Front end yelp / KEE help / high note in general

[super870JT]

I'm one step away from being an above average turkey caller; but i cant establish a good high note or what some call a good front end yelp.   I can only kee kee on like ghost cuts or simple reeds, if i add in any type of V or bat wing all i get is rasp no matter how hard i blow or pressure the call with my tongue. 

any advice on what i may be doing wrong or some advice to help?  its really starting to drive me nuts, ive been calling turkeys for 10 years and kill and call in a lot of birds but i want to take it to the next level.

[Jbird22]

Not all calls will produce a clean Kee. I've found that a really raspy call is one that is all but impossible to get a clean kee out of. A ghost cut will but often times the yelp will be lacking. However, you ought to try a Lost Legacy 3 by Legacy Game Calls. It's the most well rounded Ghost cut type call I've ever ran.

But for me, the call that will do it all is the Hooks Executioner II. I get clean kee-kees, whines, two-note yelps with sufficient rasp, sharp cuts, and content clucks and purrs all out of the same call. Often times it's hard to find all of that in one call. A Houndstooth Dixie Combo is also a really good choice when it comes to a call that will produce a good two note yelp.

[goblr77]

Try running the ghost cut calls a little on the side. That will help add some rasp. The ghost cut Sadler McGraw sells now will produce a beautiful yelp run on the side like that.

[Sadler McGraw]

When I make a ghost cut call it is has a standard stretch and cut in the call.  The cut itself can be tweaked after the fact.
When i make one for myself it looks just like the ones that I sell.  If the keekee has to much "haze" in the whistle, I ever so slightly trim just a little bit off one or both of the wings.   When you do that you will possibly take some of the back end rasp away from a call.   To get the rasp back, i will put two very small dog ears in the back corners of the cut out.  They will be 1/64" long maybe. 

A mouth call can be tuned after the initial cuts are placed in the call with a good pair of sharp Fiskars scissors.

Remember a little will go a long way!!!

Sadler McGraw
Champions Choice Game Calls
World and Grand National Champion

[Lonehowl]

I use the small Fiskars as well, sharp little buggers!! Cut way better than my fly tying scissors.

[Turkey Trot]

I recommend watching Scott Ellis' video, Mouth Call Magic.  It is graduate school level training for diaphragms. 

His method is to move the tongue, depress, and blow air on various parts of the latex until you get the cleanest, high pitch whistle.  That will create the front end of the two-notch call with a little rasp added on the back end.

Tommy Walton of Tom Teasers has a pretty good video as well, but his is more entry level.  His method is to slightly cant a batwing type or inverted v type to make it easier to find the spot for the high, clear whistle pitch. 

You'll get more out of watching the videos than you will discussing it on a forum, the audio and visual aspects come together better.

[Turkey Trot]

This is a good sample of what you will learn from Scott Ellis' video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkKR3eYnBd4

[bamagtrdude]

Here's a little lesson I posted recently: http://youtu.be/IWiwAglZY9U

I've been blasted on this board recently for my calling, but let me just say -- virtually every single hunt I've been on this year, they've gobbled like maniacs to my calling.  A friend who turkey hunts here in my office said, "You're the only guy I know that's hearing 'em gobble".  I must be doing something right, according to the birds (not other guys).

I don't say this to brag or boast - *BUT* to illustrate this one, simple point: it ain't all about making a "competition" call in the woods.  I wouldn't get too fixated on the 2-note yelp; I think Scott's videos are excellent, and he yelps like a KING!  And, he's won many competitions with his calling.  And, he bags birds.

All I can say is, I make 'em gobble, and I bag birds with my calling.  Maybe my video can help you out.

[L.F. Cox]

Myself for turkey killing I like a diaphragm that will play at very low volume....one you whisper in a gobblers ear with. Only one I've ever found is Steve Kinder's Extreme Kee but the truth is I'm through looking as long as he keeps making them.

Before I met Steve I used Preston Pittman's two reed "killer"...but something happened to it...a rubber change or something. The last ones Preston gave me I almost past out blowing them.

I'm a hunter and I'm not too concerned with high volume playing with a lot of air pressure...That's what I saw in the videos posted.

I want one I can play almost as quiet as a slate call can be played.

[RaspyD]

Myself for turkey killing I like a diaphragm that will play at very low volume....one you whisper in a gobblers ear with. I want one I can play almost as quiet as a slate call can be played.

That's exactly how I like a mouth call to be.  A call made using prophylactic latex is the key for me in getting both the clear front end and the raspy back end at low volume calling.