The (Almost) Foolproof Turkey Calling Sequence

Shortly after fly down, the toms are responding to your calls, even the hens are talking back to you. But just like yesterday’s hunt (and the weekend prior) the birds have lost interest and carry about their business directly away from your calling location. You don’t know what you said to those turkeys, but they sure weren’t convinced.

If only there were a blueprint for talking to turkeys, a 1-2-3 guide of sorts. While this strategy doesn’t come with a guaranteed notched tag, in the words of Paul Rudd, 60% of the time, it works every time.

If you walked into a room filled with people you didn’t know, you likely wouldn’t walk into that room and start yelling at max volume. Talking to turkeys is no different. Start your calling sequence subtly, at low volume, with low-intensity calls. Soft yelps and clucks are a good starting point.

My philosophy is that you want to let the turkeys know your location but not demand anything from them. I think of it as putting my location on their radar, giving them the idea to check out my location at some point in the day. Almost as if you’re convincing the birds that it was their idea, not yours.

Most novice turkey callers use one volume under the premise that they want to ensure their call is audible over long distances. Avid turkey hunter and turkey scientist at the University of Georgia, Patrick Wightman, spends countless hours studying turkey’s habits, tendencies, and vocalizations.

Wightman explains the role that subtle calls should play in your arsenal, “while trapping turkeys in winter, I’ve spent time listening from blinds and noticed the quiet, subtle purrs and bubble clucks turkeys make while feeding or moving together. These sounds seem to calm the flock and make them feel safe. Now, when turkeys get close to my calling setup, I try to incorporate these soft calls to help seal the deal.”

In the early part of the season, when turkeys are still flocked up, your strategy should be centered around calling to the hens, who will bring the toms to you.

If there’s a chatty hen in the flock, begin directly talking to her. Mimic the call that she’s making, including tone and volume. If she happens to be the lead hen, now you’re on the right track to landing that flock right in your lap.

When you find a lone gobbler who is hot to trot, an elaborate calling strategy isn’t needed. This gobbler is on a solo mission, looking for a receptive hen. A couple of yelps are likely all he needs to fully commit.

This calling strategy is catered to a skeptical gobbler or those henned-up and unwilling to abandon his flock. To accomplish this, the idea is to slow-play the calling sequence, slowly convincing the birds over time. Start the conversation subtly and slowly increase the intensity by increasing your volume and calling frequency.

Now that you have the bird’s full attention, you can escalate the conversation. Think of it as getting mad and telling the birds, “Get over here now!”

To do this, incorporate cutting into the calling sequence, which should have been absent up to this point. Turkeys typically only cut when they are very excited, either fighting over food or dominance. To create authenticity, cutting should be done at near max volume. If another hen is actively talking to you, cut her calls off with your own yelps and cuts.

If the cutting doesn’t bring the flock to you in short order, start playing hard to get by going silent. The idea is to pique the bird’s curiosity. Things were getting heated a few moments ago, but now everything has gone silent. Leave the birds wondering what the heck is going on over there.

As they say, curiosity killed the cat. With this strategy, a hidden, concealed-from-plain-view calling location is critical. If you’re calling from the wide open, the turkeys can visually confirm that they’re being duped.

If the otherwise quiet flock has started talking again, they’re probably asking you where you’re at. Let them know your whereabouts by beginning the calling sequence again, starting with a soft yet welcoming yelp.

The weariest toms, or commonly cautious jakes, will come in silently. You may need to let the silent treatment play out for an hour or longer.

“GPS data from both turkeys and hunters has shown me that waiting longer in one spot can be beneficial. I’ve seen countless instances where a hunter would sit down, presumably call, and then move within 30 to 60 minutes, only for a tom to show up in that exact spot two to three hours later. I struggle to apply this myself, but the data suggests patience is key,” Wightman told MeatEater.

Minutes will feel like hours, but there’s hardly anything more exciting than a big old tom completely blindsiding you with a thunderous gobble and some close-range drumming. Best of luck.