because I'm really cheep. I can tell you from using it though, it fools birds, and you can't beat it for the money.
Post an Answer