Gobble distance

[Moose]

Are there any tips on judging how far away you hear a gobble?

[Jdw]

Here are some things I take in to account.

Is it open between you and him or is a hill or something else between you?

Are the leaves on the trees and how much foliage is between you?

Is it a still clear or cloudy day? is there a breeze?

Is there much background noise?

Also some birds gobble louder than others.

It will always be a little different but with experience you will get a good feel for it.

[Hawthorne]

One area I hunt if I hear a gobble I know just about exactly where it’s at. Just from knowing the terrain really well and how the turkeys travel from hunting there for 20 years. This is a whole section of 640 acres. Use your best judgement. Maybe it’s something you can hone in on with experience. IDK

[muddy]

I have come to the conclusion that the bird is almost always closer than you realize. It's sure helpful to know your area and where birds tend to hang out. If I had a nickel for every time I bumped a bird and said afterwards "man, he was a lot closer than I thought" I'd be a sitting on a fat $20 bill.

As stated, terrain and veg make a huge difference. The other day we had one gobbling and even though he wasnt moving you could tell he was strutting an spinning. Gobbles facing away slightly muffled.

[Bio1]

Windy day last Monday. Was hunting with two buddies and we hit a box call and one answered - I didn’t even hear him but my buddies did. Figured we’d ease up about 50 yards with friend on point and before we got there he tensed, pulled up and boom! There were 2 toms and they weren’t 75 yards away when they gobbles and when we snuck up they were in full strut! Both of my friends figured as faint as he sounded he had to be 200 yards. A bit of a rise between us and some wind and he was barely audible. As Muddy said a lot of times it depends on which way he is facing when he gobbles.

Bio 1

[PK_]

in open terrain they are farther than you think.

In forested areas they are closer than you think.

Topography can really mess with you, you are lucky to just get an accurate direction.

Also note that the direction he throws the gobble makes a big difference. A gobbler 200 yards away gobbling towards you will sound 100 yards away. And when he turns around and gobbles away from you he will sound 300 yards away. Also older gobblers will many times only gobble as loud as necessary.

Intimate knowledge and familiarity with the area (or a real good ability to dissect a map) is most important. Most areas I hunt I know pretty much which tree or strut area he is gobbling from...

[Moose]

Thanks fellas! Ive got a ton to learn! Im gonna try to get a late season tag. Even if i dont get a bird theres no better experience then actually doing it. Im sure i will have tons more questions. Thanks again!

[brancher147]

What PK said. I had 2 gobbling on the roost that sounded so far off I could barely hear them could not get a direction and I knew I couldn’t get to them before they flew down. Turns out they were off the top and around a finger ridge probably 300 yards away and I easily got setup on them once I figured it out.

Wind, rain, high humidity, can also mess with you. I had one in the rain last week I thought was on the next ridge and he was just around a spine 100 yards.