Calling hens with a gobble call

[eddie234]

When I was out a couple weeks ago I was working a gobbler, I was having trouble getting him to come in so I tried my gobble call. Within a couple minutes I had some hens coming in. I guess it would be natural for hens to come to a gobble, does this happen often?

[WillowRidgeCalls]

It does, so will other gobs to see what all the noise is about. It's a good call to use on days that the birds aren't talkin, other gobs will come to investigate to see what all the fuse is about. It also draws other hunters like a moth to flame, so be very carefull where you use it.

[shaman]

Back when I was starting out, there was a lot more emphasis placed on using gobbling.  Personally, I was always a bit scared to use it; I didn't want to get a face full of shot.    However, I did try it, and I got exactly what you did:  hens.    I can't say as I ever attracted a gobbler.

What worried me beyond the safety issue is this:  with hen calls, we have a pretty good idea of what a hen is saying.  If I hear a hen yelp, I have a fairly good idea what her mood is.  Gobbling?  Who has made a study of gobbler sounds?  Is there a plain gobble? an excited gobble?  an aggressive gobble?  If I take my box call and do a gobble, am I portraying a wimpy 7-lb pansy-eater that is hoping no one will hear him, or am I telling the world I am a 300 lb monster turkey who is looking for a nice 20-pounder for breakfast? 

What I have seen work is gobbler clucks and gobbler yelps.  I do them mostly with just my own voice-- I seem to be able to hit their register comfortably.  Once in a while, I'll get the feeling there's a gobbler out there, but I can't see him.  Rather than make hen noises, I'll either give a low cluck, or a deep 3-stroke yelp. If the gobbler's out there, he'll probably respond.  Some mouth calls will work that low, and some of the wider pot calls will work if you scratch in the center of the call.

[eddie234]

I only hunt private land and it's a small parcel so I feel safe in using it. This is the first year for using it, I was able to get a mature tom to come in to it earlier in the season. I had a pretty good vantage point and did a series of yelps followed by a double gobble and he came in at about 100 yards and stopped to look then went back the same way he came from.

[BigBuckeye]

I have read, can't do but read that jake gobbling is effective.  If you sound like a dominant bird, you may not get any young toms to come in for fear of getting a beat down.

[rmh181]

I have a gobble tube, but use it maybe once/yr. I hunt almost all public land, so safety is a big issue, and acting like a gobbler is NOT what I want to be on heavily hunted public grounds in PA. In addition, for the most part, the gobble tubes don't sound that great. I can do it w/ my mouth call and it's better than the tube, but again I just simply don't use it.

I mainly don't use it, because I've had more success over the years, trying to employ the lonely hen tactics, then I have trying to suggest another gobbler is moving in for a fight, etc.

My goal in the turkey woods, is to be an easy hen. "Here I am, come and get me and I'm yours, there's no stress here". Not, "Hey come in and fight if you want me", or "I'm coming to steal your hens", etc. I want to make it as easy as possible, for a lonely gobbler, or a scared naive/lonely jake to come in and get w/ a hen. I used these tactics again successfully twice this yr alone, 3 wks apart in hunting areas 50 miles apart, to close the deal. No super aggression, nothing threatening, just hey baby, how you doin'?

Believe me, it works. In all my years-- consistently I think you'll get more gobbler action in close w/ "honey", than with "vinegar". But like any hunting, there's always a place/time where something will work. Sometimes you have to throw the kitchen sink at 'em to get it done, but for me, I keep the gobbler tube in the vest.

[eddie234]

I too use the "honey come and get me" approach. But this bird just wouldn't come in so like you said I was trying what I could. The gobble tube was in my vest and I decided to try it. No sense having it there taking up space if you don't ever use it.