What percent of Turkeys that gobble to your call

[laker1]

do you get to come in? Second year of hunting and I think my calling sounds good,but the turkey's apparently do not. Do you have a high call in rate? Box,diaphram or slare scratch?

[Wanderer]

Personally it's been rare for me to have a TV show type of hunt where the bird gobbles the whole way in. I've had them pitch out of the roost and land in front of me first thing in the morning but I can only remember one time a bachelor group came in shaking the ground with their gobbles.

Usually if I keep calling to them when they're gobbling, they'll lock up. If I can get a bird to commit so I know he's moving my way I drastically reduce my calling and sometimes stop all together. I make them wonder if I'm still there or where I went.

[hart0670]

My friends and I have been turkey hunting for about 5 years now and I don't think any one of us has had a tom come in gobbling. I know the last tom I shot gave one gobble, I called back, and he came right in without making another sound. I have also engaged in numerous long "conversations" with toms that don't come anywhere near me...

[Powerstroke]

Usually my long calling conversations end with the turkey staying well out of range. Once I know a turkey is responding to me, I call as little as needed. Even then, I've more than a few turkeys come in silent from a different direction than the gobbling bird. Usually a subordinate bird will sneak in when they realize the primary gobbler isn't going to respond.

[Borch]

The most common pattern for me is lots of gobbling early in the contact and then the bird goes slient until they show up. Then they will frequently gobble and strut looking for the hen they heard or at your decoys. During this time I raely call. Make them look for you as the hen plays hard to get.

I may do some leaf scratching to close the deal.

[sticknstring]

What Borch described fills the bulk % of birds I've had conversations with. Only a handful over the years have come gobbling hard the whole way in.

[bigbucks]

The one I shot last year responded initially from probably a 1/4 mile away & started working his way towards me after 20-30 minutes. I shot him about an hour after I first heard him & he gobbled the whole way in, but that's my only bird like that. That was an evening bird. I called one in late like that for my cousin two years ago, but it was probably only about 15 minutes. Both these birds we called all the way to the gun & they just kept gobbling harder & harder. Any others that have come have been pretty quiet.

[brittman]

One never knows how many Tom's have wondered by without ever gobbling and not coming into view either.

My experience has been hard gobbling Toms rarely make it into gun range. One big reason Toms gobble is to tell the hens "you come to me". The Toms that sneak in quitely are often not the dominant Tom in the area. They want to find that hen and mate before they get their butt whipped (again). If they gobble, it just helps the old Boss Tom find him faster.

Too many TV shows stage their hunts (combination of footage) or hunt private land with an over abundance of birds. They call and the Tom hammers back again and again - right into gun range ... For most of us the advise above is sound - go quiet and they just may come looking for you. Keep talking and that Tom will establish a safe spot 60 - 75 yards away from your call and just keep gobbling to that hen "you come to me".

[sticknstring]

Quote:

Keep talking and that Tom will establish a safe spot 60 - 75 yards away from your call and just keep gobbling to that hen "you come to me".

Yup, this happens a lot - especially later in the year when the birds have been pressured some. Like mentioned, going silent and scratching leaves with soft purrs & clucks can seal the deal. Repositioning just 40 yds or so may get them to step within range as well. It's a chess match sometimes - rewarding as heck when it all works out!

[castmaster]

Reading this I'm thinking my group must be very spoiled! Probably 75% of the birds we have shot in the past 10 years (just off the top of my head I'm thinking maybe 22 of 30 or so) birds that we have shot have come in gobbling and strutting. Three different times we have had to do the count to 3 and shoot deal as there were more than one tom racing in.

We have had it happen immediately after fly down, 1/2 hour-hour after sun up and even at mid afternoon. More years than not our birds are shot "as seen on tv".

We do hunt private land, in a prime location, with little or no other hunting pressure on "our" land or surrounding properties. I have never hunted public land, and am guessing the lack of pressure the birds we hunt see accounts for the success vs our calling abilities.

[Wanderer]

Yes, you're spoiled.

Good for you though!

We've had the multiple target situation many times also, it's just that they behave more cautiously I guess.