How bad can it be?

All about turkey calling + News, techniques, routines, advice, etc..
User avatar
Grumpy
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 4858
Joined: January 22nd, 2012, 12:03 pm
Location: N.C. Montana

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by Grumpy »

Opening day last year I heard the most God awful turkey hen sounds coming from about 100 yrds. away. I thought damn, someone else is over near the pine trees they roost in most of the time, and he is going to ruin this spot for today, this goofy sound lasted for about 2 minutes and the a hen flew from where it was coming from and landed about 50 ft. from my pickup. I think what I heard was the hen alright but she was laughing at my old truck.
I was not his father but he was my son,,MAK IV, 10-15-1993 - 4-22-2007
"Rest in Peace my Little Buddy"
turkey_slayer
Posts: 659
Joined: February 14th, 2013, 10:06 am

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by turkey_slayer »

It's not the bad calling that makes me question it's the cadence. Good gosh I've heard guys sound like they had tourettes :mrgreen:. Bottom line is turkeys are stupid
User avatar
ICDEDTURKES
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 8583
Joined: July 8th, 2011, 10:27 am

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

turkey_slayer wrote:It's not the bad calling that makes me question it's the cadence.
Can someone please define rhythm and cadence as it applies to turkey.. When I read definitions I truly struggle to understand them in their relation to how a turkey is supposed to sound like.

I guess when I read the definitions I sorta understand, but I also read boring and completely mechanical, when alot of hens I hear are anything but mechanical and boring..
turkey_slayer
Posts: 659
Joined: February 14th, 2013, 10:06 am

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by turkey_slayer »

Yes hens do vary their cadence but not to the extreme as some guys I've heard. Like I said, is like they have tourettes. It's like they start a yelp by a drunk hen then get a dose of meth then crash lol. I'm not referring to sound as I've been fooled my terrible sounding hens like everyone else.
User avatar
ICDEDTURKES
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 8583
Joined: July 8th, 2011, 10:27 am

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

turkey_slayer wrote:Yes hens do vary their cadence but not to the extreme as some guys I've heard. Like I said, is like they have tourettes. It's like they start a yelp by a drunk hen then get a dose of meth then crash lol. I'm not referring to sound as I've been fooled my terrible sounding hens like everyone else.
I know what you are talking about the guys who do a 100 note flydown cackle for cutting and such, picking and pucking 100 mph..

But I know good callers, whom have good call control and sometimes when you hear them yelp its in perfect rhythm, but it is the same exact yelp note time after time. Will it kill turkeys, Yes, do turkeys call like this, Yes, is it the best way to call to turkeys, IMO No..
User avatar
GobbleNut
Posts: 926
Joined: July 15th, 2011, 8:58 am

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by GobbleNut »

There used to be mantra that a well-defined cadence in calling was really important. Although that is true to a degree,...I mean a guy can't call like he's playing the Star Spangled Banner (although there are times when even that will work),...I think the importance of cadence has been overblown. Listen to a group of turkeys and you will hear just about everything imaginable in terms of cadences used in their calling.

Having said that, there is an overall "normalcy" to be heard. But the old "give 'em three to five evenly-spaced yelps" that we used to hear has gone out of vogue,...and for good reason.
turkey_slayer
Posts: 659
Joined: February 14th, 2013, 10:06 am

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by turkey_slayer »

ICDEDTURKES wrote:
turkey_slayer wrote:Yes hens do vary their cadence but not to the extreme as some guys I've heard. Like I said, is like they have tourettes. It's like they start a yelp by a drunk hen then get a dose of meth then crash lol. I'm not referring to sound as I've been fooled my terrible sounding hens like everyone else.
I know what you are talking about the guys who do a 100 note flydown cackle for cutting and such, picking and pucking 100 mph..

