Moose Droppings

 I remember when I first started getting into turkey hunting for me the calls were the most intimidating aspect of the hunt.  They no longer intimidate me but I’ll be the first to tell you I won’t win no calling contests.  With only a short time till the season rolls in if you have no calling experience you’ll need to focus on a couple of calls to get ready.  The best thing you can do is to find another turkey hunter to show you the ropes and to help you learn some calls.
Locator calls are calls that are not turkey sounds but do cause the gobbler to shock gobble.  There are a variety on the market; Owl, Crow, Peacock, Coyote, Goose, pretty much anything that is loud can cause a gobbler nearby to gobble.  The advantage of the non turkey sound is that it’s not apt to bring a gobbler running at you before you can get set up.  I carry a couple with me but I rarely use them, in the morning I let the normal daybreak set the birds to gobbling then during the day I use hen cutting more often then not.  When I do use one I use the crow call or a goose call unless it’s at night and I’m attempting to roost a bird I’ll use the owl.  For a first time hunter this type of call is a low priority for you to get.

Turkeys make a variety of sounds and there is no way you can learn to make them all.  I will give you some links at the end to learn more about the sounds and to hear some.  Listen to the recordings a number of times this will assist you when you start learning to call.  The sounds you will hopefully learn how to make are the cluck, yelp, purr, and cut. 

There is a variety of calls and call makers to choose from and I’ll tell you some of my favorites but ask any other turkey hunter and you’ll get an entirely different list. 
The easiest call to learn how to use is the push pin and is often over looked I’m willing to bet this call is the demise of more turkeys then any other.  I like the Trooper 2000 made by Away Outdoors, it has a wrist string that I hook on to my trigger hand.  It’s a great finishing call for when the bird is in close, it makes some sweet purrs, and when I’m ready to pull the trigger I just let go of the call and it swings out of the way. 

  box call is a good call to learn it is really good to reach out on windy days when you have to be really loud to be heard. You pass the paddle across the side of the box to make yelps, cuts and purrs.  I called my first bird in with H S Strut  box call I also use a Penn Woods Waterproof Wizard on those fowl weather days. 
A pot call  is  not very difficult to learn they come in a variety of surfaces and you use a striker on the surface to make the sounds.  I really like the Away Outdoors one it has a slate call on the backside that is great for soft calling. 
Mouth Calls are the more difficult calls to work but once you learn them it cuts down on unnecessary movement that will give you away. 
No matter what the call I find the cadence of the call is more important then the actual sound.  Study the turkey and the sounds they make so you’ll be ready to match wits on opening morning.  Next up We’ll start looking at tactics.  
Turkey Sounds

http://www.nwtf.org/all_about_turkeys/sounds_of_turkeys.html
Learning Calls

http://www.hunterspec.com/Updateable/update_display.cfm?pageID=1823&categoryID=12

http://www.awayhunting.com/articles/BASICTURKEYTALK.htm

http://www.awayhunting.com/articles/TURKEYHUNTINGBASICS.htm

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.CFPage?&mode=article&objectID=29966&catID=&subcatID=0

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