New guy here. I am currently packing a rohm brothers walnut 1-sider(clear w rasp) and an ozark ridge ozark hen walnut(my old boss). My passion is dueling long spurred public land gobblers. Both my birds were fine competitors this year with each sporting quality hooks and stubborn attitudes typical of 3+ years living in the public timber of Iowa.
Anyways....I'm wanting to add a purple heart/cedar(seems to be popular combo here) or some other exotic combo that is not something "most hunters are packing". I need something that has a good range for windy days that can also be soft and seductive.. I'm hoping the ph/cedar fits the bill. I am open to other combos as I am just starting my research.
I have checked SS Customs, Hollaran, and Sleepy Creek so far. What are some other makers that I am missing. Wanting to stay around $100. Thanks for any additional info.
SS and Halloran are where I'd start
Thanks BG. Any opinions on wood combos or is the ph/cedar a good choice. It seems a lot of guys here like them.
Hallorans Purple Heart /cedar is a good one for sure.
Yes the Purple Heart cedar is def good. Not all will sound the exact same. Halloran makes a heavy lid. It almost runs itself but it's more raspy to my ear. The SS are less so. Both great calls.
Another thing you mentioned is using on windy days. Personally for the most part in general and especially on windy days I'd grab a long box. That's for sure something the average public land hunter may not carry.
It's more versatile, and cuts wind seemingly better. I don't normally carry a short box but always have a long box. I just like em better. Now I hunt w Jroddc some and he more often carries a short box because we'd be trying to compliment each other's calls. Long boxes imo you'd go dif woods.
Regarding volume. I think it's Marlin Watkins you tube that shows him using his hands on soundboard (sides) to take some volume out. It works.
Not trying to sway you, only another consideration
Thanks gents. I have considered a LB but I would use a good shortbox a lot more. I don't hunt in high wind unless I am forced to do it and then I typically know the "out of wind" areas.
These custom guys sure make some nice looking calls and I know they are gonna sound better than they look. . I'd be honored to own any of them I've looked at thus far.
Good luck to ya let us know what you decide on
You can't go wrong with SS calls. Purple heart/cedar is a great sounding combo as is their butternut/kwila. I also like the walnut/poplar from Albert Paul.
I think my search is getting more interesting. I guess I've expanded to ph/cedar, ph/butternut, and Kwila/butternut. Time to start making some phone calls. Maybe it would just be easier to get 3. Anyone know of a "box hunter" vest that has multiple holsters?? Lol
SS makes a shedua, cedar that's pretty good as well as one made of jatoba. Why don't you call Al from SS and explain the type sound you want.
Here's again only another suggestion. If you call Al why not get a scratcher as well to add to your collection? He makes great ones. It's basically a hingeless small box call of sorts. Here's the thing, if you have 20 boxes say, even though they sound dif you'll prob run them similar. A scratcher I'd bet you have a slightly dif cadence. Still within the turkey vocabulary but different enough to really be different. Only another consideration. Best one I can think of though if you want 3 is a short box, longbox and scratcher.
Just an FYI the kwila/butternut was good advice too
Lonnie Mabry is you live within driving distance of north Georgia
Recently got Halloran's PH/cedar. Heavier lid takes a slight getting used to but its an easy runner. Love the sound and for the price I'm not afraid to hunt the heck out of it.
What kind of talk is produced from: (clear/sharp, high, low, raspy, old bossy)
Purpleheart/cedar
Kwila/butternut
Found a few PH/cedar sound files but have found 0 K/B sound files. Don't want to bother any makers quite yet as I have 100% decided on one.
My kwila/butternut has a raspier back end of the yelp than pH/cedar. I don't know if that is normally how Al tunes them though. I ordered both calls at the same time and asked to have one tuned raspier.
This video is a good example of Hallorans. I'm sure you can request he tune one to your liking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS7dP_5zS-4
I own alot of David's boxes and just got sick and tired of the pics they were posting with the Purple Heart and Cedar shortboxes . so I added one ! Its a consistent producer for him and alot of our friends but I'm on a trumpet kick right now and haven't given it a fair chance for me but I believe it will produce if I just run it some in the woods .
David Halloran. I ordered one a couple of weeks ago from his website and got it in a week. Love that raspy old hen sound.
I decided to go with a Kwila/Butternut combination from SS. It seems everyone used excellent adjectives when describing their calls.
I may order a kwila/limba also. Al had me intrigued with it as well, but haven't found as much on it yet.
If your looking for that "something different" save your cash up and get a watkins Bloodwood over Apple
And have him tune it to be a "Marlboro Hen" of all the box calls I Own this is the most unique.
There's a Soundfile of this call in the archives