Can turkeys really tell the difference?

[VTbowman]

I bought a Primos "The Freak" crystal "slate" call, sanded it down and got it sounding pretty good IMO. I also bought the HS Strut striker 3 pak. (Rosewood, Magic Wand, and Cross Cut)
I was told you can get a different sound out of the same call with different strikers.
While testing I did hear a slight difference but not big difference.
Can the birds tell or hear a difference giving I am doing my part to use the call correctly?
Or is it hype?
Thanks

[RyanH]

Yes they can! Its just a matter of opinion for the Turkey! Its just like you talkin to a girl! Some girls have a sexy voice some dont!

[Strut10]

There is a difference and I am sure a turkey could tell the difference. The big question is: "Does it make a difference?" The answer is yes.......maybe.........sometimes.

The biggest reason I can think of to experiment with strikers is to find the one that runs best for you on your call. Once you have a striker that allows you to bring the sound of a real live hen out of your call, I'm not so convinced that the change in tone a different striker will bring makes a huge difference in what a gobbler's feeling. Sometimes a tom will respond well to one call and not at all to another. But it's usually..........usually.........two calls with markedly differing sound qualities.......not a subtle difference.

I carry 2 strikers to the woods with me. Mostly only in case I lose one of them, I'll have another. Since you are running the crystal call, it would be wise for you to carry a weatherproof striker with you. If it rains, I'm hosed with my slate call & wooden peg. You'll still be in business.

[VTbowman]

One of the 3 pak has a carbon tip on it. The Magic Wand is what they call it. I get a real raspy yelp with it but have not tried it wet yet. Maybe something good to practice before I am out in the woods huh?
Thanks for the insight.

[HeviShot]

YES! Short Story.My friend missed a bird last year using a diaphram.We went back 3 days later same bird same tree.I fired him up and he strutted in.At 40 yards my buddy decided to make him gobble some more with the same call he used earlier.The millisecond the bird heard it he went out of strutt and froze I beleived he remembered the sound.

[Bowtech_archer07]

I think it does. A small difference in sound to us can be a huge difference to a wild animal. There is hearing is much more precise and fine-tuned than ours. Just last year, I switched strikers that didn't sound very different to me, but once that gobbler heard him, he fired up!!

[Blaine_Cardilli]

I agree wholeheartedly with Strut10. And as for me, of all the calls I have, (and believe me, there are many), I go into the woods with two different slate pots and 3 different strikers. The goal is to be able to create at least two totally different sounds in case the gobbler doesn't like one in particular, such as a plain sounding yelp, as opposed to a very raspy sounding yelp, or maybe something really high pitched compared to a soft call. Turkeys have definitely proven they can be very temperamental and moody, so we have to be ready to call accordingly! Ha!