But I know good callers, whom have good call control and sometimes when you hear them yelp its in perfect rhythm, but it is the same exact yelp note time after time. Will it kill turkeys, Yes, do turkeys call like this, Yes, is it the best way to call to turkeys, IMO No..
Agreed
User avatar
ICDEDTURKES
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 8583
Joined: July 8th, 2011, 10:27 am

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

GobbleNut wrote:There used to be mantra that a well-defined cadence in calling was really important. Although that is true to a degree,...I mean a guy can't call like he's playing the Star Spangled Banner (although there are times when even that will work),...I think the importance of cadence has been overblown. Listen to a group of turkeys and you will hear just about everything imaginable in terms of cadences used in their calling.

Having said that, there is an overall "normalcy" to be heard. But the old "give 'em three to five evenly-spaced yelps" that we used to hear has gone out of vogue,...and for good reason.
Jim I know you hunted with Mike Miller.. He blew me away in this regard to his calling in the woods.. It was like nothing was practiced, nothing rehearsed, it was completely spontaneous and all over the place, but 100 percent turkey..
Team Mule Pwr
Posts: 6
Joined: December 31st, 2014, 6:33 pm

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by Team Mule Pwr »

I can relate to this post and still amazed. The last week or 10 days of the season I switch calls. I use an aluminum pot and a supper raspy mouth call. The sound to me is pathetic but hens have good calling days and bad calling days and just like my calling some times it works and sometimes the old gobbler wins.
User avatar
devastator
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 1580
Joined: July 27th, 2011, 5:46 pm
Location: some where in pa

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by devastator »

It was like nothing was practiced, nothing rehearsed, it was completely spontaneous and all over the place, but 100 percent turkey..

:thumbup: thats why it was so real!!
Image
User avatar
GobbleNut
Posts: 926
Joined: July 15th, 2011, 8:58 am

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by GobbleNut »

ICDEDTURKES wrote:
GobbleNut wrote:There used to be mantra that a well-defined cadence in calling was really important. Although that is true to a degree,...I mean a guy can't call like he's playing the Star Spangled Banner (although there are times when even that will work),...I think the importance of cadence has been overblown. Listen to a group of turkeys and you will hear just about everything imaginable in terms of cadences used in their calling.

Having said that, there is an overall "normalcy" to be heard. But the old "give 'em three to five evenly-spaced yelps" that we used to hear has gone out of vogue,...and for good reason.
Jim I know you hunted with Mike Miller.. He blew me away in this regard to his calling in the woods.. It was like nothing was practiced, nothing rehearsed, it was completely spontaneous and all over the place, but 100 percent turkey..
I was never out with Mike hunting when he was down,...but a couple of others were nearby when he was working a couple of gobblers. They said the same thing,...that he never let up on 'em the entire time. ....killed one of them, too.
User avatar
ICDEDTURKES
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 8583
Joined: July 8th, 2011, 10:27 am

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

GobbleNut wrote: I was never out with Mike hunting when he was down,...but a couple of others were nearby when he was working a couple of gobblers. They said the same thing,...that he never let up on 'em the entire time. ....killed one of them, too.
:lol:

When we were hunting together he did something that shocked me.. He was setting just behind Sal and I and we were both calling.. All of a sudden Mike was 200 yards behind us excited yelping and it was extremely quiet.. I turned around and Mike was still setting right behind us Sal and I both thought he saw something and moved to pull it through.. He was excited yelping with the same intensity in his yelps and cutting but it was at tree yelp volume. :shock:
chendricks10
Posts: 3
Joined: January 27th, 2015, 1:42 pm

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by chendricks10 »

