Title says it all really. I've hunted turkeys since I was 15, but ten years on I'm starting to look at getting kitted out to hunt on my own more often and a big part of that is upgrading my equipment and getting a pair of good calls, one short box and one good pot (preferably waterproof or with an aluminum soundboard) from a custom maker, rather than a Primos/Quaker Boy commercial product.
Since I'm in Canada and a recent college grad I don't have a ton of cash to throw around, but I could lay out up to $75-100 American for each call, not counting strikers. With those criteria in mind, I was wondering what the collective wisdom of the forum would recommend, preferably with a waiting list if at all, that would put a call in my hand by this coming March at the latest?
Look at S S Custom calls , Mike with Spring Creek calls, Jeff White Custom Calls, these guys make some good custom boxes in your price range and Chris Brumfiel turkey calls he makes both boxes and pot calls .. for pots Get with Mark Cornelius - Mac Turkey calls and Nathan Taylor - Higher calling for your custom pot calls ... Also welcome to the forum ...
Quote from: Greg Massey on September 21, 2019, 09:35:46 PM
Look at S S Custom calls , Mike with Spring Creek calls, Jeff White Custom Calls, these guys make some good custom boxes in your price range and Chris Brumfiel turkey calls he makes both boxes and pot calls .. for pots Get with Mark Cornelius - Mac Turkey calls and Nathan Taylor - Higher calling for your custom pot calls ... Also welcome to the forum ...
I agree with all this and would throw in John Sinclair as well for the waterproof pot as well as Pecker Wrecker Turkey Calls, the last did a video of himself playing his waterproof pot in the shower.
Quote from: Greg Massey on September 21, 2019, 09:35:46 PM
Look at S S Custom calls , Mike with Spring Creek calls, Jeff White Custom Calls, these guys make some good custom boxes in your price range and Chris Brumfiel turkey calls he makes both boxes and pot calls .. for pots Get with Mark Cornelius - Mac Turkey calls and Nathan Taylor - Higher calling for your custom pot calls .
I agree with this list of callmakers.
I would add Larry "Buster" Halford to the pot call list.
First and foremost, welcome to this great forum. I agree with all the wisdom above. You also should check out Oak Ridge Calls. Jimmy Schaefer is a great guy, and makes some fine calls at reasonable prices. He stands behind everything he sells. My favorites from Jimmy are his Blue Mahoe Slate and Glass calls. Best of luck.
:welcomeOG:
I'm not a box call person, so I can't help there. For pot calls, you can't go wrong with any that are already listed. I would add Paul Hicks, aka. Daddy Rat on this forum, to the list. Good luck and let us know what you get.
Can't go wrong with the ones listed......I'd add Josh Farley to the box call list.
I'd add David Halloran, Ricky Padgett (Spring Allure), Paul Durham , Hank's calls, many more out there.
Thanks for the recommendations everyone! Now I've gotta spend the weekend listening to sound files and debating between surfaces! Out of curiosity, anyone used a Halloran Cherry Slate? I really like the sound of his Metal Mouth II but curious about his other offerings.
Spring creek box and a halloran crystal mistress and you will be set.
For pots MAC turkey calls and Larry Halford "Buster" on this forum are tough to beat. Get a walnut green slate from MAC and a red slate in a persimmon pot from Buster you will never need another slate call and these are two of the top calls I have currently. Both make a jam up glass call as well. MAC makes a great aluminum in walnut that is a killer call as well.
Nathan Taylor and Dustin Jones Blackstone calls make great pots as well.
If you know someone in Georgia that can pick calls up for you Lonnie Mabry makes some of the best old school grey slates I have heard there $35 a piece get one with a wood soundboard either walnut or cedar call. He makes a great cost style box call for less than $100. Problem is he want mail calls to you.
For waterproof aluminum get in touch with Darren Dawkins and get a stoned aluminum in a plastic pot for $55 its a great call one of the best aluminum calls I own.
Have you considered scratch boxes there cheaper than cost style boxes and can have the same volume and in my opinion sound better when you got the right one in your hands. Scott Baseshore, Joe Sherrod, Curtis Terrell, Josh Farley and others make great scratch boxes all are less than $50.
I'd have to give a shout out to S&S. Their field grade boxes are great and priced right, $75.
If you wanted to stay in the $200 range for both calls, why not look in the classifieds? Bet you be able to get more than 2 calls.
