"BASIC TURKEY TALK"

I have long said that you don't have to be a championship caller to call in a turkey. Believe me, calling in a turkey is much easier than calling to a panel of five judges with a crowd of three hundred watching. Besides, I bet turkeys roast better than judges and no doubt taste better too. In contest calling you must master the whole vocabulary of the wild turkey and perform flawlessly or risk the wrath of the judges. In the turkey woods you will find that the gobbler only requires you to learn a few basic notes and will sometimes forgive your occasional mistake as he is very love sick in the spring.

Like deer calling, I believe it is more important to learn a few of the more common and effective notes and do them well, as opposed to learning the whole vocabulary and performing the notes poorly. A gobbler in the spring may be forgiving to a point when it comes to your calling mistakes, but not if every other note reminds him of his screaming ex-hen.

If there is one sound that you should master, or at least get efficient at, it's the plain yelp of the hen turkey. Although a common sound made throughout the year, in the spring it is an "I love you" type sound to the gobbler's ears. It's also the sound that the hen makes most often when trying to get the attention of the gobbler. I would have to say that through all my years as a hunter and guide, that the plain yelp has brought in more gobblers for me than all the other notes combined. It's actually a very easy sound to make no matter which type of turkey call you pick up. Two other basic notes I recommend learning are the clucks and purrs. Unlike the yelp, these notes are soft, subtle contentment sounds the turkey makes when scratching, feeding, and socializing. These notes are often used in conjunction with one another. However, sometimes I use them separately such as when a gobbler is coming into my calls and suddenly gets cold feet and holds up out of gun range. In this case I will usually let out a cluck or two, saying to him, "I'm over here, where are you?" He will usually respond with a gobble saying, "I'm over here, but hold on 'cause here I come!"

One advanced sound I must mention because of it's effectiveness is cutting of an excited hen It's not an easy sound to duplicate at first, but once mastered, is very deadly. Its the sound a hen makes when she is very excited and is ready to go on that "date" with Tommy Boy (if you know what I mean). This sound really gets a gobbler fired up when used in conjunction with yelps. The hen also cuts when challenging, or being challenged by another hen for territorial dominance which is good to keep in mind. When the gobbler is already with a real hen, it is almost impossible to lure him away with your calls. However, if you challenge the hen with cuts, she may come in looking for a fight bringing the gobbler in tow. I've taken many birds this way, very effective technique.

Now that you know what a few of the notes mean to the turkey, lets go through a hunting scenario. Lets say that
you've made contact or have heard a gobble in the distance. You have found and sat up against a large tree that breaks your outline. You now pull out your favorite turkey call and begin making long range excited yelps and cuts (plain yelps if unable to perform cuts). The gobbler responds favorably to your calls letting out gobble after gobble. Again you yelp and cut aggressively until you hear the gobbles getting closer. You start calling less and less, softer and softer. Your heart races as the gobbler gets nearer. You now discover that this is no sport for the weak of heart. You catch a movement 75 yards away, it's the gobbler fanning. Your instinct tells you to call more, but some article you read (maybe this one) told you to call very little or not at all at this point or the gobbler may hold up out of gun range. The mighty gobbler lets out another gobble and closes the distance to 60 yards. He knows that the hen is near, but can't see her. He gobbles again and holds his position. You give out a single cluck which is immediately answered with a roaring gobble. He starts to move again. With every few steps he stops to strut to impress the unseen hen. Each yard he moves seems to take an eternity as you hold your breath for fear that he'll see it in the cold morning air. As he finally reaches 20 yards you give a single cluck which raises his head exposing his neck. You carefully aim and place the bead of your gun on his neck like all responsible turkey hunters do, and begin to squeeze the trigger. Just as the gun is about to go off, your alarm clock rings, it's time to get up for your opening day turkey hunt (don't we always wake during our best dreams?)

There are many good learning aids on the market. Videos and cassettes are excellent learning aids, as they help hone your calling skills and also teach you what the notes should sound like. There are many turkey videos on the market, but many of them focus mostly on the kill which is entertaining, but not educational. With that in mind, I came out with a 90 minute video called "Greg Abbas' Turkey Calling And Hunting Techniques". It covers everything from calls, calling, scouting, decoys, equipment, and etc. After learning some of the above mentioned, you are then taken on hunts to show how, when and where the calling and tactics are used. Another good video I've seen is called "Gobbler" produced by PSE. It shows such celebrities as Pete Shepley, Dick Kirby, and Billy McCoy.

I just got done recording, and will have ready for 98, an excellent audio cassette tape that I'm very proud of called "Turkey Calling Made Easy". It covers calls and calling in detail. It even has a calling practice session at the end allowing the listener to practice along. Quaker Boy also produces a very good instructional tape.

After learning how to make the notes, it's just as important to learn when to make the notes. If you just go out into the woods throwing a bunch of turkey notes out there in any random order, you will probably be greeted by the silent gobble (none at all). Instructional aids will held you in all aspects of your calling until you become an experienced turkey trooper.
Personally, I think that practicing with the calls at home is almost as much fun as the 'taunt itself. What makes turkey hunting so rewarding is to know that all of your hours of practice in the car on the way to work, or home at night (more likely in the garage if you are married) has finally paid off when that gobbler responds to your calling and comes in as a direct result of a call that you practiced long before the season.

I have yet another, animal, or judge for that matter that responds so enthusiastically to calling than a love sick gobbler. So pull up a chair, pull out your favorite call, and "lets get ready to rumble!"

COMPANIES MENTIONED: Greg Abbas
A-Way Hunting Products
989-435-3879 Michigan

PSE
(520) 884-9065 Arizona

Quaker Boy
(716) 662-3979 New York