Catman’s got several hunt videos where gobblers drum - get some good headphones/earbud, get in a very quiet place, & crank the volume up - turn it down before he shoots 🤣

it is a very low frequency

The spit precedes the drum. If you can hear the spit but no drumming then you likely can’t detect that frequency.

Same here and I've killed a few

My hearing is just bad lol

I can hear the spit as well but have to be within 15 yds to hear the drum. I’ve tested this with a pen turkey find someone with some pets and spend a little time in the yard around it and u will hear and feel it

I don’t

If u can hear it u can feel it as well. It’s close to hearing a plane way off or car shifting kind of rumble accept it in short spurts is best I can describe it. U will hear this sound become more distinct the closer they get.

For some reason I can hear it really well and at a good distance… I get more tore down when I hear drumming than gobbling..

Same for me and I can hear gobbling very easily and at a distance.

I had one working the top of a clearcut one morning drumming his butt off. The loudest and furthest I’ve ever heard. He was 125 to 150 yards out and I swear you old men could have heard it. Typically I’ll hear them within about 75 yards

By yourself and patient kills a lot of birds. Been some sure killers already given their advice

Interesting thread! I've been working and just now getting around to reading it.

One thing I have never understood is the term "deer hunting" turkeys. For that matter, what is "deer hunting" deer? I've killed deer on dog drives, slipping through the woods, walking cutover, ground stands, tree stands, and probably some other ways. I don't know which one of those is real deer hunting. I really don't know how to apply any of those to turkey hunting. Would someone explain to me what it means to "deer hunt" a turkey?

If a turkey doesn't gobble, the only way I know to hunt him is by "blind calling." I would define that term as calling when you haven't heard a turkey, and that describes a majority of my hunts. I would much rather hunt a gobbling turkey, but if I go hunting and nothing is gobbling I resort to blind calling. I have killed a lot of turkeys that started gobbling after first hearing me. If I think there is a gobbler in an area, I will stay on a setup a long time. If I don't know if a turkey is around, I'll spend less time per setup and try to cover more ground.
But the one certainty if I am turkey hunting is that I am gonna be calling to a turkey, whether he is talking or not. I don't see much this has to do with deer hunting.

The one I killed Wednesday came in 55 minutes after blind calling. I knew he was in the area, because he was gobbling on the limb. He went dead silent after his feet hit the ground, but 55 minutes of patience and he was dead. I’ve killed quite a few that way, after most would’ve moved on.

I’d define it as sitting for hours on a decoy spread, usually on a green field, hoping something comes by. You know, kinda of like sitting on a deer stand for hours hoping something comes by. lol. Hunting turkeys as you describe I do not consider deer hunting them.

Nothing wrong with the tactic if that’s the way you like to do it. I’m too ADD to sit like that unless I’m on a turkey.

Sitting in a ground blind over a chufa or clover patch waiting on one to walk in to feed is where I define it. I don’t care that ppl hunt that way, but it’s certainly not my preferred method. I think it takes more woodsmanship and skill to stalk hunt a turkey than call one in.

AMEN

I would go to the best crossing I know and call every 20 minutes. But, I rarely do that anymore.

The best way is probably to use a jake decoy and gobble and hen call every 20-30 minutes. Place the decoy where it can be seen for a long way in every direction. But I rarely even have a decoy with me. And I havent had a jake decoy for at least 15 years.

Yeah, if no birds are talking I walk for miles to find one. If I'm too lazy that day I just go to work or do something else.

How often in that 55 min did you blind call? Or did you blind call the first time and just wait on him?

One call. That’s all. I soft clucked and did a 4 note yelp when I sat down. Then I waited.