I'd go w SS or Halloran for boxes. SS or Lonnie Gilbert for scratchers. For pots the Halloran Mistress is a good one. One of Schafer's aluminum's is what I'd recommend.
Mac, Blackstone or Lonzo are makers you couldn't go wrong with in any surface. I had great luck this spring w a green slate from Lonzo. First time I've run green slate
Good luck to ya. Let us know what you get and welcome
While I haven't been able to decide on a box yet, I just had a great conversation with Nathan Taylor and put an order in for a black slate/cedar pot! Mr. Taylor said it should give me the mellow, punchy yelp that I've been looking for as opposed to the higher tone that most pots have. Now to go on the hunt for strikers!
I have some great strikers from JLH. The heavy hickory worked great this spring on my Brad Roberts green slate.
JLH, Neal here both make very nice strikers. I am found of Stuckey strikers but only because of hand problems, they seem to be the only things I have found that does not bother my hands to use and sound good and I like his mushroom tips.
That brings up another thing you need to think on, do you want a straight tip, flarred tip or more of a Mushroom tip like Stuckey or Halloran put on theirs?
Here is a picture to show some different tip type.
Nice job Sir. You really are helping this young man get off on the right track. Wish I had that guidance.....Nice striker pics. Thanks much....
Quote from: Tom007 on September 27, 2019, 08:03:13 PM
Nice job Sir. You really are helping this young man get off on the right track. Wish I had that guidance.....Nice striker pics. Thanks much....
Thanks, I do what I can, there are those with much more knowledge than I have.
Glad you like the pics, they came off my crummy cell phone.
You get what you pay for in strikers, so my suggestion is buy quality ones....
Quote from: Sir-diealot on September 27, 2019, 06:47:22 PM
JLH, Neal here both make very nice strikers. I am found of Stuckey strikers but only because of hand problems, they seem to be the only think I have found that does not bother my hands to use and sound good and I like his mushroom tips.
That brings up another thing you need to think on, to want a straight tip, flarred tip or more of a Mushroom tip like Stuckey or Halloran put on theirs?
Here is a picture to show some different tip type.
Thanks for the tip! I have a bit of tendonitis left over from tree planting so I might take your tip on the Stuckey creations. Is there really any difference in acoustics with the different tips or is really just a matter of aesthetics and calling style/hand position? I'll probably get a couple different wooden strikers and a waterproof one (Dymondwood would function for that, correct?) and try to keep the whole kit fairly lightweight so I only go hunting with my one pot and two strikers in addition to a box and a mouth call. Thanks again for the help everyone!
Quote from: Loyalist84 on September 28, 2019, 12:13:51 AM
Quote from: Sir-diealot on September 27, 2019, 06:47:22 PM
JLH, Neal here both make very nice strikers. I am found of Stuckey strikers but only because of hand problems, they seem to be the only think I have found that does not bother my hands to use and sound good and I like his mushroom tips.
That brings up another thing you need to think on, to want a straight tip, flarred tip or more of a Mushroom tip like Stuckey or Halloran put on theirs?
Here is a picture to show some different tip type.
Thanks for the tip! I have a bit of tendonitis left over from tree planting so I might take your tip on the Stuckey creations. Is there really any difference in acoustics with the different tips or is really just a matter of aesthetics and calling style/hand position? I'll probably get a couple different wooden strikers and a waterproof one (Dymondwood would function for that, correct?) and try to keep the whole kit fairly lightweight so I only go hunting with my one pot and two strikers in addition to a box and a mouth call. Thanks again for the help everyone!
I personally think there is a difference in the sound each makes, if you do decide to go with a Stuckey I would highly suggest his tulipwood striker, plays wonderfully on just about everything I have put it to. As to how to hold and that sort of thing here is a thread I made last year asking how people hold their strikers and there is a comment there on how to hold the pot too. Primos has a good series on how to run a pot and how to hold a striker, I think it is mentioned on that thread but I will go get you a link to the first one and you can watch them through yourself.
As to if diamondwood is waterproof or not I am not positive on that so I will let somebody that knows more than me answer that question for you, as the saying goes it is better to stay silent and let people think you are ignorant than to open you mouth and prove you are ignorant.
