Hello everyone! I am not a new turkey hunter, but I felt that this was probably the best place for me to post this. I began turkey hunting in 2014, and have hunted them off and on ever since. Work and school prevented me from hunting them for several years, but that is no longer the case. This spring I plan to hunt hard in several states and to spend a lot of time chasing gobblers in various environments. All of my hunting will be on public land. I've been doing an extensive amount of research and e-scouting trying to find prime areas to hunt. Once the weather breaks I will put boots on the ground looking for sign and locating birds.
I have had some close encounters with turkeys in the past but have never killed one. I began hunting them with a bow, and that added an additional layer of difficulty to the mix. I have already began to pattern my shotgun and plan to experiment with more shell/choke combos this weekend. I have also been practicing my calling and feel confident with pot, box, and diaphragms calls. Although I don't intend on calling much unless the birds dictate that. My general strategy is to find where the birds are or want to be and go from there.
I feel pretty confident going into this season, but am still remaining humble. If I'm not able to successfully harvest a bird it won't be for a lack of trying. If nothing else we will see some beautiful scenery and wildlife and learn along the way. Me and a buddy are going on an 8 day mountain backpack hunt to kick off the season. Then after that it will be local day/weekend trips back home. I will continue to update this thread with general information as the season nears and progresses. Feel free to reply with any tips or advice if you wish. Or shoot me a PM to discuss details. I'm fairly tight-lipped about locations so not going to post many specifics here.
Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and to see if anyone has any advice. I hope everyone has a fun and successful spring season!
Sounds like you may have caught the bug, stickstring96. Best of luck in your future turkey hunting adventures. I, for one, will anxiously await your reports on how things go for you.
How ever you decide to approach turkey hunting, of course, that is your decision to make. The only recommendation I would make concerns your statement that you are going to minimize calling and, in essence, rely more on just trying to wait on birds to show themselves in likely locations. For many of us, the entire thrill of turkey hunting is about calling and having "conversational interactions" with the birds. Personally, I would recommend pursuing turkey hunting from that standpoint as your primary option.
If you are competent and confident with your calling ability, you will probably end up being more successful, and certainly more personally rewarded, by using calling as your central focus in approaching your hunts. Even if you are not sure of yourself at this point with your calling, experience and trial-and-error in the field will eventually get you to a point where you are.
For me, there is nothing like the thrill I get from having that calling interaction with a gobbler and having him come in gobbling and strutting to the call. Without that thrill, quite honestly, turkey hunting loses a lot of its attraction for me. I feel confident in stating that many here on OG would agree. Again, though, if you choose to approach it from a different perspective, best of luck to you. :icon_thumright:
Thank you GobbleNut I will be sure to keep that in mind. I'm not opposed to any tactics really, In some situations a different approach might be necessary. I tend to take a less is more approach to life and that often trickles into my hunt strategies. Especially when other hunters might be a factor as well. I'm willing to put in the time and think that helps make up for my mediocre hunting abilities :TooFunny:
My guess, being your a bow hunter, is your hunting skill is better than mediocre. It's not usually a natural progression for a hunter a to start with a bow. That being said I agree with gobble nut. I feel You will be far more satisfied in your hunts if your focus is towards interaction with the birds. Your calling don't need to tear the bark off the trees but I highly recommend a profile of some type of calling while hunting these birds.
You can always resort to deer hunting tactics if the need arises. For me interacting with gobblers is what turkey hunting is all about. Hunting Wild Turkey has way more to offer than sitting along the edge of a field or ridgeline with the hopes a Gobbler will come along. Good luck in your future endeavors dealing with this psychological disorder!
Thank you for the advice. Maybe I wasn't clear in my initial post. I'm definitely going to try and call in birds, but only after I've located them and gotten as close as the lay of the land allows without spooking them. We are going to run-n-gun as much as possible, but don't want to be overly reliant on calling.
As others have said it's all about the interaction from calling that separates turkey hunting from say deer hunting. I understand your point about woodsmanship being key. That's a fact but simply ambushing them you'll lose something. No one is saying to make things harder. You'll already need to be close so you've got that right. If I had a place so exact the "birds didn't dictate" I call at all I'd prob consider it too easy and not even hunt it. The turkey hunt experience wouldn't happen. Being you've not killed one it may be hard to understand the differences. Once you see that difference I believe your thoughts may change.
