Bugling for gobbles, WHAT? Several years ago, while chasing bugling bulls in some of Idaho’s front country I was moving toward a distant bull elk in the grey light of early morn, and I found myself standing under a turkey roost tree. Though it was September, every time I would bugle the tom roosted above me would crack off. It was so loud I had to put some distance in between that rank old bird and myself just so I could hear the bull! Bugling for birds might be a stretch but picking the right locator calls will definitely keep you into gobblers.

Let’s face it. We don’t find amorous toms cutting loose a hundred yards from the truck EVERY TIME. Wind, barnyard noise, vehicle traffic, etc. can really decrease the way we hear responses to our calls. Whether the calls aren’t permeating far enough into the dense forest or background noise is overshadowing it, knowing how to maximize your locator calls is paramount.

There are so many sounds that turkeys make, and all of them are necessary to learn if you plan to enter a calling contest, especially a cluck and purr.

Phelps Game Calls has some fantastic new Pot and Peg calls that make these sounds effortlessly. With a little practice, even a beginner can produce masterful clucks and purrs with our new sweet sounding calls. With practice this can also be perfected with a diaphragm/mouth call.