Hunted on a friend's farm in PA this past weekend. Were in birds both Friday and Saturday. Even though I could get the birds fired up and coming they'd stop short. It didn't matter what I did they wouldn't come to the area where we set up. Several times I'd walk away and they wouldn't budge. I could get them to circle and come to me from another direction, but couldn't get them to the hunters in wait. It was driving me a little crazy. Saturday we had a single bird who locked up about 100 yards to my friend's right. He'd gobble and gobble, wouldn't come in. I walked to the left about 100 yards and started calling again. He gobbles well then another group of birds joins in. I'm sitting and shortly 3 Toms pop out in front of me at 30 yds. I don't have a gun, only bought a license for my son, and I'm wishing I spent the money on my license. Anyway, I'm not calling and soon the birds start walking right towards my son and friend. I text them to be ready. They're about 50 yards from my son and all the sudden they turn and go back down a hill and circle way out in front. I'm befuddled. Soon, all 4 birds join together and walk away. I decide we need to move and try an get in front of them. I get them to gobble again and my friend walks to the edge of a hill, busted. So we do a wide circle to get in front of them again. We're set up and I do a series of calls using a different call. Nothing. I'm waiting about 5 and going to call again. My buddy hits his call and all four light up about 45 yards to my friends right. I hear it and start calling. They gobble and move a little towards us and turn and leave. Crazy. No matter what I did they kept moving away. My friend keeps calling too and the birds won't come closer. As I am listening to him call I notice that some of his clucks sound more like alarm putts. I wasn't listening to him too much before, heard him call, but until I listened closely it had that terse Putt sounds.

Question, If someone is calling and some of his notes are Putts, could that keep them from going to an area? I think this is what plagued us. Only thing I can think of why they'd come right too me earlier but not my friend. When I was listening to him call he made all kinds of sounds, some sounded good, some not. I know that my practice has made my hunting a ton better, but didn't think a few sour notes could cause this kind of response. Maybe I am wrong about this, but it is the only thing I can think of.

What do you all think?
V

yes. putt type calls , particularly loud sharp ones can turn a bird away. A friend told me this

A good rule is to let the best caller do the calling and the other(s) call only if invited by the best caller. It works for me . One mans opinion.

On the other end I struck one on a sour note in a gale mid morning this year. We looked at each other and laughed. Sent buddy back where we had just walked through and gobbler was dead in 5 minutes.

If a sour call spooks birds off no one would kill a turkey. Sometimes I sound like a ruptured duck on my trumpet or a mouse on my box and a couple other calls.
We can have a long dissertation on this and birds reactions to different calls. Bottom line is if one misses a note or two keep playing through it. In the case of a putt is it a regular putt or an alarm putt. I hear folks using more gobbler/jake yelps on calls then anything, but in the right situation those do work.
But yea if there are 2 hunters as GN said, the best caller should call and if one is weak on clucking then he or she should stick with maybe soft purrs, yelps and scratching leaves when a bird is in close.


Earl

When I finally listened to his calling he had some sharp alarm putts coming out. I've heard them before but when I listened intently to him they were there. I think it took me a while to recognize because he made all kinds of sounds with his calls and the Putt was mixed in with those. I do agree with GG that a sour note doesn't end a hunt. I have them and just march on. I also think from listening to recorded turkey I found a series of calls/sounds that I keyed in on. I made that live series of calls become the cornerstone of my calling. My bud makes all kinds of sounds but I don't think many of them sound like real turkeys or in sequences that turkeys really make. I think that makes a difference too.

Thanks for all the comments. Appreciate it.
V

To your original point it is better if the shooter doesnt call at all. The whole idea of shooter-caller duo is that they have no idea he is there and wont be looking for him or stand offish of the area.

I agree BD, I didn't even have a gun, but it's his farm and I didn't want to hurt his feelings by telling him to shut up, . I did finally tell him that I think his calling had some alarm putts mixed in and it wasn't helping our hunt. He said he was going to listen to his tape again to hear real turkey talk. Can't hurt.

Then again, I have a cousin that plays guitar and all. So you'd think he'd have a ear for turkey notes, but I was wrong. Even with a box call it sounded like someone stomping on a turkey rather than calling to one. So he hunts them like deer.
V

Lord knows l've thrown out some sour notes in my time, maybe not putts but l try to cover them up with better calling ASAP!

Exactly Barry. I've heard you call. I wish I could play a tube call half as well as you. I don't know how many succumb to that Doans pill can, but I bet its a heap.
V

I have an old cheap lohman box call that I use to gobble with, sounds horrible to my ears but the birds love it, go figure. whatever it takes in my humble opinion