Your last post sums up what you should be doing. Get close than work em. Good luck to you this spring
Quote from: Bowguy on February 14, 2022, 08:51:34 AM
As others have said it's all about the interaction from calling that separates turkey hunting from say deer hunting. I understand your point about woodsmanship being key. That's a fact but simply ambushing them you'll lose something. No one is saying to make things harder. You'll already need to be close so you've got that right. If I had a place so exact the "birds didn't dictate" I call at all I'd prob consider it too easy and not even hunt it. The turkey hunt experience wouldn't happen. Being you've not killed one it may be hard to understand the differences. Once you see that difference I believe your thoughts may change.
Your last post sums up what you should be doing. Get close than work em. Good luck to you this spring
Thanks! Thats more along the lines of what I was trying to say. Get close then work them.
Sounds to me like you are on point. Good luck, and keep us posted.
Rattle canned the old duck gun a few weeks ago. Getting ready for the season. I've made several trips to the range trying to figure out a good shell and choke combination. So far the winner is Winchester LBs 3.5" #5s 2oz with a Jebs .650 choke. I've got some Federal TSS to try this week as well.
Each picture has one shot at the black dot and one shot at each turkey target. 20, 30, and 40 yards. The shots might be hard to see on paper, I didn't feel like counting them. I also pulled the 30 yard shot left. What do you all think of these patterns?
Nice job on the camo, and I would be very happy with those patterns,...wouldn't change a thing. I want a "forgiving" pattern at close range,...that is, not so tight that it presents the real possibility of missing a close-range bird. I also want a pattern at 40 yards that I am certain will put a number of killing pellets in a gobblers head and neck area. It looks to me like you have covered both of those bases from what I can tell. :icon_thumright:
Quote from: GobbleNut on February 21, 2022, 09:22:09 AM
Nice job on the camo, and I would be very happy with those patterns,...wouldn't change a thing. I want a "forgiving" pattern at close range,...that is, not so tight that it presents the real possibility of missing a close-range bird. I also want a pattern at 40 yards that I am certain will put a number of killing pellets in a gobblers head and neck area. It looks to me like you have covered both of those bases from what I can tell. :icon_thumright:
Those were my thoughts as well. The public land I'll be hunting doesn't have very many fields or clearings, so it will be mostly timber hunting. I can't imagine I'll have a shot opportunity further than 30 yards or so, but good to be prepared just in case.
I've been practicing my owl hooting and diaprahgm call. It's nowhere near perfect but I think it's some great progress. I'm going to keep practicing, listening to real bird sound files, and mimicking their tone and cadences. What do you all think? I think it might just be decent enough to fool a gobbler, but what do I know? :turkey2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gueyhW3HyL4
That's actually pretty good for someone just learning. Imo though your purrs sound a little aggressive. Listen to aggressive vs easy purrs. Ease up a little unless you're going for aggression in that call.
Quote from: Bowguy on February 23, 2022, 09:32:53 AM
That's actually pretty good for someone just learning. Imo though your purrs sound a little aggressive. Listen to aggressive vs easy purrs. Ease up a little unless you're going for aggression in that call.
I agree. If you have just started with the mouth call, you are doing exceptionally well. Honestly, when you prefaced your recording by stating that you had just begun to use mouth calls, I was expecting a lot less in terms of sound quality. I know guys that have been using mouth calls for years that don't sound as good.
I also agree that your calling is on the aggressive end of the turkey calling scale. There are times when a gobbler wants that kind of aggressive sound,...and there are times when softer, less-aggressive stuff is called for. The trick is being able to make whatever sound is needed at any given time with any particular gobbler. From what I hear on your recording, I am confident that you will likely be able to master the varying sounds and sound levels needed to cover all the bases.
Bowguy's comment about the purring is right on target. Purring in all its forms can have entirely different meanings to the turkeys being called. The purring you are doing on the recording would most likely be interpreted by another turkey as aggression, aggravation, and/or concern about something. There are times when that sound is good,...and there are also times when that particular sound is not good when calling to turkeys. It is important to not only learn how to do the different types of purring sounds, but it is just as important, if not more so, to learn when to use them.
