Tuning Into a Wild Turkey

Gobblers are smart and know what a forest is supposed to sound like. They know that hens don't just yelp and cluck - they cluck, purr and scratch as they move through the woods.

turkey For the most success hunting toms, observe hens, and mimic all of the sounds they make, not just their calls. When you move through the woods, don't just use your calls. Sound as much like a turkey as you can. Turkeys don't take regular steps like humans do.

Try a ‘step-step-step-pause, step-pause-step, step-step-step-pause pattern. Scratch softly in the leaves, and add soft purring and clucking sounds to imitate a contentedly feeding hen. When you come to a dusting site, pat the ground with your hand to sound like a turkey dusting. If you come to an acorn field, slow down, like a feeding turkey does.

Hens eat, sleep, travel and generally live their lives in woods. They don't just sit in a thicket and yelp.