American Friction - Custom Turkey Calls

1 -- Gaining Permission to Hunt Private Ground

For a number of us turkey hunters, one of the most difficult things to do is find a quality place to hunt turkeys. This is specialty true for those of us who hunt the western United States. There are lots of turkeys on private lands. Trying to get access to those private lands can be trying to say the least. After knocking on doors until all my knuckles were so sore I could no longer knock. I came across an idea that helps in getting that honored privilege.

When you knock, and the door is answered, it can be difficult to speak with a stranger. What I found that works well is to have a resume in hand to give to this strange. It can be uneasy to keep eye contact while asking for your permission to hunt. The landowner may not be exactly comfortable with you asking. A resume helps in a couple of ways. It gives both of you a place to look and feel a little more comfortable during your conversation. What you want is for the landowner to feel more comfortable with and about you. This can be accomplished with the information you provide in your resume.

My resume has three categories.

Personal References;
Name
Address
City, state, zip
Telephone Number
Wife's name
Children's names
My work & Business address etc.

Moral References;
Clubs and organizations
Offices held
School attended
Licenses and certificate held
Phone numbers and address

Private property hunting Character references;
Names & telephone numbers of places you have hunted

You will want to keep it simple and short. On the other hand you want to provide enough information to help this conversation be as comfortable as possible. I hope this helps. Good luck and good hunting!

2 -- Listening for Gobbles

When you're in the woods listing for that gobble try this. If you have a light or moderate wind blowing in your face you will notice that the wind will rustle as it passes your ears. Turn your head so the wind blows to the side of your head. This will lessen or eliminate the rustling, making it easer to hear that distance gobble. Also, If you drop your jaw, open your mouth, it will help you hear and determine direction.

3 -- Stop a Sneeze

Q. You're got a gobbler coming to you, he's 60 yards out and you feel a sneeze coming on. What do you do?

A. You have a blood vessel that runs through your upper lip. This vessel feeds the nerve that makes you sneeze. Press on your upper lip when you feel like sneezing. It will stop the sneeze right now!

4 -- Putt n' Purr to a Spooked Gobbler

Several years ago I noticed a lone hen walking up hill. She was approaching another group of birds feeding along. The group of birds and the lone hen could not clearly see each other because of the arrangement of brush on the hill. As the birds moved closer together, one bird in the group alarm putted. In turn the lone hen putted. In the group several birds putted in response. The lone hen putted and went into a purr. She continued to purr as she moved towards the group. There were a few more putts, the birds quieted, and the lone hen joined the group.

This sequence of events made me wonder if I could use putts and purring to control the situation of being spotted when moving in turkey country. The answer is yes. On a few occasions I have harvested gobblers that have spotted me and alarm putted. It works like this.

Turkeys alarm putt when they see movement and perceive danger. I have observed turkeys alarm putting when there is no danger around. Turkeys know that alarms putts are given falsely and you can use this to your advantage. If a bird sees you move but doesn't see you out right it will alarm putt. You must be able to determine, very quickly, that the bird doesn't know exactly what it has seen. If you can make that determination, putt back to the bird. The turkey will putt again. You, again putt in response and then purr. You will probably not have much room for movement so you must get set-up with as little movement as possible. The amount of putting and purring will depend of each situation. At some point you will want to stop putting and purr that bird to you.

There are no absolutes in turkey hunting, but this is another tool that you can use to hopefully change a situation.

5 -- Calling to Call Shy Turkey

With each passing day of the spring turkey season wild turkeys become more educated and increasingly aware. They learn quickly that there is a camouflaged clad beast roaming the woods sounding just like a sweet and sexy hen. Consequently gobblers and hens alike become appropriately call shy as turkey season progresses. This makes it more difficult to call, within gun range, the different groups of wild turkeys inhabiting the woods. So a change in calling strategies is needed.

For the most part the various groups encountered are the one or more mature gobblers, Jake groups, or a breeding flock of birds (a gobble with his harem of hens). With one or more mature gobblers or the Jake groups try soft clucks and purrs. Turkeys softly cluck and purr when they are happily feeding along or contented and relaxed. Occasionally they softly cluck and purr to greet and to let each other know that things are good. Consequently purring helps to relax wary call shy birds.

Once a gobbler has acknowledged your initial yelps, cackles, cuts, or whatever call you have made it is then time to change tactics. Give the bird about a minute or two after his responding gobble. This will give you time to put on gloves and mask, get out your glass or slate call, and get a comfortable set-up. Now try this tactic, give the bird one cluck followed by two purrs then one more clucks. Space out your series of clucks and purrs by at least a minute or two. You will want to mix up you clucks and purrs, but try stick with between three to five in combination. For instance one clucks then two purrs or two clucks, one purr, followed by and two more clucks.

You will want to adjust how loud or soft you call depending on the distance the bird is from you, wind conditions, and the terrain. In general, call softly and as the bird approaches cluck and purr even softer. This type of calling also works on the breeding flock, especially if you can't start an argument by cutting to the boss hen.

A good glass or slate is far superior to any other call when it comes to making clucks and purrs. So good in fact, that it sounds like the real thing to turkeys and humans alike. When it comes to choosing, between a glass and slate call, a lot depends on personal preference. I have noticed that a lot of experienced turkey hunters seem to favor the glass call.

This Site is Designed by: