Switching pot call surface/strikers

[shane071489]

When you are calling to a turkey initially and you use a slate pot call and get no response, you try again, no response. Do you change your calling surface to say a ceramic or do you change strikers? Or do you do none of the above. It makes me think its not realistic because they turkey just changed sounds. I have had good success with slate so far but I do have a ceramic/glass call I could use. Do you use use the ceramic or glass instead if its a windy day or say a wet day? I seem to just use only the slate. I do live South East so there is also a lot of humidity also.

[greentrout]

If i don't have a bird responding to a specific call and I haven't heard any birds, then I will certainly try a different surface or type of call. Not unusual for a turkey to hear different sounding birds, and until you have one fire off to a certain sound keep trying to find something that works.

[bbcoach]

If I have scouted the area and know for a fact that birds are in the area, I change it up frequently until I get a bird going.  I normally carry 4 different pots with about 10 strikers, a couple of trusted mouth calls and a box.  They ALL get used if the birds aren't talking. 

[shane071489]

Thank you, this is very reassuring.

[Sir-diealot]

Toms are like any other man, some like blonds, some like brunettes, if I were a turkey I would want to hear a call that sounded like a redhead. They all wanted to hear something else and then the same turkey may want to hear something else on different days, that is why we bring different types of calls.

[Greg Massey]

The main difference is the pitch / sound of the call surface. I've seen gobblers not respond to any calls until I take a box call out and play that call, and the gobbler / gobblers will fire off right back at this call. So in my opinion it's all about the calls pitch / sound ... So I agree different calls will work better than others on certain days, gobblers can be picky also to sound and pitch ...

Something to think about is the turkey sound we have in our head, is more than likely not a true hen sound. To us it may be BUT to gobblers not so much... That's why you need a high / low sound in your calling...

[shane071489]

Thanks everyone this is good information.

[bbcoach]

Shane, think of it this way, if you go fishing and only have one bait and that bait isn't working then what?  As Greg stated, you need to think about a variety of baits(calls) and colors (pitch and sounds).  Some days birds will answer to anything, then other days it may only be one specific call or nothing.  Don't be afraid to throw the Kitchen Sink at them. If they don't respond, then tuck your tail between your legs and head for the truck.

[shane071489]

Shane, think of it this way, if you go fishing and only have one bait and that bait isn't working then what?  As Greg stated, you need to think about a variety of baits(calls) and colors (pitch and sounds).  Some days birds will answer to anything, then other days it may only be one specific call or nothing.  Don't be afraid to throw the Kitchen Sink at them, if they don't respond, before tucking your tail between your legs and heading for the truck.

This made the most sense. I love the fishing idea, you are correct you wont throw the same thing all day with no bites.

[NCL]

Shane, think of it this way, if you go fishing and only have one bait and that bait isn't working then what?  As Greg stated, you need to think about a variety of baits(calls) and colors (pitch and sounds).  Some days birds will answer to anything, then other days it may only be one specific call or nothing.  Don't be afraid to throw the Kitchen Sink at them, if they don't respond, before tucking your tail between your legs and heading for the truck.

This is one of the best analogies I have seen

[shaman]

When you are calling to a turkey initially and you use a slate pot call and get no response, you try again, no response. Do you change your calling surface to say a ceramic or do you change strikers? Or do you do none of the above. It makes me think its not realistic because they turkey just changed sounds. I have had good success with slate so far but I do have a ceramic/glass call I could use. Do you use use the ceramic or glass instead if its a windy day or say a wet day? I seem to just use only the slate. I do live South East so there is also a lot of humidity also.

I take 2-3 different pot calls and sometimes a half-dozen strikers.  If I'm getting no response, I'll change up.

Something I used to do that I don't do anymore is I used to leave a selection of calls out overnight on the porch and then test them in the morning before I go out.  I picked the best sounding ones and left the others behind.  Over the years, I found that I kept picking the same ones for the same conditions, so I stopped the practice.  Normally, I have a slate, a slate over glass, and a crystal, and then carry a bunch of strikers. Those now usually include hickory, purple heart, and dymondwood .

[GobbleNut]

In addition to switching calls that have different sounds, it is also a good idea to intersperse your calling with multiple calls.  Giving the illusion that there are multiple hens together may entice a reluctant gobbler to investigate when he would not otherwise. 

In addition, when using the "multiple hen" tactic, vary your calling with each device to give more realism to that multiple-hen scenario. For example, you may imitate a louder hen with a "box call" yelp with one call...and use another call with a varying pitch, cadence, and volume to imitate another distinct-sounding hen.

Bottom line is that a gobbler that will not break to come to a single hen calling sporadically might eagerly want to join the party if he thinks there are several ladies awaiting.    

[bbcoach]

Shaman and Gobblenut are spot on as well.  Adding in multiple hens (2 or more different calls at the same time, a conversation between the hens, if you will) and the different pitches and cadences, as Greg and Shaman said, may get a gobbler going and get him within range.  What works today, may not work tomorrow and vice versa.  Herein lies the FUN of this sport, interacting with a Live animal and trying to get him to reverse nature and come find you (the hen or hens), instead of the hen/hens going to him.  Throw in woodsmanship and setup and you have a GREAT challenge. 

[Zobo]

You've gotten some really good advice here. There is no doubt that some sounds will make turkeys respond when others won't. This is exactly why turkey hunters are so obsessed with turkey calls.