A learning process

[WillowRidgeCalls]

I got lucky enough to get permission to use the land next to the egg ladies farm. The owner doesn't let anyone on his land to hunt or anything eles, since he's owned it. This land has not been hunted or even walked on in the last 10 years. There is a good group of birds on it, all year long. After talking with him for two years, he finally let me use his woods for educational purposes, NO HUNTING. I was out to the egg ladies farm the other day running some calls, which I do often to see how birds respond to them and try new designs out before I put them on the market. I was calling and he came out of his storage buildings to see what I was doing? I explained that I was a call builder and come out there to try new calls and see what the birds think of them, because they aren't hunted and not a pressured bird. He thought it was interesting, and allowed me to continue using his woods for learning processes. With being able to use his woods on non pressured birds, it will allow me a chance to learn what calls birds use as alarm calls? We all know that they use a putt for danger to alarm other birds of it, but I'm curious if they use anyother calls? Lets say if there are birds in a woods and someone comes walking down the outside, and birds see them coming, I want to learn what calls they use to alert other birds in the area to danger coming and to leave that area? As hunters we've all bumped birds that we don't see or hear, but we don't hear them run off putting? There has to be some call they use to alert other birds in the woods of danger coming? Is it a danger yelp or a series of calls that alarm birds, that are a softer call that we don't hear? As hunters we've all had birds that were coming in and for some reason they turned around and left, did we run an alarm call while doing soft talk or what? There is so much covered on calling except alarm calls, even CD's don't cover alarm calls. I would think that would be important to know what calls NOT to run?

[Duke0002]

Great opportunity to experiment, Scott. Congrats.

[Gopherlongbeards]

Sounds like fun Scott, I keep trying to find the winter roost of those turkeys I saw around my neighborhood here in Minneapolis this past spring and summer, just so i can go mess with them and listen to their calling :D

[ticklishtompro]

I love doing that. In the village of Kohler by us there is a resident flock of turkeys that can't be hunted, so I like to mess with them to work on my calling and calls.

[Treerooster]

What a great opportunity.

We are awaiting your feedback. :D

[charlie elk]

I'll be very interested to hear about and discuss your observations.
From my experience it is clear the turkeys use many different "words" that are composed of variations of purrs, clucks and yelps that are strung together to form a more complicated "language" which they all understand very quickly. At other times turkeys are silent and seem to only use body language for warnings or attracting each other. This body language might explain why fanning works or as Gopher described in one of his fall stories about turkeys walking over they saw his arm move.

That's a great school you're enrolled in.

[WillowRidgeCalls]

I agree charlie, that they use body language quite a bit. There has to be some soft talk that they use as well. I've seen a group of hens feeding, one as a look out and the rest will feed. then all of a sudden all heads pop up neck streached and are looking around, but you don't hear any putts or louder calls?
What I plan on doing is setting a blind up, and try to call some birds in and while they are there signal the egg lady to let her dog out, and see how the birds react to seeing a dog in her yard, or have her walk the edge of her yard? The woods is about 60 yards from her yard, so they shouldn't get too spooked by her, just see her out there.
It will be interesting to see how they react to danger that isn't a real danger to them as long as it's not coming toward them or threating them?
We've all heard the PUTT__PUTT PUTT cluck cluck or the PUTTsquealPUTT, if a yote try sneekin up on them, but those are the only two I've heard so far.

[kygobbler]

Hey Scott, by any chance are you going to try to use a mic that might be able to pick up the sound that we can not hear with our ears.

[charlie elk]

There has to be some soft talk that they use as well. I've seen a group of hens feeding, one as a look out and the rest will feed. then all of a sudden all heads pop up neck streached and are looking around, but you don't hear any putts or louder calls?

You are right about not hearing any alarm calls. I've noticed if one stretches its neck the others popped their heads up, if there is no concern sometimes they purr cluck and go back about their activities. But some of my hearing is gone, so I'm not that reliable about softer sounds.
Look forward to your reports.
Thanks

[WillowRidgeCalls]

I wish I could, I've been looking at a recorder like shaman uses or a vid cam to help record what they do. Right now I have nothing to record with, but I need one. The same for recording my calls outside to get the best sound recordings. Right now I'm leaning towards a vid cam?