# Gobbler cluck????



## Dudley Do-Wrong (Apr 1, 2009)

Yesterday morning I was set up in a deep hardwood bottom.  I hit my box call with some hard clucks and a few yelps.  I then heard some really hard, deep clucks about 40 to 50 yards away over a little rise on my left.  It went on for a few minutes and I moved my gun into position but nothing came over the rise.  About 10 minutes later, I spied a bird in front of me about 60 yards away, this bird had a red head (knew it was a tom) and was just pecking at the ground.  It went behind a tree and I never saw it again.  I starred at that tree for about 30 minutes and never saw that bird come out.  Y'all reckon that was a gobbler clucking that I heard, I sure thought it was.


----------



## gobblinglawyer (Apr 1, 2009)

Probably was a gobbler.

I had a particularly tough bird that I was hunting last season that I couldn't seem to get in range with hen calls.  I changed tactics and hit him with a slow but loud and raspy gobbler yelp and two deep clucks and 15 minutes later he was standing at 30 yards in a full strut.

He had 1 1/4 inch long needle sharp spurs!


----------



## blindhog (Apr 1, 2009)

They will yelp and cluck.


----------



## dawg2 (Apr 1, 2009)

Was it a "cluck" or a "put?"


----------



## blindhog (Apr 1, 2009)

I think gobblers make a cluck that sounds like "tock", and usually when they are suspicious from not seeing a hen they think shoud be there.
I have heard then cluck and yelp when with hens, in answer to my calls.


----------



## joejack (Apr 1, 2009)

A gobbler has a deep coarse cluck and a deep coarse yelp. I heard one use both the other day. There were 3 gobblers in a group of about 12 hens. They also have a cluck that sounds like 'dooup' they use when they think a hen is close by but havnt seen her yet.


----------



## Dudley Do-Wrong (Apr 1, 2009)

dawg2 said:


> Was it a "cluck" or a "put?"


I've heard a putt on more than one occasion and this was not even remotely similar.

I have a suspicion that this was the same bird I bumped about a week earlier (in the same hardwood bottom).


----------



## Dudley Do-Wrong (Apr 1, 2009)

> I think gobblers make a cluck that sounds like "tock"


Good comparison, that's what it sounded like


----------



## blindhog (Apr 1, 2009)

David Mills said:


> Good comparison, that's what it sounded like




That sounds like he got too wary to come on in.  He will slip up.....


----------



## JohnBenoit09 (Apr 1, 2009)

yup you are correct, they make a tock sound when a goobler is nervous about it. I've had about 3 birds come in to a decoy set up and back off not feeling comfortable and will begin the tocking.


----------



## Robk (Apr 1, 2009)

Have one that has a habit of doing just that on the roost.


----------



## Gut_Pile (Apr 1, 2009)

I've heard them yelp and cluck! It definitely is deeper and you'll know its a gobbler when he does it. I'm sure that's probably what you heard.


----------



## rutandstrut (Apr 1, 2009)

David,     I have had a Gobbler make one Hollow Sounding Cluck (I call it a Contact Cluck, It means I can hear you, but I can't see you) when I was cruising through the woods trying to strike one up! The first time I kept moving and came face to face with a nice Gobbler. Everytime I hear that sound now I hit the nearest Tree and get ready and Cluck Right back at Him! I have shot several Gobblers using this method! My guess is that they make that sound because they can hear you but they can't see you and are trying to get you to reveal yourself (The Hen)!


----------



## brucemacgee19 (Apr 1, 2009)

it can be heard a bunch......   really gets louder and more vocal when "the hen" doesn't come or respond to spit and drum.   if it was tough to hear the cluck, then hearing the drumming was probly impossible.  he wants something to respond to him then when he clucks......    and if he doesn't get it in the first few seconds he knows something is up and will go on defense quickly.   soft clucks directed in the opposite direction   (push pin call) will trigger him to run up your gun......   he thinks you might have lost intrest.   I love to hear them cluck because that means he's looking for you.  he is a killable bird.   be ready for the cluck and you'll have a big time with him.

did you have a deke out?   and if you did, did he see it and cluck?   if he saw a deke and clucked then ballgame might have been over


----------



## brucemacgee19 (Apr 1, 2009)

right on time tim


----------



## Dudley Do-Wrong (Apr 1, 2009)

brucemacgee19 said:


> it can be heard a bunch......   really gets louder and more vocal when "the hen" doesn't come or respond to spit and drum.   if it was tough to hear the cluck, then hearing the drumming was probly impossible.  he wants something to respond to him then when he clucks......    and if he doesn't get it in the first few seconds he knows something is up and will go on defense quickly.   soft clucks directed in the opposite direction   (push pin call) will trigger him to run up your gun......   he thinks you might have lost intrest.   I love to hear them cluck because that means he's looking for you.  he is a killable bird.   be ready for the cluck and you'll have a big time with him.
> 
> did you have a deke out?   and if you did, did he see it and cluck?   if he saw a deke and clucked then ballgame might have been over



I did not put out a deke, I was in a hardwood bottom and usually don't use them in the woods.