Here are the two links. http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/topic,85014.0.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELL6l_t9zUQ&list=PLbF6qMoJbTLzkdmzIrqSSxeTkJKKmXVg8&index=15&t=0s
Some strikers , depending on the tips are more realistic in producing the best sounds from the call surface. The better the quality of the striker will usually determine how good the call sounds. It's like the glass a builder uses on the pot surface , the higher the quality of glass for example, matched with an average striker, your going to get a sound that is average or passable. So that's why you want the best quality and assortment of strikers. So look for custom strikers that are pleasing to the eyes, but more importantly pleasing to the ears, you will know or find your sound your looking for in hunting your birds in your area. Wood tip strikers on those wet, rainy or high humidity become useless in most cases so yes get you waterproof tip striker just for those occasions. Density and weight of strikers make a big difference in the sound or tone of your pots. No wood striker tip is waterproof in my opinion .. some are just harder in density... Flare tip or round tip, some of these are more forgiving to mistakes you may make in using your pots. My suggestion is practice to see what's best for you and your pots for the sound your looking for with that pot call.
Thanks for the insight Greg! I'll probably order a few, but I'd like to try and keep the excess strikers to a minimum since I'll only ever carry two, and ideally keep my total to that many. I definitely prefer a rounded tip, but in my limited calling experience (that is, limited to what was available 6 or more years ago at Cabelas) I haven't had the opportunity to try out flare tip strikers.
I might be jumping the gun a bit anyway since my call isn't here yet, but is there a guide as to which woods work best on black slate so that I don't end up buying a bunch of strikers I'd have to re-sell? Admittedly I'm being a bit frugal about it since I'd have to pay shipping to Canada, and then the rate of exchange of 73 cents American puts a half dozen of, say, Derrick Stuckey's strikers, around the $240 dollar mark before tax 'n shipping, only to keep one.
Or is this like fly fishing where you might as well give up on the idea of cheaping out if you want good equipment?
Here is a list with the attributes two different makers give to some woods. The ones marked H are ones I have and the ones marked W are ones I want. Oh the two makers are Stuckey and Cox. The description in brackets are Stuckey and the others are from Cox
Macassar Ebony Striker -H- (Macassar Ebony is an exotic wood with heartwood that is reported to be strong, very heavy, and very hard. It is from Indonesia and has a Janka Hardness rating of 3220. This is my best selling striker, it more than doubles the number sold of any other wood type I offer.) A very dense wood that is great on glass and aluminum. Raspy yelps and aggressive cutts.
Tulipwood Striker -H- (This is a custom turned striker made from Brazilian Tulipwood. Tulipwood is an exotic wood native to the tropical region of South America, mainly Brazil. It is a hard and heavy wood, with a rather fine texture. has a Janka Hardness rating of 2560 and work great on any surface.) My favorite striker of all that I sell. This is a medium density wood that works on any surface. This wood is quickly become extinct and very hard to find. Yellow and pinkish stripes make this one very appealing to the eye.
Hickory Striker -H- ( Runs on any surface, I especially like it on aluminum. Hickory has a Janka Hardness rating of 1820. Satisfaction guaranteed.) Very dense wood that works best for aggressive calling on glass and aluminum.
Purpleheart Striker -H- Very dense wood that is really good on glass and aluminum. Cutts, cackles and loud, raspy yelps are best achieved with this striker.
Jatoba -H- (Jatoba is an exotic wood that runs from salmon-red to orange-brown and is from Central and South America with a Janka Hardness rating of 2690. Jatoba makes a great striker that sounds great on all surfaces.)
Bubinga Striker -W- (Bubinga is a beautiful wood with a Janka Hardness rating of 2628 that makes a great striker that sounds great on all surfaces.) A very dense wood that, in my opinion, works best on glass and aluminum. Raspy and loud are two of the features of bubinga.
Cocobolo Striker -W- (Cocobolo is an exotic wood native to Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica. The wood is very durable and strong, with a fine texture. It is extremely beautiful, ranging in color from dark red to reddish brown, with an irregular grain pattern. Cocobolo has a Janka Hardness rating of 2960 and work great on any surface.) A prized wood for its tonal qualities, cocobolo is great on all surfaces. I prefer it on glass for its raspy yelps and aggressive cutts.
Wenge Striker -W- (Wenge is an exotic wood with a natural growth range of the species is reported to be the open forests of Zaire, Cameroon, Gabon, the southern regions of Tanzania, and Mozambique. It is also found in the swampy forests of the Congo region. I sold several of these at NWTF 2015. Wenge is a dense wood, while at the same time being lite in weight, it makes a very good striker. These work well on slate.) Wenge is a very hard, dense wood. It is grainy and grips any surface well. I prefer it on glass and aluminum.
