Houndstooth Game Calls

One thing about turkey hunting, you never know what kind of story you’re going to walk away with. Sometimes it’s about a gobbler that played the game perfectly. Sometimes it’s about a hunt that didn’t go your way.

And sometimes it’s about realizing your hunting partner might hear a little better than you do.

This one happened last season while hunting with my better half.

Getting Her Hooked on Turkey Hunting

You know, I never thought my wife would ever love the tick-infested, mosquito-swarming, cold and hot weather turkey woods. But once she got to going, she was all in for turkey hunting.

Which, when you have a hunting partner, your decision-making can get skewed. Especially when it comes to the direction you thought you heard a gobble. At least that has been my experience.

My hearing isn’t as good as it used to be, but in my mind it’s more of a selective hearing thing, as I would say. Some have other opinions, but we won’t get into that.

A Gobbler That Wouldn’t Budge

Me and my wife went on an early afternoon turkey hunt last year and we cranked up an old pine thicket turkey. We sat down to him, and he wouldn’t budge, of course.

He was happy on his little ridge and played the game well.

After about 30 minutes I decided to take a pig trail around him and get more in line with him and his chosen pedestal of a ridge he was making home.

In other words, I got up in his bubble and he had no clue.

I gave him a yelp and he answered in front, or what I thought was in front of us, fast, two times.

Summer said, “He is behind us.”

I said, “No, he is directly in front.”

I gave him a bit of silence. He gave me some silence.

Summer got her gun on her knee, pointed forward where I expected 100 percent the gobbler to appear.

The Gobble That Made Us Jump

I got a little antsy after a bit and decided I wanted to know where he was. I yelped, and directly behind us a turkey gobbled down in a hole, and I mean a black hole behind us at about 30 yards.

The kind of gobble that makes you jump.

I eased my head around and could see him walking through the thick vines and pines behind us. He was headed to a logging road to the right of Summer.

She started easing around on the tree like a pro. Found her a hole, and when he hit it, she let him ride the lightning and he was down.

The Hearing Test

That’s where the hearing part comes back into the story.

When the gun went off and it was over, Summer instantly said, “You need hearing aids. I knew that turkey was behind us the whole time!”

I just replied with, “Well, that’s probably just a different turkey that came in. I only get it wrong every once in a while.”

I was just trying to make it more challenging for her.

Never a Dull Moment in the Turkey Woods

Truth is, there is never a dull moment in the turkey woods. Hunts like that are the ones you remember the most.

I’m thankful she loves going with me and has good ears.

Turns out having a hunting partner that hears better than you might not be such a bad thing after all.

Lessons From the Hunt

• Sound can travel strangely in the woods. Hills, hollows, and timber can make gobbles seem like they are coming from the wrong direction.
• Always stay ready. A gobbler can appear quickly, especially when you think he is somewhere else.
• A good hunting partner helps. Extra eyes and ears can make a big difference during a hunt.
• Stay patient. Sometimes letting the woods go quiet for a moment is exactly what brings a gobbler in.

Turkey Hunting Questions

Why do turkey gobbles sometimes sound like they come from the wrong direction?

Terrain and thick timber can cause gobbles to echo or bounce, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact location of a turkey.

Should you move when a gobbler hangs up?

Sometimes repositioning can help close the distance, but it must be done carefully since turkeys have excellent eyesight.

Get Ready for Turkey Season

If you’re getting ready to chase gobblers this season, make sure you’ve got the gear you need before you hit the woods. From mouth calls and friction calls to locator calls and hunting accessories, having the right equipment can make all the difference when that bird fires off on the limb.

Browse Houndstooth Turkey Calls and Gear

Turkey hunters all carry their gear a little differently, but there are a few things I make sure I have with me every time I step into the woods. After chasing these birds for a lot of years, you learn pretty quick what you can’t afford to forget.

Some of these items help you call better. Some make the hunt easier. And one of them might just save your day entirely.

Here are a few turkey hunting necessities that stay in my vest.

1. A Conditioning Stone for Friction Calls

If I’m carrying a glass, crystal, or ceramic friction call, I always keep a conditioning stone with me.

I don’t like fooling with sandpaper. A conditioning stone is easier to keep up with, easier to use, and it does the job right. If your call starts getting slick, a quick touch with the stone and you’re back in business.

Trust me, you will thank me later.

