[turkey_deer_slayer]

I saw a Tom out in a field today and he was with two hens. I was only maybe 100 yards away with no trees or noise to muffle him. Does anyone know can a Tom control the volume or do some birds just have really quiet gobbles?


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[scott trout]

if he was out there with 2 hens whats the need to gobble?

 

[turkey_deer_slayer]

He was gobbling. I could see it and hear him but it was like a wisper. It's like he was gobbling from inside a building or from 800 yards away through the woods but he was in the wide open.

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[Ðe§perado™]

Maybe he wasn't facing you when he gobbles.

 

[Goshengrunter]

Yep. like desperado is sayin. imagine a turkey neck is a trumpet the guy playin the trumpet doesnt hear it very loud but the audience does. its the same reason u get a bird fired up that sounds like he is 500 yds away then within seconds you think he is right on top of you. in reality, hes been at 75 yds the whole time and just turned to face you (which is a very good sign). many people stalk entirely too close to a "far away" turkey only to bust him within 100 yds.
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[turkey_deer_slayer]

no...he was facing directly at me. I was watching him the whole time.

 

[Goshengrunter]

no...he was facing directly at me. I was watching him the whole time.

In that case the only reason i can think is that there was a strongish cross wind between you and the bird. if it wasnt windy maybe he had a sore throat from gobbling to much!!! some turkeys are louder than others but 100 yds through a field you ought to hear him plain as day. was it a mature tom or a jake?
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[StrutZoneAssassin]

I can't resist no more! Did you put new batteries in your hearing aid yet this year?

 

[Goshengrunter]

I can't resist no more! Did you put new batteries in your hearing aid yet this year?

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[turkey_deer_slayer]

Ya'll are funny. I could not believe it either. It was extremely wired because I could see him gobbling but did not hear it at first, but once I saw him doing the motions I listened closer and started hearing him.

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[Limbhanger]

I have read where gobblers can control the intensity of their gobbles. As with most gobbling it's a long range call to attract hens or show dominance. In this case he might have toned it down as there was no need to attract hens?

Or with older Toms they have a much deeper throaty gobble, which may just have not carried well with the air density that day, as compared to a younger gobbler with a higher pitched gobble? Or a slight high spot in the lanscape, or weeds, or brush basically head high to him that you didn't notice could have muffled the gobble?

 

[Duke0002]

Maybe he didn't want to broadcast the fact that he had a couple of hens. Gobbling just loud enough to influence the hens?

 

[Turkey Bandit]

Maybe he knew who you were and was trying to go unnoticed...!

 

[turkey_deer_slayer]

Mr bandit he knew what was coming for him.

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[Turkey Bandit]

My dad had a similar experience in Georgia last weekend. The sub dom bird was straight across an open field of still air at 200 yrds struting and gobbling, and he said it sounded like he could have been 600-700 yards away through the bush. Ultimately the bird slicked up and got a face full of Hevi-shot, but it kinda confused my dad, whos enjoyed 40 some odd seasons in the field and never seen something quite like it. Maybe we aren't shooting the gobble completely out of them, maybe just the loud ones...?

 

[StrutZoneAssassin]

Envision this, if we consider the rules of evolution and survival this may be a step in the Wild Turkeys development and evolution. The loud birds not only draw hens but also hunters and therefore are havested leaving fewer loud birds. The quieter Toms still draw the hens due to their active pursuit for a mate as well as extordinary hearing still respond to the quiet gobble to past on the quiet gobble gene. And in result there are more quiet birds and fewer birds in the freezed in the future.

 

[MOTMAN67]

Last year I learned many new things that go against popular belief, I saw more action than ever before and had a huge learning curve. I did see several time a mature tom gobble at under 75 yards and it sounded like he was 200 plus yards, he was with hens facing me, he was in a open cut field 2-5 mph winds and I would estimate him to be a 22 plus pound bird. I do not know if it was controlled or other variables, but when he came closer he sounded like a normal tom. I saw one other bird do the same thing, different setup.