|
|
Post by brokennock on Apr 19, 2022 18:06:43 GMT -7
One week until turkey season here....
Hoping the weather warms, my mood lightens, and some new places show promise.
Anyone else been out yet or going soon?
Other than a wing-bone, anyone have references to other period correct turkey calls?
|
|
|
|
Post by hawkeyes on Apr 21, 2022 6:04:45 GMT -7
Funny... drying out two sets of wingbones.  I've got a few roosting spots I'm scouting out this weekend. I had no luck this past fall unfortunately so hoping to change that. Concerning any references I'd be much inclined to see what's available. I myself haven't had much of any luck tracking that sort of info down. |
|
|
|
Post by spence on Apr 21, 2022 9:15:26 GMT -7
I would also be interested in references to the use of turkey calls of any kind. I've never found any mention of calling turkeys. Most references which say anything about how turkeys were hunted describe shooting them out of roosting trees, frequently at night.
One describes constructing a kind of cage/trap with bait which the turkey could go into but not out of, and they caught large numbers in it.
Wm. Blane, An Excursion through the United States and Canada, during the Years 1822-3 by an English Gentleman
pg. 279 "The manner in which great numbers of wild turkeys are caught is very simple and curious. A Pen is made by placing rough-hewn rails one above another so as to form a vacant space, about six or eight feet long and as many broad, which is closed at the top by heavy rails laid across. A small trench is then dug for a yard or two on the outside and continued under the lowest rail into the interior. In this trench some Indian corn is strewed, and the turkeys, while employed in picking it up, advance with their head downwards into the Pen.
"As soon as they find themselves in the enclosure, these stupid birds never think of stooping down, or they could walk out as easily as they walked in; but instead of this they try to force a way out at the top and sides, and continue jumping about in great alarm, till some one in the course of the day visits the Pen and secures them. I have known of as many as seven or eight caught within four and twenty hours in a single Pen."
Spence
|
|
|
|
Post by spence on Apr 21, 2022 13:34:21 GMT -7
I lied. I said, "I've never found any mention of calling turkeys." But something kept tickling my memory, and then I remembered this:
The Pennsylvania Gazette
January 17, 1760
NEW HAVEN, December 29.
Tuesday Morning, the 11th Instant, sundry Persons in Judea went out to hunt Turkeys, one Josiah Basset, of the same Place, hearing of the Turkeys, intending to have the first Chance, went also after them, unknown to, and unknowing of the rest; and getting first to the Place where the Turkeys were, --- was creeping in the Bushes on his Hands and Knees, in order to get up to them; meanwhile the rest surrounded the Place, and one Jesse Baker having started one of the Turkey it flew and alighted near the Place where Josiah Basset was, who had on a dark grey Bearskin Coat, and had taken off his Hat and Cap, and his Hair being short and black, Baker saw the Glympse of him through the bushes, and his Hair and Parts of his Coat resembling the Colour and having as then seen the Appearance of a Turkey, Baker hesitated whether he should shoot or not, when Basset made a Noise, imitating the Cry of a Turkey, which he did very exactly, when Baker fired, at the Distance of 6 Rods, and shot a Ball through his Vitals, and sundry other shot into his Body, he gave one Scream, and the Company run up, but found him dead, one Hand only having a little Motion.
Still no mention of the use of a turkey call, but evidence they did call them.
Spence
|
|
|
|
Post by paranger on Apr 21, 2022 15:24:16 GMT -7
Daniel Morgan is said to have used a turkey call to gather his riflemen when they were scattered. This tale is frequently told in the context of Freeman's Farm / 1st Saratoga and can be found in most any biography or detailed account of Saratoga (e.g., John Pancake's classic - 1777: The Year of the Hangman, 159. Also, Don Higginbotham's bio - Daniel Morgan, Revolutionary Rifleman, 67).
Obviously if true, then the turkey call was well established in 1777. I have not yet found a definitive account of what type of call Morgan used.