2. An Extra Striker

Always carry an extra striker.

There is nothing more frustrating than hiking a half mile into the woods, reaching into your vest to run a friction call, and realizing your striker is gone.

Let’s be honest. You aren’t getting a peep out of that call using your finger. Keep a spare striker in the vest and save yourself the headache.

3. Keep Your Turkey Strap in Your Pocket

My turkey strap never stays in my vest. It stays in my pocket.

Why? Because I will drop that vest in a second when it’s time to go after a turkey. When that bird is down, that turkey tote strap is what gets him out of the woods.

That strap is irreplaceable when you are hauling out a gobbler.

4. A Mouth Call Pouch Around My Neck

My mouth call pouch is just as important to me as my turkey strap.

Instead of digging around in my vest for calls in the dark, I keep my mouth call pouch around my neck. That way it’s always right where I need it when I’m setting up on a gobbler.

I’ve been known to take off after a turkey with nothing but my gun and that pouch around my neck. I like to go light when I can.

5. A Big Piece of Chalk for Box Calls

For you box call guys, get yourself a big piece of chalk.

Yes, we send a small piece of chalk with your box call order, but a larger piece will last you several years. Box calls don’t work well without chalk, and when they need it, they need it right then.

It’s better to have more than you need than not enough.

6. A Locator Call

Whether it’s an owl hooter or a crow call, a locator call is something I always have with me.

If you can hoot with your voice but can’t crow with your mouth, carry a crow call. If you can crow but can’t hoot, carry an owl hooter.

If you can do both with your mouth, well, you’re in the one percent and ahead of the curve.

Personally, I can’t crow with my mouth, and since we make a jam-up crow call, that’s the one I tend to carry and use the most. When I need one, I’ll grab my crow call.

7. Toilet Paper

Toilet paper might be the most important necessity you can own in the turkey woods.

Doesn’t matter what brand or model.

Nobody has a good day missing a sock.

8. Enjoy the Hunt

More than anything, enjoy your time outdoors.

The world of the wild turkey is something special. Win, lose, or draw, it’s a blessing to be out there chasing them.

Key Takeaways to Make Your Hunts Easier

• Carry backups for important gear. Extra strikers, chalk, and locator calls can save a hunt.
• Keep essential gear easy to reach. Mouth calls and straps need to be easy to grab without digging through your vest.
• Locator calls help start the hunt. Owl hooters and crow calls can help shock gobblers into sounding off.

Turkey Hunting Questions

What should every turkey hunter carry in their vest?

Most turkey hunters carry mouth calls, friction calls, a striker, locator calls, and a few essential accessories like conditioning stones and chalk.

Why carry a locator call?

Locator calls like owl hooters or crow calls can make gobblers shock gobble, helping hunters pinpoint their location.

Get Your Turkey Hunting Gear Ready

Before you hit the woods this season, make sure your vest is stocked with the necessities. Having the right calls, gear, and a few backups can make all the difference when a gobbler fires off on the limb.

If you need to pick up a few things for your vest, you can find all of our friction calls, mouth calls, locator calls, and turkey hunting gear right here:

Shop Houndstooth Turkey Calls and Hunting Gear

Get your vest ready, get in the woods early, and enjoy every minute chasing that longbeard.

If you spend enough time in the woods, you are bound to see some things that stick with you. Sometimes it is something incredible. Sometimes it is something that just reminds you how tough nature really is.

This is one of those stories.

Walking a Hack and Squirt Area

A while back, I was walking through a section of timber that had been "hack and squirted". If you are not familiar with that term, hack and squirt is a method used to kill unwanted trees or brush in a timber stand.

Instead of bringing heavy equipment into the woods, the trees are treated by hand. Small cuts are made in the tree and herbicide is applied. It allows land managers to thin out unwanted species without damaging the ground or the surrounding trees.

It is a very effective way to improve habitat and create bedding areas for deer. If you enjoy reading more stories and hunting insights like this, you can find them on the Houndstooth Blog.

I was walking through one of these treated areas just checking things out.

A Buck That Made the Area Home

While I was walking, I came across a buck laying on the ground. At first glance, it looked like he had simply bedded down in the area.

But something did not look right.

The deer was pinned to the ground by a tree that had fallen. At first I thought maybe coyotes had pulled him under the tree after he died. That seemed like the only thing that made sense.

