As a new turkey hunter, learning when and how to use different turkey calls can feel overwhelming. With practice and knowledge, though, you’ll be talking turkey in no time. This guide breaks down the most common turkey calls, when to use them, and how to perfect your technique.
The Basics of Turkey Vocalizations
Wild turkeys make over 20 different sounds to communicate However, as a hunter, you only need to master 6 key turkey calls
- Yelps
- Clucks/Putts
- Purrs
- Cuts
- Gobbles
- Cackles
Yelps
The yelp is the most versatile turkey sound. Hens use yelps year-round to locate flock members and signal they’re ready to breed. You can vary the pitch, length and volume of yelps to reflect different hen attitudes and situations.
Use
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Plain yelps to locate gobblers at the start of a hunt. Mimic a lonely hen seeking companionship.
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Loud, excited yelp sequences to simulate a lovesick, eager hen and pull in distant gobblers.
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Soft tree yelps to rouse roosted birds gently without spooking them
Clucks/Putts
Clucks are short, staccato notes used by turkeys to get attention or communicate location. The higher pitched putt specifically signals danger or wariness.
Use:
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Clucks to keep a gobbler’s interest as he approaches your setup.
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Sharp putts to raise a hesitant gobbler’s head for a shot opportunity.
Purrs
Purrs are soft, trilling calls that signal contentment and comfort. Hens use them to calm poults.
Use:
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Soft purrs to soothe a hung up gobbler and coax him in closer.
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Loud, fast purring during simulated gobbler fights to provoke a response.
Cuts
Cuts are loud, excited clucks that communicate a turkey is actively seeking or questioning something. The urgency helps grab a gobbler’s attention.
Use:
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When locator calls like yelps fail, try loud cutting to ignite a silent gobbler’s curiosity.
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Follow up soft calls with excited cuts to simulate a frenzied hen and spark interest.
Gobbles
The gobble is the male turkey’s loud, signature call used to attract hens and fend off rival males.
Use:
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Sparingly, as gobbles can draw unwanted hunter attention.
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To challenge territorial gobblers during breeding season.
Cackles
Cackles are fast series of irregularly spaced cuts made when turkeys take flight or move suddenly.
Use:
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When a gobbler flies down, simulate wing beats and cackles as if his hen is landing nearby.
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During fall flock shooting, cackle after scattering birds to reassemble them for more opportunities.
Matching Calls to Seasons and Situations
Beyond mastering the basic turkey vocalizations, it’s crucial to know when to use each call most effectively.
Spring Hunting
In spring, focus on:
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Realistic hen yelps, clucks and purrs to portray lovesick hens eager to breed.
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Loud cutting sequences to grab a preoccupied gobbler’s attention.
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Cackles and gobbles around fly-down time to exploit a tom’s competitive nature.
Fall Hunting
In fall, use:
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Soft clucks and purrs to mimic a relaxed, feeding flock.
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High-pitched kee-kees, and lost yelps to call scattered young birds back together.
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Loud assembly yelps to regroup entire flocks after busting them up.
Matching Location
Also consider your terrain and setup when choosing a call:
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Use soft, subtle calls like pot calls in dense woods.
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Break out louder box calls in open fields to project further.
Mastering Realistic Call Delivery
To sound authentic, focus on these tips:
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Use emotion – don’t just replicate notes, portray a turkey’s attitude.
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Mimic the pace and rhythm of real turkey vocalizations.
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Start calls softly – don’t overcall. Volume can always be increased.
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Practice calling year-round to polish technique.
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Listen to actual turkey sounds online to refine your renditions.
With knowledge of basic turkey talk, when to use key calls, and plenty of practice, you’ll be speaking turkey’s language fluently in no time. Master these strategies to call more gobblers within range this season.
There are a wide variety of different sounds or vocalizations made by wild turkeys. Listen to them here.
There are many factors that go into successfully hunting wild turkeys, including calling them at the right place at the right time. Knowing the distinctly different sounds wild turkeys make in specific situations will increase you chances for a successful harvest and make you an all-around better wild turkey hunter.
Sounds courtesy of Denny Gulvas of Gulvas Wildlife Adventures.