Bocote Striker -W- Dense wood, blonde and blackish-brown stripes, with a super rasp. Works great, especially on slate.
Dymondwood Striker -W- This striker is very dense and hard. It works best on glass and aluminum and produces raspy yelps, cutts and cackles.
Persimmon Striker -H- (Runs on any surface, kee kee's and yelps great.)
Ipe -H- Ipe, also known as Brazilian Walnut is from Central and South America. Ipe heartwood can vary in color from reddish brown, to a more yellowish olive brown or darker blackish brown; sometimes with contrasting darker brown/black stripes, it is rated 3600 on the Janka Hardness scale. I ran this striker on 6 different calls and it sounds great on every surface.
Black and White ebony -W- (Black and White ebony is an exotic wood with color that is reported to vary with species, usually uniformly black with light-colored bands, pale to medium brown zones, or with marked contrast between almost white and black wood. black and white is from Southeast Asia, Myanmar, and Burma and has a janka hardness rating of 1780. No 2 pieces of this wood ever look the same, it has beautiful grain patterns and color. Makes a great yelping and cutting striker.)
Oh and yes you normally get what you pay for but there really are SOME exceptions but they are few and far between from what I have seen.
I don't suppose you offer other miracles in your repetoire, do you?
That's honestly amazing, thanks so much - I realized now that I probably have to look at Canadian import regs as well since I might not be able to order certain species like Macassar Ebony or Rosewoods and make half the list moot anyway.
Quote from: Loyalist84 on September 28, 2019, 05:03:47 PM
I don't suppose you offer other miracles in your repetoire, do you?
That's honestly amazing, thanks so much - I realized now that I probably have to look at Canadian import regs as well since I might not be able to order certain species like Macassar Ebony or Rosewoods and make half the list moot anyway.
Sorry, I just tend to keeps lists because I take Fentanyl and Oxycodone and I forget a lot of things because of them. I am not sure about the regs, I know that Canada is stricter on some things than The United States. Go here, scale down and there is a map for Canada, pick your Province and it will show makers in your area. https://www.callcollector.com/turkey-calls.html
It's a pretty good indicator of the amount of turkey hunting that goes on in this country that there are only 3 custom makers listed there - one passed away, the other without a presence since 2011 and possibly passed away, and the other, Recall Designs, has a box call in my father's turkey vest that is their only offering aside from two acrylic pots! For my two cents their box, a walnut/sycamore, isn't a step up from a Primos at all.
How about outside your province?
That's in the whole country according to the website!
Don't just automatically rule out certain businesses. Places like Macks Prairie Wings and Midwest Turkey Call have very good collections of what are really custom/semi custom calls from the likes of Halloran, McClain, Hooks, Hanks, etc, etc.
These businesses have probably dealt a lot more with Canadian customers.
Also, as far as strikers go, one of the best that you get and is available at a lot of places is the Woodhaven Strike 3 Birch. It will run on any surface and plays very easily. I've got tons of custom strikers, but the Woodhaven seems to make the cut every year.
Quote from: Sixes on September 28, 2019, 06:39:51 PM
Don't just automatically rule out certain businesses. Places like Macks Prairie Wings and Midwest Turkey Call have very good collections of what are really custom/semi custom calls from the likes of Halloran, McClain, Hooks, Hanks, etc, etc.
These businesses have probably dealt a lot more with Canadian customers.
Also, as far as strikers go, one of the best that you get and is available at a lot of places is the Woodhaven Strike 3 Birch. It will run on any surface and plays very easily. I've got tons of custom strikers, but the Woodhaven seems to make the cut every year.
X2 ... agree that's why i like assortment of strikers ...
Quote from: Loyalist84 on September 28, 2019, 06:13:10 PM
That's in the whole country according to the website!
Maybe this group could be of help, I will see what I can find for you.
