Calling in a springtime turkey is a deceitful ploy. The hunter mimics the sounds of a hen in hopes of luring a tom into range. When the curiosity of the gobbler gets the best of him, the result can be an adrenaline filled hunt and meat on the table. There are three “types” I play in the turkey woods: The Copy Cat, The Drunk Chick, and the Shy Librarian. Deploy these tactics on your next turkey hunt to increase your chances of filling a tag.
The Copy Cat – Do you remember playing Copy Cat as a kid? The game where you repeat everything someone says, often resulting in frustration for your friend. The same strategy can be used on turkeys. If I hear the boss hen making calls in the morning, I’ll mimic her call, and cut her off before she finishes. If she is quiet, I’ll be quiet. However, as soon as she starts to call I make the same call. I’m trying to say “Don’t listen to the boss, I am way better.” The goal is to make the hen so mad she comes to see who is trying to take her man. She will probably bring the entire flock with her, including the dominant male.
The Drunk Chick – Have you ever been at the bar when a bachelorette party shows up and there is that “one” girl who has obviously had one too many White Claws? She is loud, annoying, won’t shut up, but has the attention of every guy in the bar. This technique can be applied late in the season when hens start leaving the toms to go sit on nests. Cluck, yelp, purr, and cutt to sound like the last hen that is still looking for a mate. The goal is to make the tom think it is too good to be true, and he better get there fast before another turkey capitalizes on the opportunity. The key to this strategy is finding a bird that hasn’t been called at much. High pressured birds will probably run the other way.
The Shy Librarian – This is my go to strategy when calling turkeys. I will only call a few times (clucks and yelps) every five to 10 minutes. The goal is to play hard to get. Ultimately, I’m saying “Hey, I’m over here, I might be interested, but probably not, but you should still come over and check me out.” I’ve employed this strategy midday, on heavily pressured birds, and on old boss gobblers I haven’t been able to call in. In fact, I used the Shy Librarian to call in this tom at 11 am. He took over 90 minutes to show up and never gobbled. I was getting ready to leave when I caught him moving out of the corner of my eye.
How Does This Apply to Business
It is encouraged to be deceitful when calling turkeys. Do the exact opposite if you are building a personal or business relationship. In other words…tell the truth. In the beginning of any relationship be yourself, set realistic expectations, and communicate often. If you do this both parties can determine if the relationship is beneficial. Time reveals our true intentions, so there is no point trying to be somebody you are not
I shot this turkey a day before the four year anniversary of when Stephanie and I met in person. I postponed our first date to a weekday, because I was hunting turkeys. I remember telling her that I like to hunt a lot, and if that is going to be a problem then we probably wouldn’t work out. Four years later she is my biggest fan. I’m pretty lucky and for our anniversary I cooked her…you guessed it: turkey.
Until next time remember…you’re going to have to Earn It.