BigWilly

I am new to the game of turkey calling. I don't know when to yelp, cluck, or cutt or exactly how to do it.
These are the calls I have: Tell me if they suck!
Primos The Freak w/ Frictionite
Primos Power Crystal
Mystic Bronzed Crystal
Quaker Boy Hurricane Box Call
K/H Lonesome Hen Push Button
Quaker Boy Beginner Mouth call

I just want some help on when, how, and how much to call.

Thanks

Tail Feathers

When in doubt, just yelp some. Not too loud, especially if he's coming. The calls you own are all just fine. They will all call turkeys in.
Don't call too aggressively. Let the bird dictate what he likes. If he's super hot, you can call more.
When in doubt, some soft yelps and a few clucks and a little purring are in order. Or sometimes, just don't call any more at all.

barefoot

To put it simply -- Master the cluck.

Call as little as you can get away with. I generally cluck ONCE to start. If he gobbles at that, then that's all I give him. If he stops gobbling at the cluck or if I don't get a gobble with it, then I'll yelp - a little and softly. Then a little more and louder. Then LISTEN -- a LOT! If I haven't gotten a response after a couple of series of this, then I'll cut loose with a lot of cuttin' and excited clucks and yelps. If that doesn't get them, then its time to move on. All this generaly takes me about an hour. If I know one is in tha area, then I'll try differen't things to get them in. Keep giving him what he wants to hear.

I know my tecnique is not the only way to do it, but I've called in 3 this week alone, so I must be doing something right.

Adrian J Hare

Calling and Working the Bird

When you get into a call game with the bird , you need to get the feeling from the bird as too what he wants to hear. Most Turkey hunters call this "Taking his Temperature".

It all starts at most times, while the birds are in the roost. This is the time you don't want to call too much. At this time you should try a soft Tree Yelp. This is about 3-4 maybe 5 very light Yelps that the bird can just hear.
Just before the bird seems interested in Flying down , you may want to try a Flydown Cackle. This is a very fast even series of Clucks, that soften off in the end of the series.
After Flydown;

You want to get him Double Gobbling if at all possible, this in turkey languge is he's excited,

Most times it takes some Cutting to work the bird up to an excitement level.

If you Plain Yelp to the Gobbler , he's going to give you a curtesy Gobble , thats just one Gobble ,, maybe a couple of seconds , He's gobble again , he's just returning another curtesy Gobble. This means He knows your there and he'll come your way sooner or later but is going to do his thing ,maybe look for another Hen that is receptive in the area.

Now , by you Cutting too him , your telling him that you are excited , and most times , your on a high and are receptive. This changes the thought of the Gobbler , because this is what he is looking for, A hen that wants him. Most times you will hear him Double Gobble, this is two gobbles,one after another that sounds like its put togeather into one, done fast.

Once he has done this he has told you that he is interested in you. This is the time , that you don't want to over call your bird (meaning keep cutting) and get him to excited, because keeping in mined , natures way is the hen is to go to the gobbler. Gobblers will hangup and wait out the arrival of the hen.

So you want to back off the excitement call and give him the feeling like your feeding at the time and you'll wait for him.
So Back to a short series of Yelps, maybe add a Cluck or two. Do not get into a game of answering him all the time. This again only tells him your wanting him, and you'll go to him.That hangs up the bird.

When the time goes quiet in this hunt, Be ready pointed in the right direction of his gobbles,follow the gobbles with you gun barrel and just give a plain few Yelps, or a couple of Purrs and a Cluck. This is telling him your content and your here if he wants. If he Gobbles back to them calls instently , He's Coming be ready,(For friction callers this is the time to put down your calls), at this time you do not need to call at all, Be ready,, and if you want, and use a mouth calls, just give him a couple of very soft yelps , almost like a Tree Yelp. Keep a good eye beyond shooting distance for any movement, Always train yourself to look for the Head , a white or pale light colour, not the body. A gobbler has the instink to end up in range with out being seen. When the bird reaches the 40 yd range it is time to take off your safty,and still follow the bird or gobbling. Little hills/rises in the woods , he with approch behind them, and obstacles that maybe in front of you, Will be the likely spot for the bird to head for. Be ready at all times and remember to stay with the bird or the gobbling. If the bird or another shows up in range in another place , wait him out before moving, or wait til the bird is walking or turns before making a move. When you need to move , move slowly, if the bird stops you stop and wait him out untill he starts to move again. When the bird and Gun meet at the proper range a load cluck can most likely stop abird in his tracks, this is the time to take the Shot.

Adrian J Hare
QuakerBoy Game Calls

Adrian J Hare

Tree Yelps - a soft call, done better on a Push button type call.

FlyDown Cackle - A very fast series of Clucks, do better on a Box Call, place tyour thumb on one side of the box and then place the Paddle of the call just slightly under your thumb on the other side , take your other hand and lighty tap the side of the paddle agaist your thumb.

Plain Yelp - 4-5 notes at the same pitch, can be done on a Slate or Box easyly.

Cluck - 1 or 2 notes , Box call or Slate, done the same as the Flydown.

Cutting - 8-10 notes, done on the Box Call or Slate , sharp pitch in the same style as the Flydown on the Box call ,,or Slate by popping a striker across the surface, with out taking the striker off the surface, as your draw back , you will notice that there will be No noise.

Purring - rythem of its own,, Box , Pushbutton , or Slate slowly pushing or drawing the striking surface across the sound board.

For mouth calls ,, se the post at the top of the page under "Starting with a Mouth call"

Hope this may help you...BT