Aggressive or passive calling?

[Pinwheel8]

Do you call aggressive or soft? I can and do both but my favorite hunts are where I have had to throw everything in my vest at 'em. So I know that I am definitly an aggressive caller. I've killed birds by clucking a few times and scratching in the leaves, but I love birds that want it cranked up.

[notimlmit]

I start out soft in case one is close and if so stay soft till he commits then go quite---up in the day I get aggressive then tone it down when he commits---only once have I pulled a tom from a hen and then I was calling louder than she was and mocking her every call--I had already seen them together and when she heard me calling she fired up so I gave it back and to my amazement he left her for me--his bad

[Ward]

I few times i've called the hen in,with the gobbler right behind her.Only thing is dont let her bust you!:eek:

[Greenhead Rocker]

I tend to be aggressive. Sometimes it has cost me, but when it works (which is more often than not, for me) it is amazing to see and hear the responses the turkeys make.

[Joe Bryan]

I use to call aggresive for many years with much success but over the years I have toned it done to purrs and clucks. It seems that the birds are more responsive to this for some reason. We just don't hear hens being as vocal as they use to in the spring.

[WildmanWilson]

Both...depends on the bird, the area, the time of year.

[buckfever]

Like everyone else I've called both ways depending on the circumstances.

Like you though, I definitely prefer harvesting birds with aggressive calling.

I've killed a few birds with no calling, and frankly, I didn't think too much of it.

Out of all my hunts though, my absolute favorites were the ones where I struck a hot tom at mid-morning after the hens had gone off to nest. I actually killed my best tom this way (25 1/2 lbs with a 12 1/4" beard).
:D

[Rut36]

I think you can be aggressive early in the season until the birds get smarter then you call very little.

[turk2di]

A little more likely to be aggressive the first day or 2, but after that, im usually real picky with callling much. Also depends on the birds mood too.

[lsmerrill]

It really depends on the situation and time of year. If I am working a tom that I know is by his self I dont want to be too aggressive. I have found that if you make him gobble every step then you are much more likely to get intercepted by hens. Once the tom is commited to me I quit calling.

On the other hand if I know that a tom has hens with him then I am aggressive with my calling and I am mainly calling to the boss hen to p her off so she will want to check me out. When she comes in usually the tom will too. That is just my tactic.

[droptinetom]

that is the age old question, to call or not to call, to much or not enough, to loud or to soft???? As we all know there are different strategies to be successful in a variety of situations. To me the key to success is to treat a Tom as you would like to be treated. If the bird is hot and gobbling at every call you throw at him, CUT HIM OFF! He'll come to find you in most scenarios. Don't let him think you have up and left totally, but don't let him get confident and think you want to come to him more than he wants to come find you.
as for the old passive tom...... I have been more successful with clucking, purring, whining, whistles, and the old raking of the leaves. All medium range vocalizations.
henned up toms........ it seems as though you either have to suffice the hens through aggressive calling, cut the birds off, or if time permits, wait until the male separates from the females on up in the morning and get that lonesome rascal. sometimes you can be successful on birds henned up that have more than one gobbler in the bunch allowing you to convince an ol' satellite tom things are better in your corner of the woods.
Not a pro, just my view on passive and aggressive calling. just stay within your realm of calling ability, and you will be successful. more times than not, it is better to call passively and sound more realistic than to get aggressive and sound unrealistic. KNOW YOUR LIMITATIONS and use them to your advantage!
Good Luck, hunt hard, and may GOD bless!