But when I looked closer, that was not the case at all.

The tree had actually fallen on him while he was laying there.

A Tough Break in the Woods

I tried to move him just to see if he had been dragged under the tree somehow. There was no way. I could not even pull his rib cage anywhere close to under it.

That is when it hit me. This buck had likely bedded down beside that tree and it fell on him, pinning him to the ground.

I have seen some wild things in the woods over the years, but I had never seen a perfectly healthy deer die that way.

Mother Nature is tough. A deer goes through a lot just to make it to maturity. Predators, weather, hunting pressure, disease. There are a lot of things working against them every single year.

This buck had obviously made it through all of that.

It is a shame it ended the way it did for him. I know plenty of hunters who would have been proud to take a deer like that.

But that is the woods. Sometimes things happen that remind you just how unforgiving nature can be.

If you are getting geared up for the season, take a look at our collection of deer calls and browse the full lineup of Houndstooth hunting gear.

Some hunts stick with you for a season. Others turn into stories you will remember for the rest of your life.

Last Sunday was one of those days for our family. Watching your son do things the right way, putting in the time, and then seeing it all come together is something special.

Here is the story, exactly how it happened.

Last Sunday, my son Drake killed his best deer, and what a story to go along with it!

Two years ago, the second week of January, we were hot after a particular deer, and he honestly was a ghost. We would get some game cam pics here and there of him. We definitely knew he was moving between a couple stands, but never trust those cell cams and don’t let them determine when to hunt, and you will be a lot more successful!

We had some cold weather moving in, and me and my son went to a spot we could see 300 yards one way and 300 yards another way. On the edge of this bedding area, there had been several groups of does using a field on one end of the 300-yard lane. At 3:30, his buck busted into the field behind a doe, and he was dogging her like a cutting horse.

I told Drake, “I am gonna stop him. He was around 175 yards. Follow him with the gun and shoot when he stops.” Well, I gave the deer a little more than the mehhhhh like they do on TV. I hollered at him, startling my son, and he pulled the trigger following the deer, but the deer stopped, so the shot went about a foot in front of him. Never to be seen again in daylight.

Now fast forward to this season. Lo and behold, the buck shows up on camera off and on through November. Same deer.

As December comes he starts to roam a little. I get a daylight picture of him in the spot he missed. A week goes by, nothing, but we got a cold front hitting and we decide Sunday is the day before the wind turns out of the wrong direction for a week!

Drake slides in his spot where he missed the deer almost a year ago to the date. He is texting me what he is seeing. The does and young bucks are moving. It’s getting close to dark, and my wife asked me to run to the store and fill her truck up with fuel. So I run to the store, put the gas pump in, and get back in the car, check the cameras on my phone, and I have a picture of the buck on a trail heading into that field.

Suddenly my heart gets to beating, lol, like I am there. I know he is either fixing to be in front of Drake or he is dead already. His phone died, of course, and I am in the store getting some stuff after fueling up. The phone rings, and I am almost nervous knowing he is either fixing to tell me he missed, killed, or he got by him.

But it was what I had hoped when the words were, “I GOT HIM.” I headed to the house to get my truck to run help him, and man, what a moment it was when I got to see his excitement of what all went on. He told me, “Dad, it was like he was replaying the hunt from last season. The deer came out on the same trail, walking the same diagonal path, offering a head-on shot.”

He put the crosshair on his chest, squeezed the trigger, and the deer fell. The deer was dead within a few yards of where he missed him. Guess lightning will strike the same spot twice. Once he got to the old buck, he could see all the extra points around his bases. He truly was a fine Bama buck to hang his hat on!

While on the phone, I asked him, “Is he as big as he looks on camera?” His reply was, “BIGGER!” I have killed a few where they shrunk a little in my past, lol, but that would have been fine with me as well!

It was a Sunday afternoon for the books, and I am so thankful I got to see the success of my son. He has learned you can’t kill them on a couch, and those good days where the temps get low here in the South can be the window of opportunity.

A Hunt Drake Will Never Forget

Moments like these are what hunting is all about. Time spent together, lessons learned, and the memories that come from putting in the work.

Sometimes a miss turns into the setup for something even better down the road.

If you are getting ready for the season, take a look at our lineup of deer calls and browse the rest of the Houndstooth blog for more hunting stories and tips from the woods.

And every now and then, lightning really does strike the same spot twice.