I have watched many youtube scratch box tutorials but have not seen anyone demonstrate the kee kee...
Any tips/tricks for kee kee on a scratch box? Thanks!
Quote from: PNWturkey on June 06, 2021, 01:36:35 AM
I have watched many youtube scratch box tutorials but have not seen anyone demonstrate the kee kee...
Any tips/tricks for kee kee on a scratch box? Thanks!
Practice, practice, practice. That being said not all scratch boxes have the ability to kee kee. I have one that I made a few years back that does a great job running kee kee calls amongst other things and have used it many times on fall hunts. I also made two shorter calls for this years spring hunt and they will kee as well. Sound boards make the difference. The three calls mentioned have persimmon, holly or maple sound boards. Not saying these are the only woods that will work but the harder mid range woods seem to lend themselves to doing kee kee calls than say cedar. Just my opinion and what have have experience with in the woods but yes you can kee kee on a scratch box.
As callmakerman said, practice practice practice. I just purchased a Tim Sandford scratch box that I can kee kee on. But not all boxes are able to achieve the kee kee. Keep searching til you find one that does.
The soundboard does seem to make the difference. My all persimmon scratch box will make a nice kee-kee. It is the only scratcher of mine that will.
I forgot to say. I like a hardwood striker when doing kee kee's. I use a gabon ebony striker with my scratchers. I can do it with slate but the ebony works better.
I have a Russel Beard cedar box and cedar striker that has a good kee kee in it
I hold both box and striker tighter with more finger pressure.
also get the highest pitch in this call by hitting the sound board near the outside edge in the upper 1/3rd section of the striker.
Thanks everyone for the tips, I'll be practicing my kee kee this summer in anticipation for autumn...
Bottom line is this....scratchboxes are the father of modern day box calls. If a box call is an automatic transmission then a scratchbox is an old 5-speed manual with a finicky clutch. Boxes are far more versatile in varying turkey language like gobbling, keeing, and heavy rollover yelps. Where a scratchbox excels is in its compact size number one. Number 2 is a good scratchbox makes the 3 most important sounds needed to fool a gobbler.....the yelp, the cluck, and the cut (fast or slow cutting also putting). You can kee kee on a scratchbox and you can purr on one too. But I don't think the kee or the purr on a scratcher sound realistic at all. Except for that fast aggravated purr you make when you shot one bird and you're trying to get another gobbler to come back. Best purr is on a slate in my opinion and best kee kee is on a trumpet or longbox. I don't refer to mouthcalls because I don't use them.
This is just my personal experience and opinion as someone who has played and made a scratcher or two. And I've had great success with them. If I could only take ONE call in the woods it would be a scratchbox or a trumpet/wingbone. And kee kees really only help in hunting fall turkeys.
Bob Fulcher at Shadetree makes a scratch box that will produce a great kee-kee, a mean purr, and give you a couple different yelps from young hen to a gobbler yelp. Hands down best scratch box I've ever run.
His scratchers are super easy on the eyes too! Like Kentucky, give me one call make it a trumpet or one of Bob's scratch boxes.
https://shadetreecallers.webs.com/apps/webstore/products/show/2264267 (https://shadetreecallers.webs.com/apps/webstore/products/show/2264267)
I agree with Kentucky Headhunter . ( only exception vis I run mouthcalls ) these days I have fallen back more old school and push the trumpet and scratchers more ...... But for those that don't know my Boy Allen is one of the best ive seen on a scratchbox and not to mention he builds as good a one as I have ever run . shoot I own 3 of his and still am on the list for 2 out of that SPECIAL woodpile !
Quote from: 2nd 100 on October 03, 2021, 01:35:39 AM
...... But for those that don't know my Boy Allen is one of the best ive seen on a scratchbox and not to mention he builds as good a one as I have ever run .
I strongly agree.
The ole Beggin' Hen by Kenny Morgan is the most effortless Kee Kee on a scratch box for me.
Well, I may be off base and my hearing is admittedly compromised but I have plenty of scratch boxes that make good enough kee-kees to call in turkeys. Some better than others.
If you're looking for the classic high pitched, absolutely clear kee-kee, you might not get EXACTLY that on a lot of scratchers but you can get one that resembles the kee-kees from real turkeys that I've heard in the woods and on recordings.
I like to go from middle of striker toward bottom of striker. That gives the proper pitch. Use the edge of the striker for most of them.
Quote from: sixbird on October 13, 2021, 10:20:00 AM
Well, I may be off base and my hearing is admittedly compromised but I have plenty of scratch boxes that make good enough kee-kees to call in turkeys. Some better than others.
If you're looking for the classic high pitched, absolutely clear kee-kee, you might not get EXACTLY that on a lot of scratchers but you can get one that resembles the kee-kees from real turkeys that I've heard in the woods and on recordings.
I like to go from middle of striker toward bottom of striker. That gives the proper pitch. Use the edge of the striker for most of them.
I have a similar opinion. I don't have any or very many scratchers I can't get acceptable kee Kees out of. It requires running the call closer to end of soundboard in my experience.
I did not even know that a scratcher could do a Kee-Kee?
My favorite scratchers make excellent purrs though, and are my favorite for low-end quiet clucks and purrs. I am constantly amazed at how far these birds can hear those quiet subtle notes.
While it is not a call I would use often, I have seen friends drum up gobbles with a kee-kee, and would love to learn it on a scratcher... Anyone have a link?
I just read in this thread that someone said that "Kee Kees only works for fall hunting". Really???
I ain't never hunted turkey in the fall of the year, but absolutely every turkey I have ever pulled the trigger on, or that I have called for someone else, died shortly after hearing a kee kee. Every single one of them!!!
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I have killed a few myself using a Kee-Kee in the Spring.
I'm going to say something that will get me in trouble and will probably not be taken well in this thread. I can't imagine nor have I ever heard a friction call make a kee kee as well as a mouth call, not even close. That short yelp into a hollow fast whistling run I have never heard from a box. It requires too fast of a transition. If I am kee keeing it's on a mouth call. Go ahead and throw your stones, I'm just offering a personal opinion.
Quote from: eggshell on March 05, 2024, 07:15:09 PM
I'm going to say something that will get me in trouble and will probably not be taken well in this thread. I can't imagine nor have I ever heard a friction call make a kee kee as well as a mouth call, not even close. That short yelp into a hollow fast whistling run I have never heard from a box. It requires too fast of a transition. If I am kee keeing it's on a mouth call. Go ahead and throw your stones, I'm just offering a personal opinion.
No stones to toss here, for me it was just another option while hunting in the woods and has worked for me. In this game we all enjoy playing with the turkey's we hunt choices are made. What I do works sometimes and the same for you and many others on this forum and none are wrong. It's what we choose and what we have confidence in and in the end win lose or draw I still have fun with it.
Thx callmakerman, Your right It is a matter of confidence and in reality close enough works in turkey calling 80% of the time. Turkeys will react and come to many variations of calls, it is far from an exact science. A kee kee on a friction call will certainly kill birds, but I believe the best realism comes from a mouth call. I also concede this thread was about box calls not reproducing the most realistic Kee Kee run. I just thought I'd share an opinion for those who might be wondering.
I would list trumpets, wingbones, cane calls, as well diaphragms in the mouth call category that produce the most realistic kee kees.
I completely agree with Kentuckyheadhunter, for me the longbox and trumpet produce the most realistic kee kees.
Most scratchers can make a passible kee-kee.
Use the outer part of the soundboard and start from the middle of the striker and move toward the end.
Drag the box over the striker. To enhance the sound, you can move the striking point on the soundboard toward outer edge of soundboard as you stroke.