SECRETS FOR LAST-MINUTE GOBBLERS WITH MARK DRURY
Why I'll Bet on Calls That Haven't Helped Me
Win Turkey-Calling Contests
EDITOR'S
NOTE: This week Mark Drury, award-winning turkey caller,
the creator of MAD Calls, avid hunter and outdoorsman
and co-owner and developer of Drury Outdoor Videos,
will teach you the secrets for hunting last-minute gobblers.
Hopefully this season you won't lose your job, your
wife or your sanity when you hunt turkeys.
I won the World Championship Turkey Calling Contest
with a mouth diaphragm call, and it's still my favorite
kind of turkey call. However, when I'm fighting the
clock to find or call in a stubborn gobbler, I'll generally
depend on the box call, the slate call or the push-button
call. These calls are all higher-pitched and will cover
a much greater distance than the diaphragm call will.
Many
times you can't find that last-minute gobbler because
of a high wind. Or, you'll have a lot of highway noise
around you that may keep you from being able to hear
when a turkey gobbles. Many times, you'll find that
last-minute gobbler right next to your truck or near
the highway that you've driven in on to your setup site.
So, the last call you make usually needs to be with
some kind of turkey call that will really reach out
and touch those birds, regardless of the noise level
where you're hunting. The further out your call goes,
the better your odds are for touching one of those last-minute
gobblers and getting him to come in to you before you
have to leave and quit hunting. For this reason, any
time you're hunting right up to the last minute, remember
that your last call when you get into your vehicle should
be with a box call, a slate call or a push-button call
- as loudly as you can make it.
One
question I'm often asked in seminars is, "What
should I do if I'm using a really-loud call and a turkey
responds to it and starts coming to me? Do I continue
to use that loud call, or do I switch callers and start
using a call that's easier for me to call quietly?"
My standard answer is, "If I have another caller
who will be pulling the trigger on the bird, I'll stay
with that loud call, because sometimes, if you change
calls, the bird will suddenly become disinterested and
won't come in to you." Now, if I'm calling the
turkey by myself and planning to shoot that turkey myself,
I may risk losing that bird and change to a mouth diaphragm
call. Then my hands will be free to shoot the bird when
he comes close. However, if I do change to a mouth diaphragm,
and the turkey stops gobbling, or, I can tell by his
gobbling that he's walking off, I immediately put down
the diaphragm call. I and start using the call that
originally has gotten the gobbler's attention. I just
try to take that loud call, tone it down and then time
my calling so that I can put my call down, get my gun
up and be ready to take the shot when the bird appears.
Temperature
will often tell you where to find last-minute gobblers.
If the weather's hot, the birds will often be in draws,
canyons, thick woods and other shady spots where they
can stay cool. If the weather's cool, the turkeys may
be in fields or pastures trying to catch some warm rays
of sun.
Something I've noticed is that during the spring, the
weather seems to be getting warmer and warmer in March
and April. And, that's why I like to wear Mossy Oak
Apparel Base Layers and TrekLite. The Base Layer wicks
the moisture away from my skin quickly and helps keep
me warm in the early morning and cooler as the day warms
up. About 9 or 10 a.m., I may take off my TrekLite gear
and only wear my Base Layer t-shirt as an outer shirt.
You can log on to www.druryvideos.com or call 1-800-990-9351
to order videos from Drury Outdoor Productions that
feature the latest in hunting adventures and information
and feature Mark and Terry Drury.
TOMORROW: WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU MISS
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