Chapter 5 – Turkey Sounds

Video Transcript

Source: YouTube transcript; please forgive typos.

5.1: Yelp, Cut, and Cackle

I want to talk a little bit about the basic vocabulary of a hen wild turkey, because as hunters, that’s really what we’re doing in the spring woods—trying to mimic a hen having a conversation with a gobbler. When you think about a yelp, the plain yelp doesn’t have much emotion. It’s simply a hen walking through the woods letting other turkeys know she’s there.

When you add more emotion and speed up the cadence, that becomes what’s often called an excited yelp. A hen will often mix cutting sounds into that, which adds urgency and emotion. You can hear the difference in tone and energy. It helps to think about human conversations. Some are calm and neutral, like a plain yelp. Others are energetic and excited, with laughter and emotion. Hens communicate the same way, adjusting their tone based on how they’re feeling.

Another sound you’ll hear often is the cackle. This usually happens when turkeys are flying down off the roost in the morning or flying up to roost in the evening. It has a rapid, excited rhythm, and you can almost feel the turkey coming down to the forest floor to start her day.

Turkey sounds like the yelp, cut, and cackle are all interspersed naturally. Turkeys don’t think about them as separate sounds—they just communicate. There’s no cookie-cutter approach, and you should hunt every turkey like it’s the only one you have. Patience will kill more turkeys than anything else.

When I’ve heard a turkey and moved in while they’re still on the roost, I like to use multiple calls—a box call, a slate, and a mouth call—because they all sound a little different. That gives the impression of more than one hen. When a gobbler responds, I like to cut right on top of his gobble. If he gobbles, I answer immediately. I believe that signals an excited hen and seems to get his attention.

If you get a gobbler to respond to a soft, passive yelp, that’s a good sign. You didn’t have to push him hard to make him gobble. And if he cuts you off mid-yelp, cut right back at him. That quick back-and-forth often lets him know you’re interested and ready to engage, and it can make a big difference in keeping his attention.

5.2: Cluck, Purr, and Put

When you think about communicating with wild turkeys, it’s a lot like learning a new language. You start with basic words, then learn how to string them together, add emotion, inflection, and context. With turkeys, it’s important to understand the foundation of their vocabulary and then use that vocabulary to communicate effectively with a gobbler.

The first sound to understand is the cluck. A cluck is simple and carries very little emotion. It’s basically just a way of saying, “hey, I’m here.” There’s no rhythm or urgency to it—just a basic acknowledgment.

Another sound you’ll hear often, and one that pairs well with a cluck, is the purr. A purr is a contentment sound. It’s what a turkey makes while feeding or calmly moving through the woods. It lets other turkeys know that everything is fine, food has been found, and there’s no danger. It has a calming effect on nearby turkeys. This is a great call to use when a gobbler is 70 or 80 yards away, just out of sight, gobbling. It helps communicate that everything is relaxed and invites him to come closer.

The sound you don’t want to hear is the alarm putt. The alarm putt is a sharper, flatter version of a cluck. It tells other turkeys that something isn’t right and that they should be alert or leave the area. It has an urgent, warning tone and usually signals that the turkey has spotted danger.

When you learn to master these sounds—except for the alarm putt—you can piece them together into a realistic conversation with a gobbler. Being able to communicate that way is one of the greatest thrills in turkey hunting and a key part of consistently fooling wild turkeys.

5.3: Locator Calls

Knowing when to use a locator call early in the morning is important. A locator call is something you want to use before you ever start yelping at a turkey. When you’re trying to figure out where a gobbler is on the limb, he may be a mile away or only a couple hundred yards away. The key is that you don’t want him to think there’s a hen involved yet. You’re simply trying to make him gobble so you can locate him and make your move closer. Using an owl hooter or a crow call will make him gobble without making him look for a hen.

Early in the morning, if you make a turkey gobble with a locator call instead of a hen call, he’s not coming to you. He’s continuing his normal routine, unaffected by your presence. If you yelp at him and he gobbles while you’re trying to close the distance, he may start closing the distance too, which can lead to you spooking him. Making a turkey gobble with a locator call while he’s on the ground is far more effective than doing it with a hen call.

The owl hooter is the classic favorite early in the morning, but crows often start calling shortly after daylight. I like having a really good crow call that’s loud and realistic. I also love an owl hooter and have used one my whole life. A good owl hooter can do a convincing laugh and will consistently make turkeys gobble. I really like being able to make a turkey gobble without sounding like another turkey.

When you’ve yelped at a turkey and he gobbles, the clock starts ticking. I don’t like cutting at a turkey just to make him gobble because he might come in quickly and spot you before you’re set up, or he may already be close. Using locator calls while moving from one spot to the next, especially when you’re exposed, gives you a better chance to stay hidden and in control of the situation.

There are other locator calls that work as well, like coyote calls, pileated woodpecker calls, and hawk whistles. But the two standards that are the most effective and easiest to master are the owl hooter and the crow call. I use them every day.

5.4: Calls To Keep in Your Turkey Vest

One thing I want to go through is the calls I carry in my vest. My personal preference is to always have mouth calls at my disposal because that’s what I’m most confident in. I carry a call case with several mouth calls that have different stretches and tensions. Some are louder, some are softer, but I also like to have at least one that can do a little bit of everything. Over the course of a season, I’ll typically go through four or five mouth calls.

Everybody wants to talk about turkey calls. People think there’s a magic call or that someone can just call turkeys better than anyone else. I’ve heard it all. The box call is probably the lever-action .30-30 of the turkey woods. It’s one of the most widely used and effective calls there is. A simple single-sided box call, used with the right pressure, is just as deadly as anything out there.

Friction calls all have a few things in common. You need to chalk them, and you need to keep them dry. Use proper box call chalk, and keep both the call and the chalk in a zip-top bag in your vest so they don’t get damp or humid. Ironically, the days when it’s humid and misty—when sound doesn’t carry well—are often the days you need friction calls the most. On those days, a friction call can really shine. A single-sided box call that you’re comfortable with, that you can get volume from, and that can yelp, cluck, or even locate turkeys is priceless.

Another popular style is pot or slate calls. They’re made with different surfaces like slate or glass. Glass calls are great for locating and for loud calling, but personally, I like a slate made of slate because I don’t have to strike it in a specific direction. It’s simple and consistent. There are also other calls like tube calls or snuff can–style calls. They’re by far the hardest to learn, but they make a very unique sound. Sometimes, when turkeys have heard a lot of calling pressure, that different sound can make them gobble. The downside is they require both hands, which can limit you in certain situations.

Another thing to consider carrying is a locator call, or even several. Locator calls aren’t turkey sounds. They include owl calls, crow calls, hawk calls, and pileated woodpecker calls. These are used to trigger a shock gobble so you can locate a turkey. I personally owl hoot and crow call with my natural voice, so I don’t carry locator calls, but if you can’t do that, there are plenty of options that work well. Early in the morning, you might use an owl call, and later in the day a crow or hawk call to get a gobble before switching to turkey calls.

In recent years, I’ve also become a big fan of trumpet calls. They’re modeled after the wingbone concept and use a suction-style of calling. They’re great for loud calling, can still be used softly, and produce a completely different sound than other call styles.

Everyone’s turkey vest will be a little different, and that’s part of what makes it fun. The key is having the right calls for the situation and knowing how to use them when the moment comes.