Here is another, it is not all turkey but it does cover some. https://www.facebook.com/cwtfederation/?__tn__=kCH-R&eid=ARCxcpx7CNv5khng03Yx4ITvn1OwlS8s011w-WhWGyn1nKkbOxiTxoJPj82dZQzig1eyEIGN7etQY0dN&hc_ref=ARQRlSr1yyIXkVKUIRm2xqlTWtA2IQM3GhpkGOyX5e6i-lKdzxXsCWcG-gPw6FCRGVE&__xts__[0]=68.ARDqlxJgv1SF6rMwf5PaH9qSHw-c3djv1oqqXMZwiqDDmkbiQj6Y_dMmFwA6Y1Vr-XaZIg8f6nZPhxMdd3niiMw8x18akd13tINbnJmGzxmBnmXZayJRx6smAaFgwyu7USH0Lja4H0C0BDq_2bXQpvL2Ugn417Qn3J53qecRSSW6zgHsv-u0MSzmPpdw96_sJz_kpyMKLcAgj9AzAAPu9hP9HAvek1QulN2xR3tTgRUv58LiiBFUiLYd1974FoUbAsOuRS6E8jXfJ006S9pEFNxW7pZtL41Tk61jNqOnsKIo7mC7Hr8trvo5fU8SRwuddbgfhuwRS3SauWX59RmmfqBApwOoLtI
Thanks! I didn't even think of the CWTF, even though I've been lining up a membership since NWTF pulled out to south of the border. I will definitely check them out more thoroughly along with the other companies mentioned. That said I do much prefer to order direct from a guy doing it from a shop in his backyard than a larger company - if only to better support the little guy and make sure he gets all the money for his labour!
In any case though, I ordered two strikers from JLH and had a fantastic chat with him in the process, great guy whose enthusiasm and knowledge about his craft is abundantly clear. With all that done, I just have to track down a box (narrowed it down to Spring Creek, SS or Josh Farley) that speaks Turkey to me, get a waterproof striker, and then start Jonesing for the postman! :happy0064:
You're quite welcome.
Finished up the repetoire tonight by ordering a Bloodwood over Black Limba Small Talk box from Josh Farley - like Nathan Taylor, another great guy who clearly takes a lot of pride in his work. I can't thank the folks at this forum enough for getting me onto these fellas (Farley, Taylor and JLH), without you all I'd be going to the woods with a battered Primos Wet-Box! Thanks for opening my eyes to how strong the turkey hunting community is - even if all the good stuff is south of the border from me!
Welcome to the disease.
Quote from: Loyalist84 on September 30, 2019, 09:36:18 PM
Finished up the repetoire tonight by ordering a Bloodwood over Black Limba Small Talk box from Josh Farley - like Nathan Taylor, another great guy who clearly takes a lot of pride in his work. I can't thank the folks at this forum enough for getting me onto these fellas (Farley, Taylor and JLH), without you all I'd be going to the woods with a battered Primos Wet-Box! Thanks for opening my eyes to how strong the turkey hunting community is - even if all the good stuff is south of the border from me!
Your more than welcome , now wait until you received them and the fun begins... this is only the start of your buying ....
Oh I reallly hope not - my wallet can't cope with this exchange rate! :z-dizzy:
First of the packages have started to come in! Just got my strikers from JLH, but I'll let his photos speak for the beauty of them - a gorgeous Black and White Ebony and one of the best Katalox strikers to ever come off his bench (JLH's words, not mine) complete with worm-holing and sapwood! Can't wait to put them to slate soon!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48926840023_2a487d580d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48927370121_2a1e06d542.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48927563662_d606905fd9.jpg)
Fine looking strikers, congratulations. Made a post looking for some Canadian makers for you. If you want to join group and read for yourself here is link to the group if not I will list them here for you.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/452910581909599/permalink/642597546274234/
First one is:
Shawn Cameron
From Delhi Ontario
TS Custom Calls
Dark 30 Calls
Knotty Beaver Calls
That's awesome, I can't tell you how much I appreciate that, man. I will definitely check the group out but I'm looking quite intently at Knotty Beaver and Dark:30's stuff. Thanks for digging those guys up for me!
Also from Ontario. Have look at Big Creek Calls
Quote from: Loyalist84 on October 20, 2019, 09:11:47 PM
That's awesome, I can't tell you how much I appreciate that, man. I will definitely check the group out but I'm looking quite intently at Knotty Beaver and Dark:30's stuff. Thanks for digging those guys up for me!
You're very welcome. I just posted the question and a gentleman from Ontario replied with those names.
Quote from: Loyalist84 on October 20, 2019, 12:19:58 AM
First of the packages have started to come in! Just got my strikers from JLH, but I'll let his photos speak for the beauty of them - a gorgeous Black and White Ebony and one of the best Katalox strikers to ever come off his bench (JLH's words, not mine) complete with worm-holing and sapwood! Can't wait to put them to slate soon!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48926840023_2a487d580d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48927370121_2a1e06d542.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48927563662_d606905fd9.jpg)
Those are some beautiful strikers
Quote from: Greg Massey on October 20, 2019, 11:11:34 PM
Quote from: Loyalist84 on October 20, 2019, 12:19:58 AM
First of the packages have started to come in! Just got my strikers from JLH, but I'll let his photos speak for the beauty of them - a gorgeous Black and White Ebony and one of the best Katalox strikers to ever come off his bench (JLH's words, not mine) complete with worm-holing and sapwood! Can't wait to put them to slate soon!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48926840023_2a487d580d.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48927370121_2a1e06d542.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48927563662_d606905fd9.jpg)
Those are some beautiful strikers
X2 those are really nice!
