This will be our first time hunting turkey and the only thing we know is from what we hear and see from other succesful hunters. We are hunting 50 acres in central Oklahoma( 20 miles north of the city) and there are turkeys all over! My brother and I have a pop up blind that we plan to use and have zero experince in calling turkeys. All advice will for first timers will a huge help! Thanks!
Got a working VCR? I have a handful of vhs turkey calling how to videos and no vcr to watch them on anymore. I would LOVE to get rid of them but I am to much of a tightwad to trash them.
Go to the National wild turkey federation web site. They have links in there on what call to use in what situation. When you click on the link it makes the call so you can practice it at home. It will drive your significant other nuts, but go ahead and tell her I said it was ok
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It isn't really rocket science. The great thing about turkey hunting is you don't have to be a pro to call in birds. Of course there is no greater teacher than experience. Me and my buddy years ago wanted to get in to turkey hunting. We didn't have a clue, so I bought me a tape of some ol boy squawkin on a call and tried to mimic him. Went out the next morning and right off the bat, called three jakes in. My buddy next to me was so nervous he threw up in his lap, but we both got a bird!
I think the easiest call is the slate call. I have taught my little nephew to do it and he is only 6, and I have no doubt he could call in a bird with it. Some people say box calls are easy, but myself, I have never got the hang of them too much. I use one on a windy day when the turkeys can't hear it very well, but I don't dare whip that thing out when they are up close. My favorite is the diaphragm. It takes some practice, but they are cheap so you can buy three or four that all sound different. Best part about them is you don't have to use your hands, so when that bird is right up in your grill you can have both hands on your boomstick and still be able to putt and purr.
You can get caught up easily in the calling, but majority of the time, less is more. Don't call just to make him gobble. Give him a little sweet yelp or two, then shut up. Make him curious so that he will come to you. I also carry a couple of variety of locator calls with me. Crow call is good, owl call is good (I just use my mouth for an owl), goose call is my favorite, and I also carry a coyote call, but only use it in certain situations since it is a predator. When trying to locate birds, I don't always want to use a turkey call to get a reaction out of them. A crow call usually does the trick, makes them give away their location and gives me a chance to get in front of them, or closer to them.
Good luck man, I hope you score you a bird! Post us a pic if you do!
I think the easiest call is the slate call. I have taught my little nephew to do it and he is only 6, and I have no doubt he could call in a bird with it. Some people say box calls are easy, but myself, I have never got the hang of them too much. I use one on a windy day when the turkeys can't hear it very well, but I don't dare whip that thing out when they are up close. My favorite is the diaphragm. It takes some practice, but they are cheap so you can buy three or four that all sound different. Best part about them is you don't have to use your hands, so when that bird is right up in your grill you can have both hands on your boomstick and still be able to putt and purr.
You can get caught up easily in the calling, but majority of the time, less is more. Don't call just to make him gobble. Give him a little sweet yelp or two, then shut up. Make him curious so that he will come to you. I also carry a couple of variety of locator calls with me. Crow call is good, owl call is good (I just use my mouth for an owl), goose call is my favorite, and I also carry a coyote call, but only use it in certain situations since it is a predator. When trying to locate birds, I don't always want to use a turkey call to get a reaction out of them. A crow call usually does the trick, makes them give away their location and gives me a chance to get in front of them, or closer to them.
Good luck man, I hope you score you a bird! Post us a pic if you do!
Invite me along and I'll teach you everything I know!
But seriously tempo is a lot more important than sound. A little faster is better than too slow. Jakes will yelp at a slower speed than hens. And the worst sounding call I ever heard in the woods came from an actual hen but it had the right rhythm.
I also think that slate calls are the easiest to use but I love diaphrams. Practice in your truck while driving and listening to a cd of calls (mouth call only, using a slate while driving is probably worse than texting) . You probably won't get it down in one season but you might be good enough to try it by the end of the season.
But seriously tempo is a lot more important than sound. A little faster is better than too slow. Jakes will yelp at a slower speed than hens. And the worst sounding call I ever heard in the woods came from an actual hen but it had the right rhythm.
I also think that slate calls are the easiest to use but I love diaphrams. Practice in your truck while driving and listening to a cd of calls (mouth call only, using a slate while driving is probably worse than texting) . You probably won't get it down in one season but you might be good enough to try it by the end of the season.
Invite me along and I'll teach you everything I know!
But seriously tempo is a lot more important than sound. A little faster is better than too slow. Jakes will yelp at a slower speed than hens. And the worst sounding call I ever heard in the woods came from an actual hen but it had the right rhythm.
I also think that slate calls are the easiest to use but I love diaphrams. Practice in your truck while driving and listening to a cd of calls (mouth call only, using a slate while driving is probably worse than texting) . You probably won't get it down in one season but you might be good enough to try it by the end of the season.
I have never been able to master the diaphram call. I tried and tried to imitate the yelp with it, and gave it up. Fast forward a couple of years, and I found out my yelps with the diaphram call sounded better than a real hen just a few yards away.
Turkey are like people. They have different voices, so if you think your reproduction doesn't sound like some "expert" call, don't be discouraged.
When I first started turkey hunting, I was amazed at how many calls most "expert" turkey hunters carried. Fast forward, I found out that some turkey will respond to a certain call and not another. So I take three calls and use them all. Some take more.
Turkey calls, especially Box, or paddle calls, can be collectibles.
Last I've heard a Neil Cost Box Call went for several thousand dollars.
The NWTF convention has a contest for the most exotic and best box call. The are Art. I dabble in it, but am no where close to these artist.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back the truck up a bit. If you are making box calls I want one yesterday, not really into the artistic side of it but would love to call in a bird with one you made.
Right now I'm a newb making strikers for slate calls. I'm still trying to get the time to figure out the pots. Seems like every thing gets in the way. I make the strikers for my friends and give them away. Too many irons in the fire I guess. I have the equipment to make a box call, just not the time right now.
These are some made for the NWTF banquet that were donated.
One made for the guy that I hunt on. I can't tell you how much time went into this one.
simple but effective. buy a few different calls of various types and practice with them until they sound real. after watching videos or studying from the internet you should be able to know when to call and what call to make. i learned from the school of hard knocks and wish i had watched videos or knew someone with experience. once you get it you will love it!
best of luck
best of luck