All in all, though, your early attempts at using a mouth call are impressive. Keep working at it and you will be fine. :icon_thumright:
That is a great point. This is why I'm here to learn. I will focus on the subtleties of calling as well.
As you can tell, I have nothing better to do after work than prepare for turkey season. Tried to keep this as quiet and relaxed as possible. I find it hard to roll my tongue for purrs while keeping steady air pressure, but not too much air pressure. I think it's much improved from yesterday's session though. Please disregard the wind noise, it was blowing a gale. Days are getting warmer and longer!
https://youtu.be/Ah3qzOKU6OA
Quote from: StickString96 on February 23, 2022, 02:10:31 PM
That is a great point. This is why I'm here to learn. I will focus on the subtleties of calling as well.
If you don't mind me asking what call are you using in that audio. Your yelp has a unique reverb type sound I don't normally hear from run of the mill mouth calls or callers. Unique in a good way. It has a lot of turkey in it. That's an extremely strong base to start from. Cow calling Elk possibly?
Gobblenut and Bowguy hit some great points about purring. Work on getting inflection into your calling. Mono tone calling and perfect rythem are just not turkey. Break up your calls, vary them slightly by pitch and cadence. When your set up on a gobbler try and get a feel for what's going around you. When you call to him don't just lay out the yelp yelp yelp cutt cutt yelp repeat of the typical turkey hunter, say something to him.
Ex: Not saying this how you should start Your conversations with every Gobbler just using it this as an example.
Your on a ridge line. There's gobbling somewhere below and your trying to make 1st contact. Start with subtle yelps, maybe 2, maybe 3. Pause for a moment and run another string of yelps slightly longer and gaining in intensity. Pick up the pace and volume slighlty and pause for a moment. Start another string higher in volume with a pleading more rapid pace. Play this string out to about 10 yelps maybe more in cresciendo style. For the most part you just told the toms below your lost and looking for company. It wasn't because you yelped at them it was because of the subtleties you added to the yelp and yelp sequence.
Turkey's speak with each other using inflection. It's not so much which call to make; cluck, purr, or cutt, as it is how you present it. Recently I heard Denny Gulvas put it something like this: Say your trying to get the attention of your buddy in a crowed auditorium, you don't speak out in a mono tone, "hey Pete over here." You shout out " HEY,.....HEY MAN OVER HERE..... ITS ME. COME ON OVER AND LETS HAVE A CHAT!"
Turkeys are the same way. When they're content they let out smooth content sounds. When aggravated or aggressive it gets choppy and sharp. You know what it sounds like when somebody is demanding you to do something and so do Turkey's. Learn how the birds use these variances in call structure and and audio cues to communicate with each other. You've got the basics down now get out there and and gain some experience.
Hard for me to believe you have just started using a mouth call and sound that good, really. Your calling as is right now would call in gobblers. It needs some fine-tuning, but your progress is impressive if indeed you have just recently taken up the mouth call.
The other fellows have given you sound advice about the practical application of calling when you are actually out in the woods. Simply stated, it is better to be realistic in terms of making the correct calls at the right time and at the right volume than it is to be able to make the perfect "contest caller" sounds. As Paulmyr states, that realism will almost invariably include some variations in rhythm, volume, and "turkey emotion".
As others have said throughout these forum pages, when all is said and done, experience in the woods is the key to success. Getting out there, listening to turkeys and how they interact with each other, and then replicating those sounds and interactions is what will ultimately determine your long-term success as a turkey hunter. As for being able to replicate those sounds, I believe you are well on your way there! :icon_thumright:
One thing I might add to help is watch the depth of call and sequence. Sometimes too deep and slow or broken could be taken for a gobbler or jake. That's an absolutely sound call at the right time, just understand the differences and how and when you'd use it. At times a deep slow yelp can be deadly. It's all about what you're trying to present and what the birds need but you're doing fantastic imo.
What are you using to learn cause whatever it is it's def doing you good.
