There’s nothing quite like the sense of peace you get while spending time in the spring Turkey woods. Especially on those perfect mornings when the wind is calm and you are able to listen to the woods wake up around you. The morning might start with the sound of the Whip-poor-will, but as the sun starts to rise these sounds give way to the song birds and to those of the wild turkey.

For the turkey hunter, having a deep understanding of these wild turkey sounds is, in my opinion, just as important as the gear you decide to take to the turkey woods. By having an understanding of each basic turkey sound, you can better analyze the situation and position yourself in the optimal location for a successful hunt.

Wild Turkey Sounds: What Each Vocalization Means

The wild turkey is considered one of the most vocal birds and has a wide range of vocalizations that they use to communicate with each other. Each of the wild Turkeys vocalizations can have different meanings depending on the time of year and situation.

Yelp

The Yelp is made by both male and female turkeys but is most commonly made by females. This call consists of two notes. The first note, commonly referred to as the front end of the yelp, is typically a higher pitched and clear note. The second note, or the back end of the yelp, is not as high pitched and often had a lot of rasp to it.

The hen yelp is one of the most versatile calls in a turkeys vocabulary and can be broken down into several variations.

Plain Hen Yelp:

The plain yelp is one of the most commonly used and heard turkey calls by hunters. This call consists of a series of 2 to 8 notes that can vary in cadence depending on the situation and is used by hens looking for a gobbler.

Tree Yelp/Tree Call:

The tree yelp, often referred to as the tree call, are soft muffled yelps that a roosted bird, typically hens, will make as they wake up and prepare to fly down.

Assembly Yelp:

The adult hen assembly call or assembly yelp are a series of 6 to 10 (sometimes more) notes that a hen will make when trying to reassemble a flock of turkeys. This is typically a loud call and made by adult birds.

Lost Yelps:

Lost yelps are generally used by young turkeys that have been separated from the flock and are attempting to find their way back. This type of yelp consists of 20 or more notes.

Plain Cluck

Plain cluck consists of short, single note clucks and is often a sound associated with feeding birds or with a content bird moving through the woods.

Putt

A sharp variant of the cluck, the putt serves as a cautionary indication and highlights stress or potential suspicion of the wild turkey. Those rapid putts are the last sounds you want to hear while turkey hunting.

The putt, a sharp version of the cluck, is a warning signal indicating stress or spotting of potential danger. Sharp or rapid putts are the sounds you do not want to hear when approaching gobblers as it signals the flock’s awareness, causing them to become cautious or flee.

Cutting

Cutting is a series of erratic single notes (clucks) in a sharp or rapid fashion. This turkey sound is often associated with an excited hen or a hen that is asserting dominance over other birds.

Purr

The purr is a soft, rolling call that is used by content or feeding birds. It might indicate a turkey is at ease and not sensing any danger, reassuring turkeys nearby. Hens may use a muted purr combined with clucks when a tom is nearby.

Kee-Kee

The kee-kee, a whistling three-note call typically used by young birds, indicating they are looking for their flock. As the turkeys mature, the kee-kee may transition into a kee-kee-run, combining the whistles with yelp-like notes.

Calking

Though not as widely recognized as other calls, calking is a type of vocalization made by a juvenile male wild turkey or Jake. The calk is similar to that of a yelp but lacks the high pitch and typically consists of less notes than the typical yelp.

Gobble

The gobble is the call of the adult male wild turkey, primarily used during mating season and can be heard over significant distances. It is the most iconic turkey sound and signals a male’s presence to hens or may serve as a challenge to other male turkeys.

Drumming

Despite being much less audible than the gobble, drumming is another vocalization produced by male wild turkeys. It often accompanies displays of dominance or courtship and consists of low-frequency sounds that can be felt as much as heard.

How to Use the Different Turkey Sounds While Hunting

While hunting the wild turkey, understanding and replicating the various turkey sounds can play a critical role in your success. Turkeys communicate with a range of vocalizations that, when mimicked effectively, can aid in bringing a gobbler into shotgun range. Here’s how we use some of the most common turkey vocalizations while hunting:

Cluck and Purr:

Use this combination to signify contentment. It’s particularly effective when a gobbler is close, and acts as a signal to an approaching gobbler that everything is safe. Soft single note clucks and purrs can be a deadly when used in combination with scratching in the leaves to mimic feeding turkeys.

Hen Yelp:

The yelp is probably the most commonly used call by hunters. When calling to a roosted bird, we prefer to start with a series of soft tree yelps to let the gobbler know their is a hen in our direction. These soft muffled yelps mimic a hen that has just woken up on the limb. As the morning progresses and turkeys start to think about flying down, we will transition from tree yelps to plain yelps.

The hen yelp is not only effective first thing in the morning but a good call to use throughout the day to strike a gobbler. As a rule of thumb, I prefer to start my calling out soft, with a series of yelps and clucks. If nothing responds, then I will start to increase the volume of my calling. The reason for calling in this manner is it allows an approaching gobbler that close to respond first to the soft calling. Often times if you start loud and a gobbler is close, this could lead to spooking him.

Single Note Vocalizations:

While not often talked about, using single note versions of the yelp, mixed with clucks and purrs, can add an extra layer of realism to your calling not made my many hunters. These single note vocalizations are great to use while moving through the woods and is a good call for reassuring turkeys that your just another turkey and not a hunter.

Final Thoughts

The best teacher for learning the different turkey sounds and vocalizations is the wild turkey itself. And what better way to gather that information than spending time in the woods turkey hunting. As you start to interact with more turkeys, you’ll start to pick up on the different meanings of each sound depending on the situation. Not only will with give you deeper insight into that the turkeys are saying but give you a better idea of when to and not to call while hunting.

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