We all carry a vest full of different calls that will all work better than the rest on a given day with given conditions. But there is that one call that you feel most confident will pull a gobble out of Mr. Tom and pull him to you.
What's your Go-To call when you want to get this thing over with and head to the house with 20 pounds on your shoulder?
FC
these three are Tony Reynolds but the bottom one has been stacking for them for me for 20 years. (https://i.imgur.com/bj20D1D.jpg)
I am partial to Woodhaven and DC Calls mouth calls. The deal maker is my own padauk pot slate over aluminum. Best purr in the woods, even that sweet old hen :funnyturkey:
Season in and out, I mostly rely on the diaphragm mouth call for versatility and the ability to inject an emotional element. I can sound like several hens together, can make a jake yawk and a pretty fair kee-kee run with one. The brand changes as they come and go, but right now I have been getting great responses from a Hook's Executioner 2. Now if I need to purr, I still go to the crystal friction pot.
FC
My go to's are a self made diaphragm call backed up with a Madhatter cooper pot call. I don't like to chance from things that work but I'm gonna try to take an extra call every now and then.
I've got a few calls to play with this year Kevin Dorsey trumpet, Doug Morgan hen box, Matt Fulkerson hen box, Knockout custom rock trough, couple Jeremy Stafford Hen Within pot calls in ceramic and Alumium, and a Preacher man box that prob won't make it to the woods because it's really nice.
When starting a bird and I am also on the gun I will most often use a ceramic pot call....though I have a new Lyman aluminum that may just take over my #1 spot. To finish that same bird will most often be a tom bomb mouth call.
If I am calling for someone else I will pull out the ceramic pot call and go with a little more aggressive mouth call. If I am calling for someone else and I believe IU am calling to more than one bird I will pull out a crystal call, if I am toting one that day.
My normal go to is a mouth call when I know where a bird is. My Confidence call that I feel I can locate a bird with is a Magnolia Game Calls glass over slate. I have toted the Magnolia for over 10 years now and am about ready to "retire" it to shelf life. I have a few that I feel like are in the running to replace it's spot in the vest currently but only Mr. Tom will tell. I also plan to build some after season but that will be later.