Fighting Purr
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I've got two stories from several years back, actually both came in the same year.
Arkansas Youth hunt: Very cold morning, temps not much above 40 with a pretty stiff wind. We drew a hunt in Holla Bend. A turkey gobbled from the roost pretty early, so we were able to get setup quick. He flew down and ran into our setup stopping 20 steps away, but James couldn't see him due to a bush. The gobbler, plus a hen and jake, stayed within 100 yards of us all morning. My brother, who was taping the hunt had to leave, so he snuck out. After about 30 more minutes of freezing, I asked James if he was cold and of course he was about frozen. I decided to do the fighting purrs to see if that would get things going. Using a mouth call and a Primos crystal, I gave it the best I could. All 3 turkeys came running into our setup again, with the gobbler not giving him a clear shot, so he killed the jake. It definetly worked this time.
Missouri hunt later that same year: We were on several turkeys who had given us the slip the last few days. They would gobble from the ridgetops, only to fly down and head toward the hollers, shutting up. We made several circles without striking a gobble, so we decided to put on a mock fight. With mouth calls and friction calls we put on a wild sounding schoolyard brawl and had two gobblers fire back. One turkey gobbled about 3-4 times, while another got fired up. We crossed a steep holler and got setup just in time to hear him gobble at less than 40 yards. He came in and gave Brad a perfect shot. Without the fighting purrs, we probably wouldn't have gotten him.
Several other times I've used it to get turkeys to gobble, but have not had the same luck getting them in as the two stories above.
Arkansas Youth hunt: Very cold morning, temps not much above 40 with a pretty stiff wind. We drew a hunt in Holla Bend. A turkey gobbled from the roost pretty early, so we were able to get setup quick. He flew down and ran into our setup stopping 20 steps away, but James couldn't see him due to a bush. The gobbler, plus a hen and jake, stayed within 100 yards of us all morning. My brother, who was taping the hunt had to leave, so he snuck out. After about 30 more minutes of freezing, I asked James if he was cold and of course he was about frozen. I decided to do the fighting purrs to see if that would get things going. Using a mouth call and a Primos crystal, I gave it the best I could. All 3 turkeys came running into our setup again, with the gobbler not giving him a clear shot, so he killed the jake. It definetly worked this time.
Missouri hunt later that same year: We were on several turkeys who had given us the slip the last few days. They would gobble from the ridgetops, only to fly down and head toward the hollers, shutting up. We made several circles without striking a gobble, so we decided to put on a mock fight. With mouth calls and friction calls we put on a wild sounding schoolyard brawl and had two gobblers fire back. One turkey gobbled about 3-4 times, while another got fired up. We crossed a steep holler and got setup just in time to hear him gobble at less than 40 yards. He came in and gave Brad a perfect shot. Without the fighting purrs, we probably wouldn't have gotten him.
Several other times I've used it to get turkeys to gobble, but have not had the same luck getting them in as the two stories above.
I have used it with success and with poor results. I will say that when it works you are in for one of the most exciting hunts of your life. When I have found it to work the best is when pecking order is being decided or just after the boss tom gets whacked by a load of #6 Heavyshot. if you can see the bird and gauge his responce to your calls it works the best, other wise you may just shut him up and make him leave for less aggressive company.
My first time to try it I was setup blind calling mid-day. Three longbeards come in silent untill a fight broke out just over the rise from me. The birds payed no attention to any hen calling after that and started drifting away. So as a last ditch effort I put on a fight with a mouth call and slate. Before I could put the slate sown they were at 25 yards and closing, fast.
Then that afternoon a buddy and I were sitting blind calling and he asked me to show him how it worked for me that morning. So I start giving the calls hell and, GGGGOOOOOBBBBLLE. If I could have been hunting for myself not just there for the fun of hunting with my bud we could have doubled when 2 big toms ran into check it out. This was in Mississippi and we were hunting the first day and the whole hunt we only saw one tom with hens.
Later that same season I hunted a tom for three days and he and his hens stayed in the field for HOURS but would not come my way for nothing. Day three another buddy, who had tagged out was filming. Same thing as days 1 and 2 untill we put on a fight. This time the hens had to see what was going on and Tommy just had to tag along. This was my first bird on film.
My buddy from the hunt in Ms killed the boss tom three day before and was also hunting about a mile from us and he ended up having to gobble to get his bird to commit.
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Boom
My first time to try it I was setup blind calling mid-day. Three longbeards come in silent untill a fight broke out just over the rise from me. The birds payed no attention to any hen calling after that and started drifting away. So as a last ditch effort I put on a fight with a mouth call and slate. Before I could put the slate sown they were at 25 yards and closing, fast.
Then that afternoon a buddy and I were sitting blind calling and he asked me to show him how it worked for me that morning. So I start giving the calls hell and, GGGGOOOOOBBBBLLE. If I could have been hunting for myself not just there for the fun of hunting with my bud we could have doubled when 2 big toms ran into check it out. This was in Mississippi and we were hunting the first day and the whole hunt we only saw one tom with hens.
Later that same season I hunted a tom for three days and he and his hens stayed in the field for HOURS but would not come my way for nothing. Day three another buddy, who had tagged out was filming. Same thing as days 1 and 2 untill we put on a fight. This time the hens had to see what was going on and Tommy just had to tag along. This was my first bird on film.
My buddy from the hunt in Ms killed the boss tom three day before and was also hunting about a mile from us and he ended up having to gobble to get his bird to commit.
Boom
sounds like when it works, IT WORKS, I talked to one of my dad's old friends about it and he strongly recommended it. He said he had a few hang up while taking his wife hunting and he claimed two big toms just came running in when they started the "fight." I will be giving it a try this season for sure.
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I have used it with a minmal success but I do believe it is of a value- sometimes you just have to do things different and it will at times make a turkey get vocal when nothing else will!:biggrin: I know last year the wife and I was hunting a area that was getting hammered with pressure I used a tatic that normally would have shut every bird around up but for some reason the Heavy calling loud calling and fighting purr would fire up them ole wary birds! You just never know!
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I only use it when i have a bird hened up because most of the time you tick the hen off more than the gobbler & bring them both in. But like all things it only works some times.
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It's a last resort desperate plea for me
I am with you. It is my last resort but, there have been a couple times when it has saved the day. It has it's place in my arsenal.
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:wink:
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It can be devestating to the turkey population in the fall. I've called in many a flock with the fighting purrs during Oct.
I'll agree with the others...it is either hit of miss in the spring. When it works it works great. When it doesn't, that generally means nothing else would have worked either.
I hate to use it much if i am hunting a place for two or three days in a row as I have found it tends to put birds on edge when they hear it and are around it. Just seems to give them the willies.
I'll agree with the others...it is either hit of miss in the spring. When it works it works great. When it doesn't, that generally means nothing else would have worked either.
I hate to use it much if i am hunting a place for two or three days in a row as I have found it tends to put birds on edge when they hear it and are around it. Just seems to give them the willies.
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