Progression of calls through season

[ChesterCopperpot]

I think most of us change calls in and out of our vest over the course of a season. Some folks grab things willy nilly. Some folks might grab a certain call for a sentimental purpose on a given day (ex. "I'm going to hunt with granddad's Lynch box and his old Stevens today."). Some might stick with the same few all year. But I'm interested in the decisions you tend to make regarding sound and what you're trying to accomplish at a given time.

Early season I'm always trying to get as close to hen turkeys as I can. Jennys to old raspy Maude hens and everything in between. I'm using the calls I think sound the most like the hens where I live. Usually carrying a couple slates, a glass call for a little more rasp and volume, and two high to mid pitched yelpers. That time of year Permar's delrin classic is almost always with me.

As season goes on, though, and those birds seem to have heard every box call and pot call ever made, I usually switch it up and throw in some different sounding calls. I love to carry brass mid season and I usually hunt my Lester trumpet at that time as it just has a little bit different sound. I'm trying to just give them something they haven't heard. Most their hens are leaving them midday if not already sitting and my goal is to make them think a new girl has come into the bar.

Late season, when the hens are sitting and the boys are starting to get back together, I'll still tote some of the regular stuff but that's when I'll carry a box. Late season is the only time I carry a box. That's just not my call. I'm a pot and yelper man through and through. But late season I love gobbling on a box. Likewise I'll carry some more jake/gobbler toned yelpers.

How does timing and changes throughout the course of the season alter what you're putting in your vest of a morning?


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[MO_HUNTER]

Good thoughts there, Chester. I start out with mouth,pot, long box, short box. Depending on weather conditions, time of day, and terrain I'm in will dictate choice of call. But as the season wears on, it is simply down to me and the ol mouth call doing our dance.

[HookedonHooks]

Your approach to seasonal timing seems very appropriate and I would agree with a lot of the reasoning for choosing particularly what, and when. I will find myself with a completely varying satchel of calls from day to day, and other times will go serval hunts without changing anything in it. I often start by trying to have a good variety of pot builders and a couple different yelpers as to have very definite differences in the turkey being out. Not always super far off from each other in overall tone necessarily either, just something with a higher front or barkier back will do the trick even.

There's two variables for me that will ensure something gets them swapped. Weather being the first. If it's any serious amount of rain in the forecast my nice boxes stay at home, and the satchel gets loaded with acrylic pots in varying surfaces and several types of wet-proof strikers for those varying surfaces as well as some yelpers in tubes. The next variable is success. If I kill a bird, or call one in for a buddy, that call gets retired. It's done it's job as it's purpose for being made, and I have way too many calls to not move down the line to the next one. Sure I won't ever kill with all of them, as acquire more in a year than I can kill or call in for buddies feasibly, but I sure like to try. I've done this with all forms of turkey calls.

[Yoder409]

I don't over-think it.  I carry 3 calls the entire season. A diaphragm (I also carry one extra new one in the odd case of a failure of the one in my mouth), a walnut pot slate over glass and one striker and a box.  The only time I switch out is if I find a diaphragm that suits my style better than what I'm using.......but I've found what I feel is ideal......so I'm not actively looking.  And I will occasionally switch a box in or out......only because I have..........ummmm..........several boxes that are worthy.  As far as how I call.....doesn't change.  First day or last......all I do is go into the woods and do my best to sound like a hen.  Not one style or another.  Just a hen.  The ONLY thing I might change up at all is my volume, late season, when the foliage starts getting heavier.

[Tom007]

Great thread Dave. I definitely cater what I carry according to time of year, weather, and breeding phases. In the North East, the beginning of our season yields wide open, "dead" big woods. It doesn't really green up here till mid May. That being said, I hunt with calls that are pretty much "movement free". Diaphragms and pushpins are my primary calls here. I can work a pushpin at my side on the ground with little to no movement. The birds this time of year can see a couple hundred yards, no problem. I still carry a box and pot call that I use moving along between set ups. Some of my spots have deadfall cover early on where I can get away with more movement. As it greens up, it gets easier regarding movement. When the birds are henned up, I concentrate on working them in. If Tom's are together, I challenge/fight purr. I am really a soft caller, leaf scratcher. Since I changed to subtle less frequent calling, my success rate has increased. If I work the same bird on consecutive days, I totally change up my call Arsenal. Never give him the same play book twice in a row. Windy days, I carry my Battleship paddle and Crystal pots. They cut right through the wind. Late season I'll revert to real soft calling, and will move my set-ups more with the thicker cover. Every situation with turkey hunting dictates what strategy we use to lure the big guys in. My one rule that I will never break is if I can see him, he sure can see me. This is where the gun is on my knee, head down on optic, mouth call at the ready. No movement here, just my eyes....This is what makes this pursuit so enjoyable and rewarding when it all comes together.. be safe, good luck...

[PalmettoRon]

It's just habit but I carry at least one box, several diaphragms, 2-3 pots with multiple strikers and a gobble tube. I'm doing more jake and gobble calls on a long box than ever as it seems a lot of gobblers prefer to fight off an intruder than come to a hen at times.

As the season progresses, I call less and quieter usually and because I'm tired it's often just a couple of pots and diaphragms. I use the same surfaces just call less and with less volume usually, but every gobbler can be different as we all know.

I am adding a trumpet call this year as I think I'm now decent enough on it not to run off a bird.

[ChesterCopperpot]

If I work the same bird on consecutive days, I totally change up my call Arsenal. Never give him the same play book twice in a row.

I think this is key for me as well, Tom. A lot of times I'll get hung up on a bird especially if I'm down to the last tag and just trying to draw the season out. I love that challenge, and, yes, I absolutely keep switching it up on him trying to find something to suit.


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[Dtrkyman]

99 percent of the time I have 4-5 mouth calls and a Crystal, used to be a slate which I still rotate in at times but I keep it simple, works for me.  Occasional box call.

  I do not like carrying any weight, I have streamlined everything I use so no way I am carrying a bunch of calls.

[Tom007]

If I work the same bird on consecutive days, I totally change up my call Arsenal. Never give him the same play book twice in a row.

I think this is key for me as well, Tom. A lot of times I'll get hung up on a bird especially if I'm down to the last tag and just trying to draw the season out. I love that challenge, and, yes, I absolutely keep switching it up on him trying to find something to suit.


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Amen Dave, we can pattern them, but if they pattern us, game over. Great thread, I look forward to learning from this one....

[Greg Massey]

I agree with everyone. I carry a variety of calls to try and attract the birds i'm trying to hunt. Weather, time of the season all these play a part in trying to be successful in calling your gobbler. You're either trying to call a gobbler or you're trying to call the hen's with gobbler in tow. I always like carrying a couple boxes, 3 pot calls with strikers usually ceramic, glass and aluminum, push pin, couple mouth calls and trumpet of some kind. It's not necessarily that i use all these calls during a hunt, that particular day, but i have them if i need them. I like having those couple of calls that i feel will give me that edge on up in the day in trying to strike a gobbler if the morning has been really slow. Sometimes in striking that bird it could be a hen in response to your calling and not a gobbler, you never know what might be tagging alone with that hen or hen's. I do like changing up my calls during the year, what does it hurt, that is why i have a collection of calls. I feel pretty sure most any call i own is capable of calling hens and gobblers, if i DO my job right. Birds respond differently as the season progresses all of this plays a part in the pressure, mood and cycle of the hens as they start nesting. That's why it's called turkey hunting.. I love the challenge in calling these birds and playing the game. I left one off, i always carry my Roger Parks gobbler pot call that's a must. I also carry all of these items in my Glenda Green satchel..