The adult hen assembly call is a series of loud yelps, usually a little more emphatic and longer than a standard series of yelps. The assembly yelp is used by a hen to assemble her flock or young poults. It is a good call in the fall when trying to call a scattered flock back together. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The cluck consists of one or more short, staccato notes. The plain cluck often includes two or three single note clucks. Its generally used by one bird to get the attention of another and a good call to reassure an approaching gobbler that a hen is waiting for him. This is a great call while trying to encourage gobbler to come into range if he starts to hang up. It can also be used while birds are still on the roost to subtly let a gobbler know you are there. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The cluck and purr is a cluck followed by a rolling, almost staccato call. It is often associated with flock talk or the feeling of contentment. Typically not a loud call, though sometimes it can be amplified, it is good for reassuring turkeys as they get close to your position. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
Loud, sharp clucks that are often mixed with yelping. Cutting is a sign that turkeys are excited, not alarmed. Cutting has several uses in hunting. If a gobbler is henned up, and one of the hens is cutting, you can cutt back in an attempt to bring her to you. You will want to mimic her calls, while cutting off her vocalizations and being a bit more excited. The goal with this tactic is to lure a dominate hen to you for a fight, often times bringing the gobbler with her. You can also cutt when you have tried soft calling to a gobbler that is hung up. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
Similar sounds and notes as a plain yelp but much more excited, rapid and with more volume. This is not a sign of alarm, but indicates that a turkey is worked up about something. If a gobbler is henned up, you might be able to bring him to you by picking a fight with the dominate hen in the flock. Yelp at her excitedly, cut off her vocalizations with your own calls and you might lure the hen, and the gobbler with her, to you. You can also use an excited yelp when you have tried soft calling to a gobbler that is hung up. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
Fly Down or Fly-up Cackle
A cackle usually consists of three to 10 irregularly spaced notes, loud and staccato, increasing in pitch as the call nears its end. The cackle is generally associated with leaving the roost, but can also be heard when a bird is flying up to a roost. A fly-down cackle is good call to tell a gobbler that a hen is on the ground. However, a fly-down cackle often works best if the gobbler is already on the ground before you call. Otherwise, the tom may stay on the roost; waiting for what he thinks is a hen turkey to come to him before he flies down. A fly-up cackle can also be a good tool when trying to locate roosted toms, as it may get a roosted tom to gobble. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The gobble is a loud, rapid gurgling sound made by male turkeys. The gobble is one of the principal vocalizations of the male wild turkey and is used primarily in the spring to let hens know he is in the area. Hunters must be cautious using a gobble, especially on public land where it may attract fellow hunters to your position. It can also be a double-edged sword. A gobble may draw a dominate tom to you looking for a fight or you might drive away less dominant birds who want to avoid a beating. It is often used as a call of last resort. However, it can also be used effectively late in the evening when trying to get a tom to gobble on the roost. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The kee kee is usually a three-note call that lasts about two seconds. A variation of the call, the kee kee run, is merely a kee kee followed by a yelp. The kee kee is the call of lost young turkeys and variations are also made by adult birds. Its often associated with fall hunting and is used to reassemble a scattered flock. It can be used in the spring to make you sound more natural – especially on public land where it may set you apart from all the other hunters using yelps and cutts. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The plain yelp of a hen is a basic turkey sound and is often delivered in a series of single note vocalizations. The plain yelp can have different meanings depending on how the hen uses it, but it is basic turkey communication. It is also commonly used by a hen to communicate with a gobbler during mating season. This is a basic turkey hunting call. If you can yelp, you have a chance of being able to call in a turkey. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
Purring is a soft, rolling call turkeys make when content. It is a low vocal communication designed to keep the turkeys in touch and often is made by feeding birds. This is not a loud call, but is good for reassuring turkeys as they get close to your position. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The putt is a single or several sharp notes. The putt is generally associated as an alarm and usually means the bird has seen or heard something and is signaling danger. This can be useful when you have a gobbler in range, but cant get him to raise his head or stop. However, before putting at a gobbler it is best to have your shotgun ready and on target. Once you raise the alarm by putting, you will have little time to shoot and the bird will take off at the slightest movement. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
The tree call is a series of soft muffled yelps given by a roosted bird that sometimes picks up in volume as fly down time nears. Maybe accompanied by soft clucking. It is generally acknowledged as a call to communicate with others in a flock. It can be used to let a gobbler on the roost know you are there. Your browser does not support the audio tag.
TURKEY CALLING TIPS | Turkey Sounds and What They Mean
FAQ
What is the best call sequence for a turkey?
Typically, turkeys begin with a tree call indicating their location, then cackle as they leave the roost. It begins as quick clucks and cuts, and as the bird lands the cadence slows and often ends with yelps. Use the fly down cackle when you’ve heard a gobbler fly down, provided he’s not in sight.
What type of turkey call should I get?
There are essentially two popular types of friction calls: box calls and pot-and-peg calls. A box call is easier to learn. Even a beginner can quickly figure out how to scrape out a two-note yelp that’ll fool a tom. Boxes also offer plenty of volume—sometimes too much volume.
When should you call for turkeys?
In my view, the best times of the day are right off the roost, then again from about 8:30 to 9:30 when more hens start to leave the gobbler to go lay an egg, and again from about 11 until noon. It’s somewhat obvious why gobblers respond off the roost; it’s a new day and they’re not necessarily with hens yet.
What is the best sound to call in a turkey?
Yelp. The yelp is the main building block of all turkey calling, and in my opinion the most used sound by turkey hunters.Apr 12, 2024