Quote from: Paulmyr on February 23, 2022, 11:40:16 PM
Quote from: StickString96 on February 23, 2022, 02:10:31 PM
That is a great point. This is why I'm here to learn. I will focus on the subtleties of calling as well.
If you don't mind me asking what call are you using in that audio. Your yelp has a unique reverb type sound I don't normally hear from run of the mill mouth calls or callers. Unique in a good way. It has a lot of turkey in it. That's an extremely strong base to start from. Cow calling Elk possibly?
Gobblenut and Bowguy hit some great points about purring. Work on getting inflection into your calling. Mono tone calling and perfect rythem are just not turkey. Break up your calls, vary them slightly by pitch and cadence. When your set up on a gobbler try and get a feel for what's going around you. When you call to him don't just lay out the yelp yelp yelp cutt cutt yelp repeat of the typical turkey hunter, say something to him.
Ex: Not saying this how you should start Your conversations with every Gobbler just using it this as an example.
Your on a ridge line. There's gobbling somewhere below and your trying to make 1st contact. Start with subtle yelps, maybe 2, maybe 3. Pause for a moment and run another string of yelps slightly longer and gaining in intensity. Pick up the pace and volume slighlty and pause for a moment. Start another string higher in volume with a pleading more rapid pace. Play this string out to about 10 yelps maybe more in cresciendo style. For the most part you just told the toms below your lost and looking for company. It wasn't because you yelped at them it was because of the subtleties you added to the yelp and yelp sequence.
Turkey's speak with each other using inflection. It's not so much which call to make; cluck, purr, or cutt, as it is how you present it. Recently I heard Denny Gulvas put it something like this: Say your trying to get the attention of your buddy in a crowed auditorium, you don't speak out in a mono tone, "hey Pete over here." You shout out " HEY,.....HEY MAN OVER HERE..... ITS ME. COME ON OVER AND LETS HAVE A CHAT!"
Turkeys are the same way. When they're content they let out smooth content sounds. When aggravated or aggressive it gets choppy and sharp. You know what it sounds like when somebody is demanding you to do something and so do Turkey's. Learn how the birds use these variances in call structure and and audio cues to communicate with each other. You've got the basics down now get out there and and gain some experience.
It is a Woodhaven Blue Vyper 2 Reed call. I love the tone it has and it just seems to fit my mouth. I have also been playing around with the Woodhaven Stinger Pro V3 3 reed, which has more rasp but makes it harder for me to get clear 2-note yelps. I'll post a clip of some calling with the V3 later this week. I don't have any prior experience with any sort of mouth call, but I did saxophone and trumpet in middle and high school. Maybe that is helping out as far as positioning and air control?
I'm looking forward to getting in the woods this spring and putting this all together. A guy in a NWTF video said something that stood out to me. "Understand the who, what, when, where, why in a hen turkey's calling. Everything she says is for a reason. It's not just what she says, but also how and when she says it." I think this is what you are pointing to Paulmyr. It seems like this will really only come from experience, but I'm trying to supplement that as much as possible beforehand. Thank you for the advice.
Quote from: Bowguy on February 24, 2022, 09:10:39 AM
One thing I might add to help is watch the depth of call and sequence. Sometimes too deep and slow or broken could be taken for a gobbler or jake. That's an absolutely sound call at the right time, just understand the differences and how and when you'd use it. At times a deep slow yelp can be deadly. It's all about what you're trying to present and what the birds need but you're doing fantastic imo.
What are you using to learn cause whatever it is it's def doing you good.
Bowguy that is a good point thank you. On my 3 reed call I think my hen yelps sometimes shift towards a jake yelp. Its harder for me to get a distinct 2-note separation, and the call naturally has more rasp. I'm trying to get that worked out as well. More practice! I imagine jake yelps can be deadly at times, if used in the right situation.
I'm not really using any guides or instruction for learning. Just listening to videos, audio clips, and experimenting with the calls. Trying different techniques until I make a sound that sounds "turkey-like" and then refining it from there. Trial and error.
Dr Lovett has real turkey cds to listen to but what you're doing is working
Quote from: StickString96 on February 24, 2022, 09:56:33 AM
Quote from: Paulmyr on February 23, 2022, 11:40:16 PM
Quote from: StickString96 on February 23, 2022, 02:10:31 PM
That is a great point. This is why I'm here to learn. I will focus on the subtleties of calling as well.
