Nebraskaland

Nebraskaland November 2020

NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.

Issue link: http://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/1303636

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16 Nebraskaland • November 2020 IN THE FIELD While it's no secret spring gobblers are susceptible to calling, many hunters may not realize fall turkeys can also be called. The key to calling fall turkeys is knowing which turkeys you're talking to. There are two basic types of fall flocks: hens with poults and gobbler-only bachelor groups. To call hens with poults, yelps will certainly work, but also make some contented feeding sounds like purrs and soft clucks to simulate a family group peacefully foraging. Another essential fall sound is the kee-kee- run, an assembly call often used by young turkeys that get separated from the flock. It says "where are you" and can vary in loudness and intensity depending on how desperate the lost bird feels. The high, whistle-like kee-kee actually sounds like "doi, doi-doi-doi" followed by a couple yelps at the end to complete the run. Boxes and slates easily replicate realistic yelps, clucks and purrs, but I personally have to use a mouth call to make kee-kees. It takes some practice, but is well worth the effort when a troop of turkeys comes strolling into shotgun range looking for that missing member of their flock. Dealing with gobbler-only groups can be trickier. In fall, the focus is on survival, not breeding, so these bachelor flocks of mature toms and year-and-a-half-old jakes are ultra wary. Use deep, coarse, drawn-out gobbler yelps to fool them. Maybe throw in a few purrs periodically, but be subtle. You don't want to blow the birds out of the woods, only peak their curiosity in the hope that they come investigate. CALLING FALL TURKEYS By Jarrod Spilger PHOTO BY JONATHAN NIKKILA

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