WILDCAT CALL

[guesswho]

It works. 

Sounds sort of like a drawn out wood duck call.   Can't say I've ever heard a turkey do it.  If I did, I didn't associate the sound with a turkey.

[Happy]

When I think of running the wildcat I think of Tim Tebow..... and I don't run the wildcat.

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[larry9988]

That's about a good of a gobble as I have ever heard made on a turkey call.

[quavers59]

I have a fairly large collection of wild turkey books--around 25 or so. I did go through them to see any mention of the WILDCAT CALL. The late Lovett Williams wrote about the wildcat call on page 141 of his book-- Wild Turkey-Hunting And Management. He mentions Leon Johenning's--calling manual of 1962. That must be the Turkey Hunters Guide as that was his only book. He also sold  -The Caller Learning Record and a turkey call.  Now Williams also wrote on page 141--To my knowledge, nobody has attempted to describe what the call sounds like other then to claim it sounds like a wildcat. But Johenning did describe the wildcat call on page 34 of his book. I sounded it out--practiced some and got some deep gobbler clucks in reply as I already wrote. A good 5-6 of them over 5 minutes. I just got there too late to get a shot. I had no idea a gobbler flock was in that area.   I intend to use this call again right before sunrise before my season is out.

[silvestris]

The Wildcat Call, whatever it is, will be heard so rarely during any turkey hunter's career that is would be very difficult to catch it on a recording and one hearing it would have great difficulty reproducing it from memory.  I have heard on three occasions in over thirty years what I think may be the Wildcat Call, but I am certainly not going to declare that what I heard was that call.  What I heard was a "Wheeeee-up" given several times.  I was certain that the call was made by turkeys, probably gobblers.  I think of the call as a curiosity and I can think of no value the call would have in a hunting situation.  It is just one of those "damned if I know" things.

[J.D. Shellnut]

The Wildcat Call, whatever it is, will be heard so rarely during any turkey hunter's career that is would be very difficult to catch it on a recording and one hearing it would have great difficulty reproducing it from memory.  I have heard on three occasions in over thirty years what I think may be the Wildcat Call, but I am certainly not going to declare that what I heard was that call.  What I heard was a "Wheeeee-up" given several times.  I was certain that the call was made by turkeys, probably gobblers.  I think of the call as a curiosity and I can think of no value the call would have in a hunting situation.  It is just one of those "damned if I know" things.

I've heard that "wheeeee-up" sound before. I assumed it was from turkeys being we was in the same block of woods but I never gave it much thought. Very interesting. I read your post on another site. What you say about turkeys makes sense to me and I can believe it and relate to it. I'm from la.

[quavers59]

Hear you Silvestris. But right before sunrise that morning-- I had no idea where any flock was. I was willing to possibly ruin my first Fall turkey hunt of this year. I must have sounded it out pretty good as finding the location of roosted gobblers is a --Gold Mine! So- I am willing to give the wildcat cat call another shot for sure.

[quavers59]

That --"wheeeee-up" that was decribed in above posts must be the same call as Joehnnings-"QUE-E-E-E-E--ICK---QUE-E-E-E-E--ICK. The way I sounded this out was by saying the word  (quick) and stretching it out from --pot rim to pot rim . Took some time- but that is the sound I kind of get. Knight And Hales-- Ol Yeller gives me the best sound for this with a rosewood peg. It sounds nothing like a kee-kee and Joehnning mentioned 2 lonesome-- but high pitched whines.
    I do quite of bit of hiking year round at sunrise and might take the pot out with me sometimes. Like alot of members I am curious and would like to know more. I do suspect that a number of old-timers knew about the wildcat call and did not pass that knowledge on.

[davisd9]

Interesting call to discuss and learn about but do not think it is a call that will improve my hunting success. Hope it works out for you.


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[ferocious calls]

The sound my Easterns make is very catlike. Like the sound we hear when 2 cats are sizing each other up and trying to scare off the other. A rolling type sound that is medium pitch at the start rolling higher and tapering to a growl ending. They need to be fired up, really fired up to make this sound. It is not difficult to produce with our voice and practice.

[quavers59]

I want to try a few more pots for the wildcat call.  Very interesting subject. Who knows--maybe some call companies will try to cash in on this wildcat call and create callers for its use.
      I still favor that Knight And Hale --Ol Yeller though. I am going to use other pegs besides rosewood. I just really dig that peg in and pull it to the far rim. I don't think a horseshoe caller would sound as good for the wildcat call.

[flockbuster]

See if this link works.

https://soundcloud.com/user-788295847/leon-johenning

It contains Leon's rendition on his caller.

I have heard that sound in the woods during the spring several times. The times I have been able to see the critter making the sound has always turned out to be a barred owl. Not saying turkeys don't make the same sound, but I know barred owls do.

[quavers59]

I do plenty of hiking year round--often at sunrise. I might play around some with the wildcat call. The 2nd way, I run the call on the Knight And Hale  Ol Yeller pot is by circling the rim clockwise going from 12 oclock to 8 oclock.  Trying to sound out that call  on the pot by stretching out--"quick".