If you don't mind me asking what call are you using in that audio. Your yelp has a unique reverb type sound I don't normally hear from run of the mill mouth calls or callers. Unique in a good way. It has a lot of turkey in it. That's an extremely strong base to start from. Cow calling Elk possibly?
Gobblenut and Bowguy hit some great points about purring. Work on getting inflection into your calling. Mono tone calling and perfect rythem are just not turkey. Break up your calls, vary them slightly by pitch and cadence. When your set up on a gobbler try and get a feel for what's going around you. When you call to him don't just lay out the yelp yelp yelp cutt cutt yelp repeat of the typical turkey hunter, say something to him.
Ex: Not saying this how you should start Your conversations with every Gobbler just using it this as an example.
Your on a ridge line. There's gobbling somewhere below and your trying to make 1st contact. Start with subtle yelps, maybe 2, maybe 3. Pause for a moment and run another string of yelps slightly longer and gaining in intensity. Pick up the pace and volume slighlty and pause for a moment. Start another string higher in volume with a pleading more rapid pace. Play this string out to about 10 yelps maybe more in cresciendo style. For the most part you just told the toms below your lost and looking for company. It wasn't because you yelped at them it was because of the subtleties you added to the yelp and yelp sequence.
Turkey's speak with each other using inflection. It's not so much which call to make; cluck, purr, or cutt, as it is how you present it. Recently I heard Denny Gulvas put it something like this: Say your trying to get the attention of your buddy in a crowed auditorium, you don't speak out in a mono tone, "hey Pete over here." You shout out " HEY,.....HEY MAN OVER HERE..... ITS ME. COME ON OVER AND LETS HAVE A CHAT!"
Turkeys are the same way. When they're content they let out smooth content sounds. When aggravated or aggressive it gets choppy and sharp. You know what it sounds like when somebody is demanding you to do something and so do Turkey's. Learn how the birds use these variances in call structure and and audio cues to communicate with each other. You've got the basics down now get out there and and gain some experience.
It is a Woodhaven Blue Vyper 2 Reed call. I love the tone it has and it just seems to fit my mouth. I have also been playing around with the Woodhaven Stinger Pro V3 3 reed, which has more rasp but makes it harder for me to get clear 2-note yelps. I'll post a clip of some calling with the V3 later this week. I don't have any prior experience with any sort of mouth call, but I did saxophone and trumpet in middle and high school. Maybe that is helping out as far as positioning and air control?
I'm looking forward to getting in the woods this spring and putting this all together. A guy in a NWTF video said something that stood out to me. "Understand the who, what, when, where, why in a hen turkey's calling. Everything she says is for a reason. It's not just what she says, but also how and when she says it." I think this is what you are pointing to Paulmyr. It seems like this will really only come from experience, but I'm trying to supplement that as much as possible beforehand. Thank you for the advice.
Your past experience with the sax and trumpet has taught you where the air needs to come from and how to control it. It's hard for a lot of beggining callers to grasp the concept. I have no musical background so bear with me on this as the terminology may be lacking.
Most new callers use their mouths to control air flow instead of thier diaphragm. Pressures from the diaphragm are used to control tone and intensity. The manipulation of the jaw, lips, and tongue controls the pitch of the tone. When you start your yelp your trying to get the high pitched squeal and break it over into the low pitched squawk. Higher pressure from your tongue against the call will achieve the squeal. Relaxing your tongue and dropping your jaw relieves the pressure changing frequency of the pitch, breaking the call over and producing the squawk.
In short, the quality of the sound will come from the from your diaphragm. By the sound of it, you have solid grasp on that. Manipulating the call the with your mouth will put the "feeling" into your calling.
Here's another good point I heard from Mr Gulvas. When dealing with wild turkey audio, you need to to listen to it and record it on high quality equipment if you want to hear all the nuances of a Turkey's voice. Cheap microphones and speakers don't cut it. They are just not capable of capturing and reproducing the mainly the lower frequencies.
