The author took this bird within minutes of his feet touching down using a few soft calls.
March 15, 2024
By Dale Evans
The old adage “timing is everything” is especially true when making vocalizations to wild animals. No matter if it’s a whitetail, an elk or the wild turkey. Knowing when to call during a specific encounter on a hunt is probably more important than just about any tactic you employ. The better you can have your pulse on when to call, the more success you will have.
Turkeys communicate through a rich repertoire of sounds, with calling serving as a primary means of interaction. Hens use soft yelps, clucks and purrs to convey contentment, while toms produce the resonant gobble to help attract potential mates and assert their dominance. Understanding this language is key to a successful turkey hunt.
Most turkey hunters learn the hard way when it comes to picking up on the subtle cues of when and when not to call. Everyone loves hearing thunderous gobbles as he marches to the gun barrel, so the less-experienced turkey hunter will have a tendency to over-call in these situations. It’s easy to do, and I’d bet if you polled 100 turkey hunters, every single one of them will admit to doing it themselves more than once. So, when is the best time to call in a gobbler?
Coming Off The Roost As the sun begins to rise, turkeys awake from their roost and most times gobble on their own once waking up. The toms gobble while actively seeking hens for mating. This time of year the woods come alive with gobbles and yelps, as they communicate to let them establish their presence. Calling during this period of day is highly effective when you position yourself either close to the roost or can intercept them on the way to strut zones or feeding areas. If done correctly with some soft yelps and flydown cackle, you’ll have a strutter in your lap before the sun has broken the horizon.
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Midday can present it's challenges. Finding a good feed or strut zone can greatly increase your odds. The Midday Lull Midday hours can present quite the challenge for turkey hunters across the country. Most of the time, these birds are focused on feeding and breeding during the spring and will be less inclined to be vocal. Approach midday with caution, as too much excessive calling will do more harm than good and often get hens to pull the gobbler away from your location. This is where knowing turkey patterns are key. Find good feed grounds in shady cover, keep your calls subtle utilizing softs purrs, clucks and assembly yelps to sound like a group of content hens. This is where less is more. But, if you do find that lone tom gobbling up a storm during midday, get ready because he’s looking for company and will come in quickly.
Afternoon Delight Late afternoon can be some of the best time to catch a lonely gobbler, if your state allows it. As turkeys begin to group back up, or a gobbler is on the hunt for his next potential mate, he’ll be eager to respond to your calling. This is where using some yelps or cutting can draw a lonesome bird from afar. Understanding how to gauge his mood and knowing where he wants to be is crucial here, as picking your setup and calling to the gobbler will help do him in. If it becomes late in the day, be sure not to spook him, as you might just follow him back to his roost and pinpoint him for the next morning.
The author was able to be in the right position as this lonely longbeard headed back to roost for the night. Adverse Weather Heavy rain, strong winds and fog are just a few of the adverse weather conditions that can hinder not only the effectiveness of your calls but also how turkeys respond to them. Excessive, loud calls will quickly make turkeys wary and shy away from the sounds. Be sure to be keen on observing what turkeys in your area do when conditions get this way; it will help you to know what tactic to employ when faced with these situations. One thing to note, if you do have multiple days of harsh weather back-to-back, watch for the break and be there when it does. There’s nothing more fired up come spring than a gobbler on a clear, crisp morning after two or three straight days of rain.
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During adverse weather, knowing where turkeys want to be will help you be successful. The success of a spring turkey hunt hinges on your ability to juggle the delicate dance between knowing when to call and having restraint. Being able to mimic the sounds and vocabulary of a receptive hen, all while having a strong understanding of turkey behavior and patterns will immediately help enhance your chances of success this season. Heed these tips and you’ll have one slung up over your shoulder in no time.
