One day in a creek bottom, many springs ago, I was working a stubborn old bird on a wildlife management area in the central part of Georgia. He had gobbled plenty and had me believing that he was likely going to show up soon. I was a green turkey hunter at the time and was completely at the mercy of this bird, but I knew enough to not overdo it, so I kept telling myself to be patient and just let him come. Finally, he went quiet on me and again, being green in the turkey woods, I began to wonder if I was still in the game. Time drug on and after a good 45 minutes or so, I gave up on him and laid my gun across my lap. I was frazzled. My nerves were shot, and I was actually relieved that it was over.
I had plenty to learn at the time, but I had managed to kill a few birds, so I figured I was right on schedule. The tough part about that mindset was I was apt to end up learning more through trial and error than any other way. And so it was on that particular hunt. I remember hearing something in the woods that day that was new to me. I couldn’t figure it out at first but about the third time I heard it, I knew I was in trouble. I wasn’t all that familiar with the drum of a wild turkey, but I was starting to believe that was exactly what I was hearing. The bird suddenly strutted into view at 50 yards or so, and as he dragged his wings in the leaves, I heard the drum again. Each time he scooted forward, he drummed, and I was glad to be finally able to connect the sound with the source. The only problem I had now was the fact that my gun was still in my lap. It was a rookie mistake, and it cost me. I was never able to get my gun up and kill that bird. I could only watch as he strutted, and drummed, and eased back down into the creek bottom and out of sight.
Still, it was a victory of sorts. I had received an up-close and personal “classroom” lesson from the “Master” of the turkey woods on the drum of a wild turkey gobbler. It has been an invaluable piece of knowledge ever since and it has been the downfall of many a gobbler for me.
If you aren’t sure what the drum is, or even what it sounds like, I highly recommend that you look it up. You are more apt to hear it when a gobbler is strutting, and then he usually only does it as he moves in short bursts. It isn’t usually something he will do if he is just walking along strutting or if he is just standing still. When you watch a turkey strutting, and you see him take a few quick, sliding steps while hes doing it, listen for the drum. Eventually, one will be close enough for you to hear. It is a deep, baritone, guttural sound that starts deep and low in volume and increases as it goes. It is distinct and once you get a handle on it, you will be able to recognize it from then on. It is an unmistakable sound that you can almost feel. Most of the time it will start with a “tick” or “ffttt” sound, commonly referred to as the “spit.” Thus the term “Spit and Drum.” I love the gobble of a wild turkey, but the drum is right up there with it for me. I am fortunate in that it is a sound that I can hear extremely well.
Once you become familiar with it, it’s important to know that when you hear it, the gobbler is interested for sure and usually he is close or soon will be. Of course, wind, humidity, rain and so forth will affect your ability to hear it. He might not show up but there is a good chance he will. He might show up quick or it could take a while. Regardless, when you hear it, stay alert and expect him to show up.
Some gobblers will gobble off and on for a while, then go quiet and the next thing you know, you hear it; the spit and drum. Then, usually in a matter of a minute or two, he appears and sometimes he dies. When it happens like that, the drum is more of an icing on the cake. Almost unnoticeable at times. Some birds simply gobble, break and come in quickly. Even then, though, one drum can help you be sure of the direction the bird is approaching from and that can be the difference in getting a shot or not.
A good while back I had a bird gobble a handful of times before he shut it off. It was nothing new, even for me who was just a few years in. The difference was, I had learned, through trial and error, to hang in there a while. I had learned to give a bird a chance to get there. I had learned that a bird that goes quiet after gobbling can be a good thing. And I had learned what a drum was. Fifteen minutes after his last gobble, I heard the first drum. Had I not heard it, and been able to identify it, I likely would not have been in position to shoot when he showed up. Because of the drum, I was able to turn a good two feet to my right and was in good shape when the bird arrived. A couple of drums later, there he was. He died.
Sometimes gobblers will gobble plenty and then seem to disappear. Sometimes they might gobble very little and leave you guessing. It took me a while, when I was still new to it all, to understand that a silent bird doesn’t necessarily mean that he has gone on to different parts. I mentioned earlier the hunt where I learned what a drum sounded like. It was before Google; I didn’t have the luxury of looking it up to see what it was and what it sounded like. So, I learned about it the only way I could; live and in color. Then, I knew it. Knowing what that sound is consistently pays off every year for me. This past spring, while on a hunt with good friend, Jonathan Barber in South Georgia, was a profound example how the drum can be a huge advantage.
