Types of Gobbles

[chingson]

Every Winter/ I like to purchase/read a new "turkey hunting" book in addition to reading the Tenth Legion. This year I have read "The Old Pro Turkey Hunter" by Gene Nunnery and "Turkey Hunting: A One Man's Game" by Ken Morgan.

After reading these books and listening to others, it got me thinking that a lot of the older guys talk about different types of gobbles in their stories. They could listen to a gobble or sequence of gobbles to determine what the longbeard was going to do, where he was going to go, or the mood the gobbler was in.

My question is how do you learn to decipher different types of gobbles? I have been turkey hunting around 7 years hard 10 years overall. Obviously when a turkey is gobbling over and over or double gobbling I can tell that means he's excited. But other than that, I am kinda lost on telling gobbles apart, especially single gobbles.

How does one tell the difference between a "I'm leaving gobble" or "I'm coming gobble" Gobbles that cut you off during a call sequence vs gobbles that happen 5-15 seconds after your call. Or just random gobbles in between your calling?

I have heard of "taking a gobbler's temperature" and I get the meaning behind that, what I'm asking about seems to be a deeper understanding of specific gobbles based on how they sounded by the older generation of turkey hunters.

Any insight would be helpful thanks!

[GobbleNut]

I suppose I would be considered to be one of those "old timers"...as much as I hate to admit it.      

Personally, I don't discern between gobbles other than whether I can tell he's coming, going, or staying put. I've had tom's gobble a lot to my calling and go the other way hastily (kindly referred to a "runners" rather than what we would like to call them)...or just hold their ground. Then again, I have had gobblers show very little interest, but eventually wander over to me...if I didn't screw things up somehow (which is always a possibility)      

In all cases, my ultimate goal is to determine which of those three things the gobbler is going to do...and adjust my own course of action based on that.  Generally, it becomes pretty clear within a short period of time what kind of gobbler I am dealing with just based on the amount of gobbling and the location changes (or not).

I think some of the things we all experience in our hunting are what we call "courtesy gobbles"...which are usually single gobbles (or perhaps a couple) in response to our calling from a gobbler that has absolutely no intention of giving you the time of day regardless of what you do. Often those gobbles are from somewhere high on a ridge or through a jungle of impenetrable "crap", the purpose of which is for you to expend your time and energy to go there...only to have that gobbler never open his mouth again...or show up if you have the patience to sit there for an interminable amount of time and wait for him to come.

Of course, some gobblers are going to be more cooperative in letting you know their intentions than others. I have found that a lot of gobbling that is steadily getting closer makes me somewhat optimistic about the potential outcome. 

[Zobo]

For me, the only useful distinction other than judging excitement levels is being able to tell a Jake gobble from a longbeard gobble.
I learned this by listening carefully and making observations in my hunting areas and by time spent in the field hunting.
I think it's important to learn this distinction

[GobbleNut]

For me, the only useful distinction other than judging excitement levels is being able to tell a Jake gobble from a longbeard gobble.
I learned this by listening carefully and making observations in my hunting areas and by time spent in the field hunting.
I think it's important to learn this distinction

Good point. Unfortunately, there are plenty of jakes that can sound like mature gobblers and will get a guy all excited...until they show up. 
On the other hand, there are definitely jakes out there that sound like jakes...and if you are looking for a mature bird, being able to recognize those "clearly-a-jake" gobbles can save a guy a lot of time in moving along to the next bird.
...But then again, there is also that doubt that sets in where I hear what sounds like a jake gobble but I am thinking "What if that is a big 'ol longbeard that just sounds like a jake? I better wait 'til he gets here just to make sure".    

[Happy]

From my observations. The timing or spacing of gobbles can be a good indicator as well as volume. Especially a gobbler on the roost. If he is gobbling at a regularly spaced intervals. He is calling hens to him and that is all he is concerned with. I had a particularly vexing gobbler i hunted years ago that would do that. He would ignore every yelp, cut, or cackle from hen or man, and just gobble about 10-12 times ever 10 seconds or so before he flew down. A gobbler with hens may give a "I am over here if you want to join us" gobble, in my observations, that gobbler sometime just doesn't have as much heart or gusto. I have also heard some pretty low volumed gobbles from highly pressured turkeys.  You can also almost feel the panic in a Tom's gobbler that has just realized he doesn't have any ladies and is trying to get some more attention. Those turkeys make me smile and they are about as sure of a thing in turkey hunting as a hunter can get.  That gobble and where he is located when he does it are dead giveaways as to what's going on. Thats enough info for this season. I am more of a if you want it bad enough, you'll figure it out type of guy when it comes to turkey hunting.

[Bowguy]

Idk to me its usually obvious. Maybe inflection, the way the gobbling might trail off, etc I can't say i can exactly describe it but its very much like human speaking, or dog barking might be an example. A warning bark is very different than a playing bark. We can all tell the difference yet they're both just barks.
If some woman says "you're bad" one way you're in. Differently and you aint got a chance.
Imagine two people speaking are a foreign language. Theyre in the next room. If theyre having a fight or just conversing, both equally loud can you tell? I bet you can.
I tried to explain this to a bud years ago. He didn't really understand. One day he's texting me saying a bird is gobbling but won't come in. Told me "it sounds mad".
I said fight rattle at him. The woods came alive within minutes they had a double.
If a bird sounds questioning in his gobble, I'd either not call or maybe soft cluck once or twice, scratch leaves, cause he's looking for you.