Quick Answer
For Merriam's turkey hunting, it's recommended to bring 6-8 calls to cover various sounds, including yelps, clucks, and purrs, allowing you to adapt to the situation and the bird's response.
Call Selection and Strategy
When selecting calls for Merriam’s turkey hunting, focus on a diverse range, including mouth calls, diaphragm calls, and box calls. This will enable you to produce a variety of sounds, including yelps, clucks, purrs, and whistles. A good starting point is to have 2-3 yelp calls, 2-3 cluck calls, and 2-3 purr calls, along with a few extra for emergencies or to change up the sound.
Call Placement and Usage
Placement and usage of calls are crucial in Merriam’s turkey hunting. Start with a soft, distant call to get the bird’s attention, then transition to a more aggressive, up-close call to draw them in. Use a low-volume call to avoid spooking the bird, and increase the volume as needed. It’s also essential to pay attention to the bird’s response and adjust your call sequence accordingly. For example, if the bird is responding with yelps, it may be a good opportunity to switch to a cluck call.
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