How much to call?

[Bobbyparks]

This has been a very good thread. Alot of good shared info here.

JPH, thats interesting about John Maddens writings...and I would like to now add that ....I really never know what I'm going to do....it just happens...sometimes I don't even know when I'm going to hunt.... it just happens.[:)]

I'm just kidding for sure........ but I do believe theres something to this because I do believe instinctive hunches combined or maybe even based on past expereinece comes into play. Making quick reads followed by proper response and reactions make a difference. I believ good natural and instinctive woodsmanship abilities or gifts come into play as well.

Another factor I believe is that over time and with experinec you weed out some of the basic mistakes you might make such as not setting up in shadows and more inportantly not picking out good set up spots. This list of culled but often costly mistakes for lack of a better term, allow your chances to improve each year because you weed them out and you're combining this with things that work. The more birds you can encounter, the quicker you learn and gain the turkey wisdom

The generalities we all talk about here are efforts or general approaches that we often use because they've worked in the past. They may have not worked more than they have worked but at some point you cross it with the right situation or bird. That said , I believe the key is to keep adjusting , probing, THINKING, and trying to figure out the combination to what it takes to kill a bird on any given day. Presisitance is every bit as important as patience and I believe there really is something to trying to get a read (take his temp) on any bird you're interacting with.

There's also the all the decisons you make about set ups and commiting to an area on days you're not hearing birds. I've wrtiiten something about "Good Turkey Hunters are Good Decison makers" but not sure how to attcah a word document here. Maybe I'll write it because I believe all could relate.

Again , I really believe the John Madden theory because I know that's how it was to an extent in my baseball days. You just broke the right ways on ground balls , you never felt your legs, the ball seemed like it moved in slow motion, and the ball on your throws went where you looked, except when it slipped out of my sweaty hands at which time I hit both a kid and a lady on differnt occasions sitting in the bleachers just behind first base.

Jim Bates....... You never cease to amaze me with your perfectly put words of wisdom. Seriously, You should have a column in the T&TH magazine.

[DeanoZ]

Fellas, some really great commentary going on here...now I have not been on the boards long enough to say it, but I'm gonna anyway...by far one of the better threads on calling...someone make it a sticky!!!  Joe and Jim, I have no doubts that a lot of this comes with experience and time/effort put into the woods.  I freely admit as a newb and part of the Gen X crowd that we want it now and we will take all the shortcuts, tricks, tips, etc we can pick up to cut to the chase.  In my case, i have a lot of catching up to do...I have a 15 year stretch where I did no hunting at all...wanted to, just never had a mentor who would take me out and show me the ropes.  So now at almost 45 years old, I'm like i was back when I started hunting in my teenage years...all giddy and full of piss n' vinegar, chomping at the bit to bag that trophy buck, or Tom.  Admittedly my patience gets the better of me, so I tend to seek out every advantage I can technologically, physically, spiritually to compensate.  And with a 2 y/o and family obligations, I find myself struggling to make the time to get into the woods and have to make te best of every opportunity.  So your posts are a good reminder to myself...better still were some of the stories everyone conveyed with the knowledge that I've come farther, faster in a two season period than many did in their first 5-10 years of hunting.  As long as I'm seeing'em I can live with eating tag soup...at least I know I can locate them, work them to some degree.  Guess thats part of putting that puzzle together as Jim so eloquently put it. And Joe the John Madden analogy was great...really puts it all into perspective.

Scott, gotcha on the cadence...I had heard that before and found myself reminding myself of that very fact everytime I had the urge to keep calling tll it was right...but at times i still fall victim to that.  Guess my question is, how do you know when the cadence is right...are you going off the timing of the birds in the field your actually hunting or based on the calling you hear on sites like here and NWTF?  I knew after watching a few shows and going to the NWTF site my cadence was slower, so I stepped it up some.  BTW your glass call rocks!!!

Mark, you can take solace in the fact that I've really heeded your words on sound discipline in the woods...and because of that I've incorporated scratchings into my calling sequences..even just on their own without the merits of a caller.  I also try to be a lot stealthier walking through the woods.

As I've said before, I know as newbs we are an impatient lot...but I think what we are looking for are some general guidelines...not absolutes.  Things that won't make your turkey hunt a bust from the get go.  The rest i know will come with time in the woods.  As always thanks for the great insight.