|
|
|
|
Post by brokennock on Apr 21, 2022 15:25:51 GMT -7
I lied. I said, "I've never found any mention of calling turkeys." But something kept tickling my memory, and then I remembered this: The Pennsylvania Gazette January 17, 1760 NEW HAVEN, December 29. Tuesday Morning, the 11th Instant, sundry Persons in Judea went out to hunt Turkeys, one Josiah Basset, of the same Place, hearing of the Turkeys, intending to have the first Chance, went also after them, unknown to, and unknowing of the rest; and getting first to the Place where the Turkeys were, --- was creeping in the Bushes on his Hands and Knees, in order to get up to them; meanwhile the rest surrounded the Place, and one Jesse Baker having started one of the Turkey it flew and alighted near the Place where Josiah Basset was, who had on a dark grey Bearskin Coat, and had taken off his Hat and Cap, and his Hair being short and black, Baker saw the Glympse of him through the bushes, and his Hair and Parts of his Coat resembling the Colour and having as then seen the Appearance of a Turkey, Baker hesitated whether he should shoot or not, when Basset made a Noise, imitating the Cry of a Turkey, which he did very exactly, when Baker fired, at the Distance of 6 Rods, and shot a Ball through his Vitals, and sundry other shot into his Body, he gave one Scream, and the Company run up, but found him dead, one Hand only having a little Motion. Still no mention of the use of a turkey call, but evidence they did call them. Spence And so it continues. To this day sprung turkey hunting is statistically one of the most dangerous hunts as far as accidents go. |
|
|
|
Post by brokennock on Apr 21, 2022 15:27:55 GMT -7
The only period references I can think of off the top of my head are references to natives imitating the calls of the turkey. But, I don't recall a device being mentioned, and, it would seem it was more done to draw in enemy white men than it was to pull in a turkey dinner.
|
|
|
|
Post by hawkeyes on Apr 21, 2022 16:18:06 GMT -7
Two stripped of the marrow and set for calling minus final finishing and permanent joining. If anyone has ever made their own wingbone calls it's an interesting endeavor as each call produces it's own unique sound and tone.  A hen cluck is easy enough, however I've never seen anything regarding a male gobbler. |
|
|
|
Post by spence on Apr 21, 2022 17:01:25 GMT -7
Thanks, paranger, I now recall seeing that one.
In Jack London'd book Star Rover he alludes to a boy who said memory is the thing we use to forget with. He was right.
In the Daniel Morgan report, as I reluctantly recall, it wasn't specified whether a physical turkey call was used or if he just made the call with his mouth.
Some people are amazing in their ability to mimic game calls. I hunted geese once with a young man who could makes Canada geese calls better than the geese,
Spence
|
|
|
|
Post by spence on Apr 21, 2022 17:09:09 GMT -7
Nice calls, Hawkeyes. I made one and have used it along with other calls to bag a bird. I never knew if it was HC/PC, but it was fun.  Spence |
|
|
|
Post by paranger on Apr 21, 2022 17:14:32 GMT -7
Thanks, paranger, I now recall seeing that one. In Jack London'd book Star Rover he alludes to a boy who said memory is the thing we use to forget with. He was right. In the Daniel Morgan report, as I reluctantly recall, it wasn't specified whether a physical turkey call was used or if he just made the call with his mouth. Some people are amazing in their ability to mimic game calls. I hunted geese once with a young man who could makes Canada geese calls better than the geese, Spence Spence, I thought about a voice call, too. I wish I knew. |
|
|
|
Post by hawkeyes on Apr 21, 2022 17:19:33 GMT -7
Nice calls, Hawkeyes. I made one and have used it along with other calls to bag a bird. I never knew if it was HC/PC, but it was fun.  Spence Thank you much, they are fun and just work well as you know. The simplicity in their mechanics is fascinating to me. I personally have never came across any reference to the specific call. However my mind ponders... We have evidence of prior parties utilizing the call of a turkey, without such a device makes me wonder how they'd have gone about vocalizing? With practice one can produce and perdy darn convincing gobble. Enough to fool an unfamiliar human but a slick ole sly bird... I'm not sure. |
|
|
|
Post by brokennock on Apr 21, 2022 17:46:08 GMT -7
I have called in two or three toms with just my mouth/voice. But, they were already within visual distance, I had lucked out and seen them 1st. I think the furthest was 100 or so yards out, maybe 150 at most.
With slate call or modern mouth/diaphragm call I've brought in or at least gotten responses from gobblers hundreds of yards or further away. My brother has brought in birds from what was roughly a quarter mile with a box call. I'm not that good with a box call. My slate is my "go to."
I have a wingbone call, I can get clucks out of it, but that's it (my yelps on it sound like a dying goose). I know folks who get good yelps and purrs with them,,, but not me,,,,, yet.
In have 6 fresh wings in the freezer waiting to be cooked, then stripped of meat, then boiled to make calls.
I also have a small turtle shell that I someday hope to turn into a slate call.
Yelps may get their attention and tell them where to head to,,, but soft purrs, soft clucks, and scratching the leaf litter seems to be what brings them in closer.
|
|
|
|
Post by hawkeyes on Apr 22, 2022 6:26:20 GMT -7
I've found getting good yelps has allot to do with sealing your lips on the call and making a good tight pucker and quickly drawing in air, very fast. Seems each call has it's sweet spot and I'll mark that orientation so I know we're to index it each time. The two I have ready to glue up and wrap have me impressed. We shall see if they impress a bird within the next month...
|
|
|
|
Post by Black Hand on Apr 22, 2022 10:18:04 GMT -7
I have a couple wingbone calls - not very good with them which is also complicated by them tickling my lips when I try to use them.
|
|
