Turkey Vocabulary

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cbbase34:
Hi there, I have a few questions to ask you. How do you understand the wild turkey vocabulary? Im buying some videos on how to use different type of calls now, but when im out turkey hunting the tom turkey hangs up or it gobbles, but it just dont come in. People are saying something about a wild turkey vocabulary, so can you please tell me anything about this stuff. Thank you so much

Before attempting to talk turkey, it is probably best to listen to them. Get around a few flocks of hens and listen to them as the wake up and fly down in the morning. That will give you the best feel for what they are saying. The hen vocabulary is fairly limited to just a few concepts and emotions:


Emotions:
I'm happy and contented
I'm excited
I'm horney
I'm mad
Yikes! Run for your life!

Spacial Concepts:
Come here!
Where are you?
You are too close, go away.

Gobbler's have a few extras:
Hey honey! I want you bad.
Look at this! It makes you hot, huh?

That's a good starting vocubulary. If it were French we were talking about, you'd at least be able to find a taxi, eat dinner, and find somewhere to sleep.

A good bunch of CDs that I use in the off-season to hone my calls is the "Spitting Feathers" series. The first one is just a large flock waking up in the morning and going about its business. It runs the full gamut.

Starting out, you will need to learn to do a just a few calls. Concentrate on the cluck and the yelp. The cluck is how hens keep themselves spaced apart when they're feeding or moving. It says "I'm here." Yelping is how a hen communicates over distance. It varies in temperature from the low tree yelping, "I'm awake, I'm here. I made it through the night again." to more excited yelps that indicate sexual readiness, the urge to join up with lost members of the flock, etc. Learning out to do a simple set of fairly bland yelps, is a good goal for beginners.

For a beginner, clucking and light yelping can be all you need to bring in a gobbler. Mostly, just sit there and stay quiet after you've made contact. Once he's heard you, he'll come in. Until you are sure you can talk turkey to a turkey, the best thing to do is to say as little as possible and hope you get by.