So if your using your phone to hear wild turkeys and record your practice sessions your just not getting a true picture of the actual sounds you or a turkey makes. Surprised me little to hear them lower resonating frequencies in your yelping.
Any how, I hope I didn't confuse anyone with my limited knowledge on audio terminology.
You're going about it right: practicing your calling a lot before hitting the woods, patterning the gun and reaching out on this forum. Good on you for that, your smart and honest and not pretending you know what you don't. You will be successful I'm sure.
I would add two things I learned from time spent in the turkey woods:
#1 It is of the utmost importance to not be seen, take the time to set up and hide well, use the natural vegetation as well as your camo, sit still, be patient. When they approach sit dead still, squint.
#2 Be quiet while hunting especially if you going with a buddy as you said. I can't tell you the amount of times I've heard hunters talking in the field and making noises that don't belong in the turkey woods. Yes, have fun with your friends but not within earshot of game, and that's a lot farther than people realize.
So my basic advice is to be quiet on your approach and invisible on their approach.
Quote from: Zobo on February 25, 2022, 10:08:17 AM
You're going about it right: practicing your calling a lot before hitting the woods, patterning the gun and reaching out on this forum. Good on you for that, your smart and honest and not pretending you know what you don't. You will be successful I'm sure.
I would add two things I learned from time spent in the turkey woods:
#1 It is of the utmost importance to not be seen, take the time to set up and hide well, use the natural vegetation as well as your camo, sit still, be patient. When they approach sit dead still, squint.
#2 Be quiet while hunting especially if you going with a buddy as you said. I can't tell you the amount of times I've heard hunters talking in the field and making noises that don't belong in the turkey woods. Yes, have fun with your friends but not within earshot of game, and that's a lot farther than people realize.
So my basic advice is to be quiet on your approach and invisible on their approach.
Zobo thank you for the kind words and tips. You really think squinting can make a difference? Like turkeys will actually lock onto the whites of your eyes? I've never thought about that. I know they have great eyesight but that is next level stuff! We both have full camo leafy suits and will try our best to be quiet and remain unseen.
Quote from: StickString96 on February 25, 2022, 10:47:22 AM
Quote from: Zobo on February 25, 2022, 10:08:17 AM
You're going about it right: practicing your calling a lot before hitting the woods, patterning the gun and reaching out on this forum. Good on you for that, your smart and honest and not pretending you know what you don't. You will be successful I'm sure.
I would add two things I learned from time spent in the turkey woods:
#1 It is of the utmost importance to not be seen, take the time to set up and hide well, use the natural vegetation as well as your camo, sit still, be patient. When they approach sit dead still, squint.
#2 Be quiet while hunting especially if you going with a buddy as you said. I can't tell you the amount of times I've heard hunters talking in the field and making noises that don't belong in the turkey woods. Yes, have fun with your friends but not within earshot of game, and that's a lot farther than people realize.
So my basic advice is to be quiet on your approach and invisible on their approach.
Zobo thank you for the kind words and tips. You really think squinting can make a difference? Like turkeys will actually lock onto the whites of your eyes? I've never thought about that. I know they have great eyesight but that is next level stuff! We both have full camo leafy suits and will try our best to be quiet and remain unseen.
Turkeys are prey animals. I guarantee they know what predator eyes look like if there close enough. When I get birds close my eyes are hiding just under the brim of my hat. Turkey bodies is all I see, if I can help it, until it's time to pull trigger or they leave on out.
Quote from: Paulmyr on February 25, 2022, 11:16:43 AM
Quote from: StickString96 on February 25, 2022, 10:47:22 AM
Quote from: Zobo on February 25, 2022, 10:08:17 AM
You're going about it right: practicing your calling a lot before hitting the woods, patterning the gun and reaching out on this forum. Good on you for that, your smart and honest and not pretending you know what you don't. You will be successful I'm sure.
I would add two things I learned from time spent in the turkey woods:
#1 It is of the utmost importance to not be seen, take the time to set up and hide well, use the natural vegetation as well as your camo, sit still, be patient. When they approach sit dead still, squint.
