2023 Turkey Hunting Thread

[elk yinzer]

I'm awful with a diaphragm call for turkeys. It's a cadence thing, I just can never seem to get right. Then the more conscious I get of my terrible calling the worse it gets. I made up a couple wingbone call from the jake I killed last year and it's been a total GAMECHANGER.

I use that term in complete saddlhunter irony, but for real, it was quite a revelation. Swear on my dog's name since I'm not a dog person that I was a master of the wingbone in some previous life. First time I tried it out, it just felt right. I'm not sure if I have some influencer to thank or just my whimsy, but I can't wait to take them out in the woods this season.

 

[Micneador]

Five days till go time. Did a lot of driving around and listening Saturday. 7 longbeards on saturday and a metric ton of jakes. The amount of first year birds I'm seeing lately is unreal.

 

[Horn]

Just send them to me

I just might!

 

[Gator]

I'm awful with a diaphragm call for turkeys. It's a cadence thing, I just can never seem to get right. Then the more conscious I get of my terrible calling the worse it gets.

My buddy claims I sound horrible with a mouth call, I just send him pics of dead birds!

 

[woodsdog2]

My cousin went to a show and found a 20ga MEC 600 Jr. Mark IV single stage press for $80 I had him pick it up for me. Now for components?!?!?

 

[Micneador]

My cousin went to a show and found a 20ga MEC 600 Jr. Mark IV single stage press for $80 I had him pick it up for me. Now for components?!?!?

Can't beat that. That's about what I paid for my 28 gauge 600 jr at an estate sale.

Check Ballistic products and precision reloading daily for new primed hulls. TSS and powder have been the easiest to acquire for me. Wads depending on what the load data you get could be tough to get. Also confirm that the data you get calls for fold crimps and not roll crimps. You can roll crimp a load that calls for fold, but not the other way around.

 

[Micneador]

Five days till go time. Did a lot of driving around and listening Saturday. 7 longbeards on saturday and a metric ton of jakes. The amount of first year birds I'm seeing lately is unreal.

Forgot to mention, on the way home from my grandparents for easter and saw 5 jakes/1 gobbler/5 hens in a field not 40 yards off the road. Pulled up next to em and killed the car for my daughters/ wife to listen to. The jakes and gobbler were strutting up a storm and drumming so loud you could hear it from the car. The one of the hens cut and yelped with some absolute nasty rasp. Sent chills down my neck

 

[NMSbowhunter]

I've just been hammering away at the grind once again this season. I've been 5 days so far and haven't heard a gobble. Today I did a 4.1 mile loop and nothing. I did figure out how early I need to get to the land to get my pick of the area I want. Last Tuesday I went out, got there at 5:30 and there were trucks all over. Wednesday I got there at 4:30 and had the pic of spots. I got there again at 4:30 this morning and had my pick again. About 5:30 I could hear folks driving through. Four thirty it is.

I did get in some good scouting and jumped several deer which I made note of for October. I found a balloon near bedding, found a tree that had been recently struck by lightning, and found money on the road (too bad it was a $1 and not a $100). Not a bad day out, just no turkeys.

 

[elk yinzer]

No way I'm picking that poop dollar up.

 

[PEEJAY]

I'm awful with a diaphragm call for turkeys. It's a cadence thing, I just can never seem to get right. Then the more conscious I get of my terrible calling the worse it gets. I made up a couple wingbone call from the jake I killed last year and it's been a total GAMECHANGER.

I use that term in complete saddlhunter irony, but for real, it was quite a revelation. Swear on my dog's name since I'm not a dog person that I was a master of the wingbone in some previous life. First time I tried it out, it just felt right. I'm not sure if I have some influencer to thank or just my whimsy, but I can't wait to take them out in the woods this season.

Diaphragm calling takes practice in the field to get it right. Gotta figure it out on a bird and get your confidence up. THey can tell when you're not feelin it for sure. It probably sounds like a hen with a gun to her head held hostage haha. Gobbler said "not today buddy''

At least thats whats happens to me. if im having an off day or im nervous about my calling im gonna ruin it. Quiet soft calling is always better to start with for me. Never tried a wing bone call but im definitely gonna try this year if i get one. havent been practicing at all for calling but its like riding a bike for most of it. our season opens up next week!

