Pennsylvania Game News - March 2022 - 11

cruising in, Morrett said. As worked up as
he might sound, he might be shock-gobbling
more than anything, and not really
talking to the hen you're pretending to be.
If your calls actually mean something
to the gobbler and open up a dialogue
with him, you stand a better chance of
harvesting him. Subtle, reassuring yelps,
soft clucks and purrs - even just scratching
in the leaves - might be more effective in
keeping a tom engaged, even if they don't
evoke ear-splitting gobbles.
" You don't have to always get a
response to be successful calling turkeys, "
Morrett said.
Also know that, in the spring season, a
gobbler on a given day might have hens
with him. Talking to them, and having
him follow them into gun range, might
provide your best chance. Call inflection is
important here, too. Cutting hard to harem
hens - a celebrated tactic - might not be
your best play, Morrett said.
" If you're calling to hens, you're way
better off talking soft and sweet than you
are scolding them, " he said.
ANALYZE YOUR CALLING
Even if you practice calling before the
season, you might want to more closely
examine what you really sound like.
One way is to record yourself and
listen back. Given that most hunters use
smartphones, practically all of which can
record video and audio, giving your calling
a healthy self-critique takes less effort
now than it ever has. And you might be
surprised what you pick up on.
Particularly when using friction calls, a
caller is calling by feel more than listening
to the sound being projected, Morrett said.
Listening back, on the other hand, reveals
how calls sound. And they might sound
different than you expect.
MARCH 2022
Practicing at different distances from
the microphone can give a glimpse into
how calls project at different distances.
It can help if volume adjustments are
needed. Also consider that most turkeycalling
practice is done indoors, while
100 percent of turkey hunting happens
outdoors, and that change in environment
might impact sound.
Ultimately, you'll want to know what
your turkey calls sound like in the woods.
Since preseason calling runs the risk of
educating turkeys, however, hunters might
be best to limit outdoor practice sessions
to areas outside of turkey country and
times of the year significantly distant from
any turkey season.
When the season rolls around, each
time out is a ready opportunity to learn.
YOU GOT THIS
You've studied up, practiced, paid
attention to detail and otherwise gotten
your calling in game-shape.
Now it's time to perform. Let go and trust
yourself with a call in the turkey woods.
" Bar none, the one thing you need
when you go out there is confidence, "
Morrett said. " Without confidence, it's
like not knowing where your shotgun is
going to shoot. "
While there are rules of thumb and
finer points to remember in turkey calling,
try not to get too wrapped up in any of it.
Remember, a turkey won't always sound
the same, and it might be just as likely as
you are to slip up and spit out a wrong
note. You don't need to be perfect, even
if you've put in perfect practice.
After all, hunting's supposed to be fun.
And part of what makes it fun, Morrett
said, is the challenge of finding success.
" If it was easy, we wouldn't be doing
it, " he said.
11
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