Jonathan and I had covered a lot of ground our first evening in camp. It was pretty warm but not unbearable and the sandy, South Georgia roads were covered with turkey sign. We had seen a hen or two along the way as we worked our way to an old unplanted food plot deep into the woods. When we got to within 150 yards of the opening, I called, and Jonathan said he thought he heard one gobble. I could only take his word for it as I didn’t hear it. He said the bird sounded a good bit past the old plot so we decided to move to the plot and set up a while and see if we could work the bird in. It was a pretty spot with huge Live Oaks and some good, welcome shade. There were dust bowls around the edge, and it just had that old familiar, evening loafing spot look of a big old gobbler. If you’ve seen them, you know the kind of spot I’m talking about. We picked out one of the big oaks and set up to work the bird.
We settled in and I gave a few yelps. No response didn’t exactly fill us up with enthusiasm, but we were where we were going to be until dark and we were prepared to hang tight. A while later a few hens made their way into the edge of the plot. Still no gobbler, though. When they eased out of the plot after a few minutes and eased back into the woods, I called again. Within minutes of my last call, I told Jonathan that I was hearing a drum. I could hear it off to my right but could not see him. This continued for a while, but the bird would not break. More hens made their way in, but the bird remained out of sight in the pines to my right. Another ten minutes passed, and the drumming started to fade as the gobbler began to ease off. I felt like we were losing him and when the hens eased deeper into the woods to our left, I swapped calls and gave a few soft yelps on an old scratch box. Seconds later the drumming returned, and he was closer than he had been to this point. I was soon able to see him, way right and behind me. He kept walking further behind me and eventually, about 100 yards away, Jonathan spotted the bird as he stepped into the roadbed that led into the opening. I called again and he broke and trotted in. I shot him at 22 yards as he entered the old food plot.
I’ve been turkey hunting a long time, but I’d rank this bird in the top 5 in drumming that I have ever killed. He was an old stud and, had it not been for all that drumming, he would have lived another day. Never give up on a quiet bird and listen for that drum!
There will be times when you will run up on a bird that doesn’t gobble. It happens more than we could ever know. Think about that for a minute. How many times do we walk and call or sit in a spot for hours and never hear a bird? I know I have been saved by the drum time and time again. I can’t count the times I have thought there wasn’t a bird within 10 miles of me, only to have one give himself away with a drum. Sometimes you might only hear the spit, sometimes just the drum. Sometimes both. You just can’t afford to ever let yourself get into a state of mind where you think turkeys aren’t close by. I have pretty much trained myself to listen for the drum at all times after I have made a call.
I had a client not long ago that I was struggling to get a bird in front of. I couldn’t buy one and after a couple of days of some seriously hard hunting, I decided to just go to an area I believed in and set up a while. We had put the effort in and covered a lot of ground. My client was worn out, and I was too, and usually on the last day of the hunt I would run till the sun went down if my client had not scored.
This day was different though. The birds had been in a bit of a lull, and I began to believe that we had as good a chance setting up in a usually productive spot as we did running all over the place trying to find a volunteer. So, the wait began. I started things off with a few basic yelps and decided to keep the calling low key and sporadic. I could tell my client was feeling the pressure. I was too but I still believed it was going to happen.
It was late morning and we had committed to hunting straight through until dark if need be. Two and a half hours in, I was toying with the idea of moving to another location, but I fought the urge for a few more minutes. It turned out to be a good decision too as I soon heard a spit and drum. I quickly grabbed the arm of my client and told him, “Get your gun up!” as I pointed him in the right direction. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but he trusted me. Less than 20 seconds later a beautiful longbeard was flopping at 30 yards. Man, you talk about a celebration!
“How did you know?” he asked. I told him that I heard him drum. He had no idea what I was talking about. I’m glad I knew. This bird was just doing what gobblers do. They don’t always gobble. They don’t always spit and drum either, but when they do, if you can hear it, it’s a dead giveaway.
The gobble of the wild turkey is one of nature’s most unique and identifiable sounds When a tom turkey gobbles, it reverberates through the spring woods, announcing his presence to rivals and potential mates Learning to recognize the characteristic gobble along with other turkey vocalizations can help hunters locate birds and enrich any encounter with these remarkable gamebirds.
The Gobble
The gobble is the most emblematic turkey sound. Only made by male turkeys, the gobble is a loud, rapid gurgling call used primarily during spring mating season. It allows a tom to proclaim his presence to female turkeys and warn competing males from his territory.
The gobble is an unforgettable, multilayered sound. It begins with deep, guttural notes that quickly transition into higher-pitched, faster rhythms. A full gobble lasts around 1 second. The cadence has been likened to the sound of plunging water.