----------



## rutandstrut (Apr 1, 2009)

David, If you do use a Deke. Make sure that it is facing away from where you think the Gobbler will come from! You may have to use a stick or a piece of tape to make sure the Decoy stays facing away from where you think the Gobbler will come from. I normally put them off the side of me (since I am right handed I usually put them to my left since it is easier to swing that way!) If he see the Hen and she is facing toward him he will stay where he is at and wait for her to come to him! If you add a Challenging Jake or Strutting Gobbler Decoy to the Hen you will lay down the Gauntlet for that Gobbler! If he is a Big Mature Gobbler, he will not tolerate another Gobbler or a Jake trying to breed one of the Hens in his area! Good Luck!


----------



## meleagris (Apr 2, 2009)

David, Rut is spot on with this one.  I have had several gobblers slip in and make a "contact cluck".  I think they do this in an attempt to get a hen to reveal herself.  He knows there is one here but can't see her.  The best thing I've found is one soft cluck in this situation.  I've made this cluck before and had gobblers come running and some rattle the woods with a booming reply.  Good luck.


----------



## blindhog (Apr 2, 2009)

The Lynch World Champion box call has one side that makes the gobbler cluck and yelp, but not the "tock" sound.

David you may want to look into making a call that simulates the gobbler sounds.


----------



## BoShank (Apr 2, 2009)

I had a nice gobbler come in a few years ago clucking the whole way.  He clucked all the way from 80 yards to 30 yards where he clucked his last cluck.  That is the only one that I have ever had come in clucking.


----------



## turkeytrot (Apr 3, 2009)

Turkeys will give a hard cluck it's very difficult to determine the putt from a cluck. 

It's used between turkeys as a locater call.  I really enjoy clucking in return if their is a resonable distance between myself and the bird......


----------



## howl (Apr 5, 2009)

They have more than one and they mean different things. The hollow, knock on wood sound is usually a sub-ordinate bird looking for a hen. The high-pitched "pirt!" is usually an older bird. The single cluck/pirt means "I am looking for you and cannot see you. " Lots of them means "I'm a turkey looking for another turkey." "No, Boss, I wasn't trying to steal your girl. Honest!"
I'd bet a dollar the last is what you heard. Also bet the bird re-arranged his feathers before he went behind that tree and turned into smoke.


----------



## radams1228 (Apr 5, 2009)

Great info guys. I started turkey hunting a couple of years ago. I'm yet to go by myself and try calling one in. I have 2 good friends that I go with now and they do a great job of calling. There is some really good info in this thread. I never would have thought about a gobbler clucking.

Thanks.


----------



## Medicine Man (Apr 5, 2009)

Opening weekend this year I had one do this same thing. He was coming from behind me over my left shoulder. I even heard him clucking and closing the distance from a long distance and was CONVIENCED that it was a hen. There was no question in my mind. After he got about 30 yards I eased my head and eyes just enough to see him out of the corner of my eye . I believe this was a jake and sounding more like a locating cluck of sorts to me. 
He didn't see what he was looking for and walking away still doing this. H enever spooked though. 
I didn't even bother to look when I heard him coming. I just knew it was a hen. I was very wrong and hopefully will not make that mistake again.


----------



## gregg (Apr 5, 2009)

Yep, I've had a fair number do this in Florida, especially when they are slipping in silent, then "Tock" they are usually very close at that point and it is get ready time..now!


----------



## trkyhnt89 (Apr 8, 2009)

I shot a good un this afternoon in Fla. that was making a serious "tock" sound when he didnt see a hen where she was supposed to be.......it was too late though cause he got rolled right as he turned.


----------



## Jack Flynn (Apr 8, 2009)

David it sounds more like a course short frog croak to me. Larry Gresser made or makes a call, "The Jake Pot" that sounds nothing like you have ever heard except a gobbler clucking and yelping. Larry explained it to me several years ago after I heard this sound a couple of days in a row hunting a group of toms and heard them grouping together. He had an experience in Arkansas where gobblers were grouping up and calling to each other but would not come to conventional yelping or calling. The call he made worked really well for me. 3 gobblers to it's credit! I'm guessing most hunters don't realize what they are hearing when a gobbler yelps or clucks. Doesn't sound like anything else in the woods we relate to during turkey season. There is no cadence at all just random sound. Good luck!


----------



## Dudley Do-Wrong (Apr 8, 2009)

Good to see you around Jack.


----------



## hummdaddy (Apr 8, 2009)

maybe turkry's have sonar


----------



## dawg2 (Apr 8, 2009)

David Mills said:


> I've heard a putt on more than one occasion and this was not even remotely similar.
> 
> I have a suspicion that this was the same bird I bumped about a week earlier (in the same hardwood bottom).



They also make a sound that resembles a "water drop" (as Gadget called it) but loud.  I have heard it a few times, but it sounds different than a regular "cluck" and your box call can not make the sound.

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=331612


----------



## Big Kuntry (Apr 8, 2009)

David Mills said:


> Yesterday morning I was set up in a deep hardwood bottom.  I hit my box call with some hard clucks and a few yelps.  I then heard some really hard, deep clucks about 40 to 50 yards away over a little rise on my left.  It went on for a few minutes and I moved my gun into position but nothing came over the rise.  About 10 minutes later, I spied a bird in front of me about 60 yards away, this bird had a red head (knew it was a tom) and was just pecking at the ground.  It went behind a tree and I never saw it again.  I starred at that tree for about 30 minutes and never saw that bird come out.  Y'all reckon that was a gobbler clucking that I heard, I sure thought it was.



David, you know better than this....lol.


----------