I was given two more names for you.
Death Head Game Calls, Wayne Howard.
This is what is so amazing about this forum. This is why I am happy to be part of this group. All the expertise above is priceless, it's fantastic to see the passion in passing on all the info to our brotherhood. Thanks much......
Those strikers are amazing
Just purchased a Lonnie Sneed green glass call and it sounds great cost was $73.00 which included shipping. I also have a Halloran Metal Mouth which I think I paid $60.00 and a Halloran box call that I paid $65.00 for but both Hallorans at the NWTF convention and both are great. Also I have a Lonzo aluminium in black acrylic that I really like. I think all of these are in your price range and quality calls.
Got over to the post office yesterday and picked up a trove.
First was a Maple/Brazilian Cherry crow call from Daryal Gosey, can't say enough good things about it. It's loud, crisp and I reckon it would start flapping if it wasn't tied to my chest pack, but I can't say much more about it since this is the first crow call I've ever owned!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49035491896_8bd75234a5_w.jpg)
Along with the crow call was a stellar pot from Nathan Taylor. I talked with him extensively regarding the sound I wanted, and his recommendation of cedar with a black slate surface couldn't have been more accurate. Aside from it being a gorgeous piece of wood, this thing is a masterpiece of a call. With JLH's Katalox striker it's an old boss hen with more rasp than a pack-a-day smoker, and his Black and White ebony turns it into a purring jenny. I can't overstate how easy this call is to run - you hardly need to press wood to slate to get a cluck, and you can open up to a screaming yelp with less than half the pressure I need on any other call I've owned. It's definitely the low, full tone that I was looking for in a call with a full second note on the yelp with a great rollover. To top it off, Mr. Taylor's customer service was excellent and you can tell he is deeply passionate about his work, but I'll let the photos say the rest even though they don't do it justice.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49035488447_f7e13df967_w.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49034766608_a2cedca2a4_w.jpg)
Really am happy that you got calls that you clearly enjoy. I hope they bring you many, many birds in your future.
Loyalist
I live in Minnesota which of course is a northern climate,, being in Canada I'm guessing you deal with anything in the spring has we do here, snow,cold,rain, sleet, strong northwest winds. Has far has friction calls go a Darin Dawkins aluminium in plastic pot will beat most weather I will say the best all weather friction call I've ever used is a loftus Crystal Screamer. There will be quite a few days you will leave the box call and wood pot home and you can always use a mouth call when it's wet or a production call but considering how few days a year you get to hunt you might want to eventually add a quality all weather friction call.
It's definitely in the corner of my mind Hooker! We only have 5 weeks of turkey season though, May and the last week of April, so we have plenty of wind and frosty mornings in the first week, but thankfully when the Toms are moving the snow has left almost entirely and we just need to deal with rain by the time turkey season rolls around. I have a Walnut/Aluminum on order from Mark Cornelius for my bad weather pot for that reason, but depending on how this spring goes I may end up picking up a plastic pot to supplement my frankly terrible mouth calling.
That said we are polluted with the birds up here, so I can actually afford to be a fair weather hunter to get my 2 birds of the year up here for the first couple weeks! Might be a desperation order in the future! :OGturkeyhead:
I'm a new call maker but learned/learning from one of the best who is semi retired now, Darrell Gibson. I don't know anything about box calls but I've only been asking 40 for my pots, another 20 for a good striker plus shipping. I just made a post introducing myself with some pics of my calls, and I'd be happy to send you pictures of more. I currently have pots made from crotch figure walnut, curly, Birdseye, ambrosia and burl maple and one from curly purpleheart. If you're interested I also make yelpers that are pretty easy to play in that price range, and crow and owl calls for locators.
My email is weatheredbranch@gmail.com
Ncbowjunkie can vouch for sound quality of what I'm making, he learned from uncle Darrel too and has played some of my calls. He also makes some very nice calls himself that he posts for sale regularly on here