Different hen sounds different regions and age groups?

[M Sharpe]

A couple a weeks ago I called Al up to get him to build me a call. He and I had this very conversation. I tend to agree with Charlie. I also think a higher pitch sound will elicit more gobbles but I like the mature hen sound to finish a stubburn one. Here's where it gets touchy. How deep is a mature hen? I've seen boxes built that is suppose to be mature hens but actually sound more jake than hen. I've got a $250 box sitting in my cabinet from a callmaker that sounds like a gobbler more than a hen. I suspect he just got the sides a little too thin. That's hard to tell by looking at it but don't forget the checkering on the sides. When I think mature,I think medium. I like the "mature" one on the right side. Al said most request the young hen on the right. Sorry Al, didn't mean to throw a monkey wrench in things for ya.

Mark

[WillowRidgeCalls]

What I've found up here anyway is the a bird will fire up on a young hen high pitched sounding call the easiest, but they tend to hang up a lot more with that sound. With smooth sounding calls they tend to come in silent a lot more. By the time I get out to hunt it's mid season and I hunt 80% public land, so the birds are high pressured henned up tight birds. I've had my best luck with a med-high pitch with a sharp break and some nasty rasp that will make the call vibrate in your hand. I don't do to much gobbler calling, I work the hens and you need a call that will handle an old boss hen, that med-high with good rasp does very well on them. They won't stand for another boss hen in  their area. Early in the season the young hen is good, but from mid season on a old hen is better.

[Jake St. John]

Mark, You wrote this.  "Here's where it gets touchy. How deep is a mature hen? I've seen boxes built that is suppose to be mature hens but actually sound more jake than hen."  _ Mr. Wineman and I made our first Stribling Reproduction calls 25 years ago.  That was the first and Only call he made.  He wrote about it in East of the Slash.  I think he killed 7 birds with that one call the first year.  5 in Miss. counting fall and 2 in Alabama Spring.  I watched him make it.  Got the sides too thin, and sounds like a jake to me.  Oh how the old birds love that call.  It has a great cluck and roost talk.  He had a fellow call him up out of the blue and offer him $1000 for it 20 years ago.  He left the call in the woods on the last bird he killed one spring making a rounder.  He looked for that call until the next fall.  He had to put wood restorer to it, But he still kills birds with that call.   

[M Sharpe]

Jake, I'll definitely have to give that call more of a chance this year. Used sparingly if I'm understanding you correctly.

[Porter]

Well I think I'm tuning down a bit from what I used to like.  I think my hearing has suffered from my loud and proud... wait no that was Daryl's 3" titanium that did that to me 

I still prefer a high start with killer rasp on a cost style box, but when you get to a Turpin/Stribling caller, I like it a bit deeper and a hard yawk on the end. 

I've not figured out why I like two different sounds, but I do.  I guess that's just me.. no way to understand my typing or my thinking 

I probably carry too many callers with me, but I sure have been glad when I've found the one caller that the bird would respond to and come too.  Makes me realize it was worth toting it all!

[Shadetree Callers]

 It has been my experience that a turkey might respond differently to a call on any given day . What that bird likes today may scare him off the roost tomorrow. The next time he hears it he may do a death-run to get to you. Loud and aggressive calling at any pitch will scare more turkeys than it will attract. Soft calling will bring more call-shy birds to the gun for sure. One thing is for sure, there are no rule-books when it comes to turkey hunting . There are no set pitches , high or low , that will always work on a turkey. Young hen today , gobbler yelps tomorrow, old hen the next time out .....  As David said , confidence in your calling helps prevent mistakes in what you are offering up for that particular bird. Just when you think you have one figured out , he'll do something to prove you wrong .  Patience , not over-calling and woodsmanship will kill more turkeys than any one particular pitch to any call. Out of the 127 mature Toms I have harvested , more than half were killed with woodsmanship and very soft calling . If you think you have a rule-book for turkeys , throw it away ! LOL !!!  That's just my humble opinion . Good luck this Spring !