What Does a Turkey Gobble Sound Like?

The gobble is one of the most distinct and recognizable sounds of the spring woods. This unique vocalization is made almost exclusively by male wild turkeys, called toms Below we will explore what a turkey gobble sounds like, what it means, and how to imitate this iconic sound while turkey hunting

The Purpose of the Gobble

A tom turkey gobbles for two key reasons

1. To announce his presence on his breeding grounds and attract females for mating,

2. To declare his dominance over other male turkeys in the area.

The gobble is crucial to spring turkey breeding behavior. Dominant toms gobble loudly and frequently to attract hens and warn away competing males. By gobbling, a tom is essentially shouting “I’m over here!” to any nearby hens ready to mate.

Gobbling peaks in frequency just before and during the peak breeding season. However, as hens begin sitting on nests, gobbling tapers off. By late spring, most hens are no longer receptive, causing toms to gobble less often.

When Turkeys Gobble

Toms gobble most actively:

• Early morning before flying down from the roost
• Late afternoon as they return to the roost
• Mid-day during the peak of breeding season

They are most likely to gobble in response to loud sounds like owl hoots, crow calls and even loud claps. This is called “shock gobbling.”

Hens and younger male turkeys occasionally gobble as well, but not with the same frequency as a dominant, mature tom.

What Does a Turkey Gobble Sound Like?

The gobble is a rapid gurgling sound that lasts about 2-3 seconds. It has a rolling, resonant quality.

Here are some key characteristics of the gobble:

• Loud volume – Gobbles can be heard from over a mile away on a calm morning.

• Low pitch – The gobble resonates at a very low frequency compared to other turkey sounds.

• Fast tempo – 12-25 individual gurgling notes are squeezed into just 2-3 seconds.

• Distinct ending – The gobble ends with an abrupt “plop” or “glug” sound.

When written out, the gobble rhytm looks something like: “Gobble-obble-obble-plop!”

[Listen to audio examples of real wild turkey gobbles]

How to Imitate a Gobble

There are a few ways hunters can imitate a gobble in the turkey woods:

• Mouth call – Specialized “gobble” mouth calls allow hunters to mimic a gobble. This takes practice but can sound very realistic.

• Friction call – Some friction calls like the Box Call allow the user to imitate a gobble. Rapidly drag the striker over the call to create the gobble cadence.

• Voice – Skilled hunters can gobble vocally by rapidly rolling their tongue and throat. This takes lots of practice to perfect.

• ** recordings** – Electronic gobble callers broadcast recorded gobbles to attract toms. These devices are illegal in some states so check regulations first.

When imitating a gobble, be conservative. Only gobble occasionally to mimic a real tom and avoid overusing it. Remember that dominant toms will aggressively seek out “intruders” gobbling on their turf.

Uses for Gobble Calls in Turkey Hunting

Here are some effective ways to use gobble call imitations when hunting turkeys:

• Locate a gobbler on the roost in early morning before fly down.

• Draw a silent tom within range after you’ve already attracted him with soft hen calls.

• Pull a hung up tom into shooting range if your soft calls aren’t working.

• Entice a gobbler to cross an open field or obstacle.

• Compete with a real gobbler to portray dominance and lure him to you.

• Get one last gobble out of a tom as he returns to the roost at night.

The Bottom Line

The gobble is a male turkey’s loud, rapid gurgling vocalization used to attract hens and proclaim dominance over other toms. This sound is most frequently heard in spring during the peak breeding season. Hunters can imitate gobbles with specialized calls to interact with and attract dominant gobblers. When used properly, it’s an exciting and effective turkey calling technique.