Well we are all used to thinking of what a hen generally sounds like, and what we want them to sound like, but listen to some of those other hens we generally don't hear as often. They are still out there. Look at all the different call styles we have, they definitely vary quite a bit from box to mouth to slates. But we don't think anything of that, but the second we here a call that sounds off we wonder why are those gobblers responding. Turkeys live amongst other turkeys everyday and probably have heard some pretty crazy voices that stray from the traditional sound in which we don't get the opportunity to hear so often. We here some jakes gobble and they sound horrible but we don't double think as to whether or not it's a turkey, so why would turkeys double think hearing a hen who sounds a little different than the rest of them. I'm not trying to say they won't be a little more cautious or anything while they come to the call, but turkeys don't always sound like the ones we try to get our calls to sound like. Those calls to probably work better but turkeys voices can vary just as humans. I think a lot of it depends on what's going through the gobblers head, hens with him if there are any, how his breeding season has gone, as well as past hunting pressure. But this my opinion. I'm still learning....
Don't hunt to make a kill that last a moment, Hunt to make a memory that will last a lifetime!
User avatar
Hoobilly
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 13330
Joined: August 15th, 2011, 10:15 pm
Location: Argos Indiana
Contact:

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by Hoobilly »

GobbleNut wrote:.I mean a guy can't call like he's playing the Star Spangled Banner (although there are times when even that will work)
hmmmm I think I am going to try that this season and see what happens..

never know, a very patriotic gobbler may run into range and place his feathered wing over his chest :lol:
Don't start none, won't be none!

https://foxtrotammo.com/
Greyghost
Posts: 74
Joined: March 3rd, 2015, 8:45 am
Location: Midland, VA

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by Greyghost »

I have seen first hand very bad calling by actual hens over the years. Or perceived to be bad calling. But they still had the cadence and rhythm.

I am glad bad calling works, I am the poster turkey hunter for bad calling.

But like others stated knowing when and what call to use is key, so I believe.
Gar Commander
Posts: 374
Joined: February 26th, 2013, 6:52 pm

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by Gar Commander »

Did the guy in the video referenced above ever kill the turk after the 2:50 mark? I couldn't bear to listen past about 3:30. I got out of my truck one morning and closed my bent truck door that made a squeaking sound and a Tom hollered at me 75 yards away in thick brush. Worked him all morning and didn't get him. Was wishing I had my truck with me through out the chase to keep trying the door call on him again!
User avatar
Andy S.
Posts: 340
Joined: March 13th, 2013, 9:21 am
Location: Atoka, TN

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by Andy S. »

ICDEDTURKES wrote:...go to the 2:50 mark..
Was not expecting that, bout fell out of my office chair laughing. I agree, that it is definitely an attempt to gobble, possibly on the Haint gobble call (aka the "Aint"), that so many like to blow on. Thanks for sharing, I needed that laugh and the boost of confidence it gives me when I critique and tell myself I sound like chit. :)
Andy S.

If I had saved all the money I spent on hunting, I'd spend it on hunting.
User avatar
Gobbler
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 7278
Joined: June 27th, 2011, 2:01 pm

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by Gobbler »

Other animals are bad at calling also. There is an Owl that comes to my Harrison hoot tube this season at my lease and lays down the most squeaky awful rendition of "who cooks for you...who cooks for you all" that I have Ever heard. Three days ago it was so awful I took my face mask off and waved at the Owl and yelled get out of here for you screw everything up. :violent1:
User avatar
hawglips
Gobbler Nation
Gobbler Nation
Posts: 3794
Joined: July 7th, 2011, 9:58 pm
Contact:

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by hawglips »

ICDEDTURKES wrote:A
Is it just the "right gobbler/right day" scenario where they are alone and so pent up on testosterone? Are they that dumb they do not recognize their own language at times? Seriously some of the calling barely could be recognized as turkey calling..

How bad can calling be and still fool turkeys?
Decoys trump all calling.

And some days seems like one wants to come to anything.
given2fly
Posts: 4
Joined: April 14th, 2015, 12:31 pm
Location: Indiana

Re: How bad can it be?

Post by given2fly »

I have had birds gobble at the sound of the blast of my shotgun, whistling, thunder and my son laughing.
Sometimes Life wont leave You alone
Post Reply

Return to “Calling & Competition Calling”