Camo up, choose the right spot, do your best imitation of a yelping hen and you just might slap a tag on a wild turkey this spring.

Many beginning turkey hunters are either intimidated or obsessed by the calling part of the equation. But they shouldn’t be.

Calling gets too much credit when a hunt goes right and too much blame when it doesn’t, said Dick Turpin of Lincoln. The 72-year-old woodsman and former conservation officer will have hunted wild turkeys in Nebraska for his 46th straight spring this year.

“Don’t think you’ve got to be a championship caller, because that’s not the case,” he said.

To make his point, Turpin mentioned a hunt a few years ago in which he forgot to bring his calls to the blind. His companion pulled out a box call and started screeching away. Turpin silently winced.

But within minutes, a gobbler strutted in and started fanning.

Look, it won’t hurt a thing if you learn to match a hen note for note. If nothing else, calling well helps boost your confidence. But Turpin said scouting and woodsmanship are just as important as calling skill.

That being said, nothing can quite match the feeling of calling a tom in close. So Turpin offered a few pointers to help anyone improve their calling.

The calls

Turkey hunters have devised everything from hollowed out wing bones to wooden boxes to concave slate disks to imitate hen turkeys. Turpin, who makes box calls, suggested learning to use at least two different types because birds will sometimes respond to one but not another.

He likes to use a diaphragm call, otherwise known as a mouth call. The advantage to a mouth call is it allows the hunter’s hands to remain free and provides a wide range of volume. But for some, a diaphragm is difficult to use.

His second choice is a box call. Slate calls (often made of glass or aluminum) also produce good sound and are fairly easy to master. A button call is a good choice for a young hunter.

The sounds

Listen before you speak.

Get a compact disc or MP3 and listen to turkey talk. Even better, spend time scouting your perspective hunting spots and take in the array of vocalizations turkeys produce. Try to match their cadence and rhythm.

Turpin recommended learning how to yelp, the primary call of a hen trying to locate or lure in other birds. This is the call hunters use to let toms know where they are.

Also work on clucks and purrs. They convey contentment and a sense of safety. They’re the softer calls hunters use when a tom is moving in and needs a little encouragement.

The “putt” is one call you don’t want to use. A loud, sharp “PUTT … PUTT” is a warning call turkeys use to communicate danger.

Other tips

Box calls require a bit of powder to generate the right friction. Some hunters use powdered chalk, but Turpin prefers rosin. He makes his own from tree sap, but violin rosin works just as well.

Chip a bit of rosin out with a pocket knife, grind into a powder and dust on the paddle and edges of your box call. It won’t attract water like chalk and it won’t leave your hands and pockets blue. One application usually lasts all season.

The question of how much to call triggers a lot of debate among hunters.

Under the right conditions, any tom within a few hundred yards will hear loud yelping. And they have an uncanny ability to pinpoint the call’s location. Just because a tom doesn’t gobble in response doesn’t mean he’s not coming, so give plenty of time for silent birds to show before you move.

Otherwise, Turpin generally uses softer calling at first light and turns up the volume later in the morning when trying to locate toms. When you’ve got a bird in sight, try to read him and adjust calling frequency and volume accordingly.

Sometimes the best thing to do is shut up and let a bird’s curiosity take over.

Get a couple of calls you like, put in some practice and don’t worry.

“Satisfy yourself,” Turpin said. “Make a good yelp and a good purr, and if that’s as far as you’ve gotten, that’s all right.”

Reach Joe Duggan at 473-7239 or jduggan@journalstar.com.