I've taken a few birds and called a few for the kids and grandkids. Apparently doing it wrong all along. We just finished a cabin in SW Va mountains and been looking forward to turkey hunting up there. I took several books and one magazine to read since there is no TV, no computer, no cell, no nothing up there. The one mag was Turkey Talk from 1995. Giving advice on different hunting situations, the author (Ken Casada I believe), said if you get an answer to a pre dawn locator call, get within 100 yds, and tree yelp or cluck. Once the gobbler answers, SHUT UP !!! All these years I have been calling back in forth until he hits the ground and walks off with the hens that came to all the gobbling.
So Thursday I hit the pre dawn woods, owl call, gobble, sit down, two clucks, and SHUT UP !!! 30 mins later, I got my first gobbler of the season.




Charlie

Congratulations - nice bird!

I've never found a comfortable tree. Get in there and get it done early. Congrats on the cabin and the bird.

Great work! Congrats on a fantastic hunt!

I'm certainly no expert, but being quiet off the roost is my usual strategy. My grandfather taught me that. He'd throw his Lynch box call about 10ft off to the side so he wouldn't be tempted to grab it.

Sometimes, calling frequently on the roost is the right answer but not normally. Once he answers you, let him get on the ground before you do anything else. That's helped me quite a bit.

Lee

cabin in the hills sounds nice,
cabin in the hills with turkeys sounds fantastic

Congrats on a great hunt. Over calling on the roost is a temptation most can't resist. Everybody loves to have them gobble back at you but a few tree screeches and very soft yelps and then a fly down cackle go a long way towards getting a bird killed. Looks like you have found that out-good going!

Over calling anytime is a problem most can't resist and I'm guilty of it too, but if a bird is gobbling well, the less I talk. After a few yelps, he knows where I am.

Great pic, congrats on the bird.

Yeah, all I want to do is let that gobbler know that I am there and where I am. Very subdued subtle tree yelp or a cluck or two and shut the heck up after that. Congrats on your bird!

Good deal, congrats.
It is hard to shut up because everyone knows we can all call better than a live hen.....

Now that's the truth if I ever heard it.

Charlie

Charlie:

Shutting up is usually the best thing to do, at least with the Trans-Bluegrass Easterns I usually hunt. However, I would not call it a hard and fast rule. The key is to not overplay your hand. Once a gobbler is walking on your calls, it is a good idea to stop yelping and such. However, feeding calls like a cluck-and-purr or just scratching in the leaves is probably all you need.

There are two good reasons for clamming up. First, once the gobbler is sold additional calling will usually make him stop and go into a strut. He thinks you are coming to him an wants to be ready. Second, you may slip him something he does not like and he gets hinky.

If you feel the need to yelp, throw the call the other way. A gobbler that thinks his hen is walking off on him may step up the pace.

Congrats and thanks for the advice!