The yelps from my diaphragm call sounded sweet, but the tom I’d been serenading in the timber showed no interest. Then, a hen the old gobbler had been following let out a series of raspy yelps followed by three clucks. Immediately, I mimicked the hen’s sounds. She answered back and I repeated that sequence. Before long, she came through the timber with the tom in tow. I dropped him at 15 yards.
Had it not been for my ability to create multiple sounds, I doubt I would have killed that bird. With spring turkey season winding down throughout the West, understanding turkey talk is key to filling a late-season tag.
THE YELP
The most commonly heard sound in the turkey woods is a hen yelp. Toms yelp, too, but it’s louder, raspier and usually more drawn out. There are various types of yelps, from roost yelps to those made