#2 Be quiet while hunting especially if you going with a buddy as you said. I can't tell you the amount of times I've heard hunters talking in the field and making noises that don't belong in the turkey woods. Yes, have fun with your friends but not within earshot of game, and that's a lot farther than people realize.
So my basic advice is to be quiet on your approach and invisible on their approach.
Zobo thank you for the kind words and tips. You really think squinting can make a difference? Like turkeys will actually lock onto the whites of your eyes? I've never thought about that. I know they have great eyesight but that is next level stuff! We both have full camo leafy suits and will try our best to be quiet and remain unseen.
Turkeys are prey animals. I guarantee they know what predator eyes look like if there close enough. When I get birds close my eyes are hiding just under the brim of my hat. Turkey bodies is all I see, if I can help it, until it's time to pull trigger or they leave on out.
Makes sense!
What do yall think about kee kees or kee kee runs? I recently just discovered them while listening to some of the GNCC guys calling. From what I've read online its predominantly a fall flock call for hens and poults, but can be used with some success in the spring to imitate a lost hen. Any body use them regularly or had success with them on occasions?
Quote from: StickString96 on March 02, 2022, 01:58:33 PM
What do yall think about kee kees or kee kee runs? I recently just discovered them while listening to some of the GNCC guys calling. From what I've read online its predominantly a fall flock call for hens and poults, but can be used with some success in the spring to imitate a lost hen. Any body use them regularly or had success with them on occasions?
Here's a great podcast with Denny Gulvas about turkey language. The guy spends every spring the turkey woods just filming and recording turkeys. He gets into kee kee's a little in this podcast.
https://www.theturkeyhunterpodcast.com/e/379-a-quick-chat-with-denny-gulvas/
I'll give it a listen on the way to work in the morning.
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Played with a looser choke and a box of TSS today. Took a shot at 20 and 30 yards, POI is exactly the same as with my other choke and the LBs. Didn't even have to touch my optic. I think I like the TSS pattern better, better pattern density. Going to try it at 40 yards next time I get to the range.
Jebs .665
Federal TSS 3.5" 7/9 2 1/2oz
20 yards cardboard, 30 yards paper
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40 yards. I am done patterning. Getting antsy for the season to open. Going to do some scouting this weekend.
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Hunted Saturday of the VA opener last weekend on some private land that my buddy has access to. Setup a Jake and hen decoy on the edge of a woodline/field near the creek they roost over.
Once the owls started at sunrise it sounded like a choir. I gave two series of light tree yelps on the mouth call early, which they gobbled to, and then I shutup after that. We weren't super close to where
they were roosted, but close enough to be in the game. If I had to guess the majority of the birds were probably 150-200 yards away on the edge of the property line. We heard probably a dozen birds
gobbling on the roost. It was awesome! I did one fly down cackle followed by a series of yelps/clucks every 30 or so minutes. The birds went silent on the ground, it was like they were never there.
I think the majority of them pitched down into the neighbors field, as the few gobbles we heard later in the morning came from that direction. An hour after fly down a Jake came in silent all the way to the decoys.
He milled around at 20 yards for a few minutes and then went about his business, never gobbling. He was a small bird and I decided not to shoot him. His beard was barely visible and he didn't have much for shoulders.
That was the only action we had that morning. We picked up the decoys and decided to run-n-gun until closing at noon but never struck a bird. We had a blast anyways and will be back to that property soon.
I'm in a hotel room right now waiting for our mountain public land hunt to kickoff tomorrow. I'll be posting pictures and updates here next week. Hopefully we find some birds!
You might not have been calling enough in this scenario. Every 30 minutes means you only called three times, once on the roost and twice before the Jake came in.
Also did you leave soon after the jake left? If so you may have left too soon. Hearing a dozen gobblers would keep me locked in that spot for good while. MANY times gobblers will come back looking for those sweet tree yelps they heard in early morning.
But you may not want to hunt that way, I understand that and that's ok, it's a more patient, stationary approach that many can't stand. I happen to love it and it definitely pays off a lot of times. Other times it doesn't and you leave feeling you should have moved more. Such are trials and tribulations of a turkey hunter!
You sound as though your having a good time however, and you definitely have a commendable attitude. Keep on gunnin' your turkey's comin'!