 

[elk yinzer]

Diaphragm calling takes practice in the field to get it right.

Ehh, about 25 years of practice seems a reasonable amount of time to call it, no?

I can rip an elk bugle or cow mew fine. With turkeys its in my head. Like I said I can get the pitch right no problem, but I get the cadence screwed up, then I start overthinking it and it's off the rails. And don't get me wrong I've killed a few gooblers, but those were all more attributed to woodsmanship in spite of my calling (I believe the hoity-toity call it bushwacking?). It's just not my deal. I also can't carry a tune in a bucket and I once tried to learn to owl hoot and lost my voice for a week, so....

 

[Horn]

Anyone purr on a diaphragm call by kinda rolling your tongue? I little bit like Spanish Rs? It does feel more throaty without a call in

 

[BTaylor]

Anyone purr on a diaphragm call by kinda rolling your tongue? I little bit like Spanish Rs? It does feel more throaty without a call in

It is unpossible for me to purr on a mouth call.

 

[NMSbowhunter]

No way I'm picking that poop dollar up.

If you knew where any of it has been you'd go paperless, lol.

 

[Bowtie747]

If you knew where any of it has been you'd go paperless, lol.

As a male stripper, Ik where it’s been. Ha jkjk

 

[woodsdog2]

Anyone purr on a diaphragm call by kinda rolling your tongue? I little bit like Spanish Rs? It does feel more throaty without a call in

I’m blessed to be able to purr with the back of my throat, rolling my toung or fluttering my lips. I’m most inclined to do it via rolling my toung though.

 

[Micneador]

That's one of them dollars you put down to see if anyone else has been back there since you were.

Kill a bird and plant a wing feather right where it was

 

[PEEJAY]

Ehh, about 25 years of practice seems a reasonable amount of time to call it, no?

I can rip an elk bugle or cow mew fine. With turkeys its in my head. Like I said I can get the pitch right no problem, but I get the cadence screwed up, then I start overthinking it and it's off the rails. And don't get me wrong I've killed a few gooblers, but those were all more attributed to woodsmanship in spite of my calling (I believe the hoity-toity call it bushwacking?). It's just not my deal. I also can't carry a tune in a bucket and I once tried to learn to owl hoot and lost my voice for a week, so....

25 sounds reasonable haha you gave it a good enough chance id say. I was more gettin at the part where you get in your head. I been there. I get there every season at one point or another. I gave up on mouth calls all together for about 5 yrs after spooking a bird my buddy was calling in perfect on a pot call and only got into using them again 3 yrs ago. I got the hang of it on a couple birds and the rest of that season I was on fire. I called a bird in almost every hunt for someone to shoot. It takes a couple good hunts to know you can actually do it. Then last season I got in my head on quite a few hunts and ended putting a single jake on the board that i must have passed 15 times with a few days left in the season and no gobblers around any more. It's probably the easiest call to screw up if your nervous. Kinda like public speaking haha. I will also ruin a bleat can call if I'm excited enough so maybe it's just me. Those are supposed to be idiot proof.

Would love to learn an elk bugle and actually get a chance to hunt one. Thats my #1 bucket list hunt for any animal on earth.

I cant hoot for sheeet either. Those thp boys make me jealous how many birds they can fire up on the roost with that owl scream.

 

[Weldabeast]

I'm awful with a diaphragm call for turkeys. It's a cadence thing, I just can never seem to get right. Then the more conscious I get of my terrible calling the worse it gets. I made up a couple wingbone call from the jake I killed last year and it's been a total GAMECHANGER.

I use that term in complete saddlhunter irony, but for real, it was quite a revelation. Swear on my dog's name since I'm not a dog person that I was a master of the wingbone in some previous life. First time I tried it out, it just felt right. I'm not sure if I have some influencer to thank or just my whimsy, but I can't wait to take them out in the woods this season.

So in other words u a natural at sucking but not so good at blowing?

 

[Micneador]

Some of those wingbone/trumpet guys can gobble and that's well beyond my skill, but I would say I'm decent at it. I called up a pair of public land gobblers the first year I used a wingbone. Never was able to get a shot as they had skirted just over the crest of the hill on me. I think I walked out of there that day just as happy as if I had killed one of them.