When a tom gobbles, his throat noticeably distends as large amounts of air are forced through his vocal organs This produces the resonant, far-reaching quality of the gobble The sound can carry over a mile under ideal conditions.
Toms often gobble from high tree branches where sound transmits more effectively. They may deliver a series of gobbles in succession, sometimes reaching 20 per minute during the peak of breeding. Dominant males gobble frequently to attract hens and proclaim territory.
Hearing a tom’s booming gobble ringing through the spring air is thrilling for any outdoor enthusiast. It embodies the sights, scents, and sounds of the spring woods coming to life.
Hen Vocalizations
While the gobble may be the most recognizable, hens also have an array of distinctive calls important to understand:
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Clucks – Short, staccato one or two note calls. Often used by hens to get a tom’s attention.
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Yelps – A series of single note yelps is the hen’s basic communication. Used to interact with potential mates.
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Cuts – Loud, excited yelps and clucks indicating a worked up hen. Used in flock communication.
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Purrs – Soft, rolling call hens make when content, often while feeding.
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Cackles – Abrupt, loud series of notes made when flying down from roosts.
Learning these hen calls aids hunters in mimicking turkeys. The various cackles, clucks, yelps and purrs all vocalize moods and replicate natural turkey talk.
Lost Calls of Young Birds
Another important turkey sound is the “kee kee run” made by young birds. Poults sound a series of high-pitched, staccato kee notes when lost and trying to reunite with the flock.
Turkey chicks start kee keeing in the first weeks after hatching. The call intensifies as the poult becomes more stressed. A responsive kee-run call from other flock members provides reassurance.
These contact calls are crucial for vulnerable poults to maintain group cohesion. Knowledge of “kee keeing” helps hunters identify young broods.
Alarm Putts & Excitement
Adult turkeys make loud, single note putts to signal danger and warn the flock. Hunters may elicit putts by creating too much movement or sound.
By contrast, turkeys make cutting sounds when excited or worked up. Cutting often represents playful behavior and choppy clucks directed at flockmates rather than alarm.
Learning the contextual differences between sharp warning putts versus content, rhythmic cutting provides insight into a flock’s mood and reaction.
Gobbling as Communication
While gobbling proclaims territory during breeding season, toms use it year-round to communicate and locate other birds. In fall and winter, the gobble serves more as assembly call rather than a breeding display.
Toms gobble in response to loud noises, anticipating a reply from hens. Hunters use calls like owl hoots to elicit shock gobbles and pinpoint flocks. Dominant males may assemble birds by gobbling aggressively.
Even lone adult males may gobble sporadically in winter and early spring before the intense breeding competition begins. Gobbling is a social signaling method, not just advertisement to hens.
Regional Differences
There are subtle regional variations in gobbling patterns and frequencies. For example, Eastern toms deliver deeper, louder gobbles compared to Rio Grande gobblers in the West.
Understanding the characteristic gobbling behavior where you hunt provides an advantage. Listen to local toms to recognize timing, patterns, and vocalizations particular to your area.
Enjoying Turkey Talk
Whether thundering gobbles, charming yelps, or the musical fractured chatter of a flock, the articulate vocal abilities of the wild turkey make it a special gamebird. As you explore the outdoors, take a moment to appreciate the diverse sounds that breathe life into spring. Listening rewards hunters with a deeper connection to the turkey’s habits and biology.
Real Wild Turkey Sounds
FAQ
What kind of sound do turkeys make?
How do you identify a wild turkey?
How do you hear a turkey?
What sound does a turkey make?
Here are the most common turkey sounds that gobblers, hens, jakes, and jennies make. While we can’t guarantee the exact meaning of every vocalization, these are the perceived interpretations based on lots of field observation. The wild turkey gobble is the flagship turkey sound. It’s commonly made by male turkeys (longbeards and jakes).
Do turkeys make a gurgling sound?
There is a myth that only male turkeys can make the gobble sound; however, hens can make the loud, rapid gurgling, just as chicken hens can crow. A purr is a low, soft, rolling sound, like a kitten’s purr. A contented kitten will make a soft purring sound. A contented turkey also makes a soft purring sound.
How do turkeys communicate with each other?
Turkeys communicate with one another by making various noises. Turkey sounds are specific to the age, gender, and function of the sound. Most people think that every turkey makes the gobble call because they are familiar with it. Humans rarely hear most of the sounds made by wild turkeys.
What does a Turkey flies up & down sound like?
As the name suggests, this is the sound a turkey makes when it flies up or down from the roost. This call consists of five to ten sharp cackles that increase in pitch as the call comes to an end. The difference between a fly up and a fly down cackle is simply the time of day. These cackles are a good tool to use against stubborn gobblers.