4th year hunting....first time calling

[tanman]

i have been turkey hunting for four years this is the first i have been drawn. I have alwayse hunted with my bow, i am hunting third season this year.

In the past i have had such a good spot i never needed to call the birds would walk the edge of the woods right to me, however i lost that spot for this year so i have bought a slate call and have been practicing and i got most of the sounds down pretty good the thing i need help with is when to do what calls and how much to call?

if the birds are coming do you let them come or keep calling?

what if they are in the woods a wayse away?

can you help me out?

all help is appreciated thanks for reading

[Borch]

I tend to call a lot when the bird is a distance away to get them fired up and then back off once they get closer.

[DonBo]

Listen to the birds around you. If they are active and making lots of noise, you can do the same. If you hear hens, make the same sounds they are making-only a bit louder and longer.

When the birds are silent, I cut way back on the calling to. Maybe just a soft short yelp every 20-30 minutes.

Which calls? The yelp is a basic call every bird makes to keep track of every other bird. Purrs and clucks are contented noises, helpfull in bring in a tom the extra few yards to get them into range. As Borch said, the closer they get, the softer you should call. If I see a bird coming straight in I will stop calling completely unless he hangs up. If you have a good decoy set, you may not need to call at all, then again.....

Fact is every bird is different and every bird will act differently every day. Best advice is to listen to what's going on around you and try to fit in.

Good luck!

[tanman]

thanks guys... exactly what i was lookin for