The scratchbox is a fascinating little turkey call, and I have spent the time researching and experimenting.... ;D ;D ;D
The scratchboxes pictured are what I call my "Ol' Gobbler" scratchboxes. I designed and built them to do only two things.....make the most realistic old gobbler yelp and old gobbler cluck possible from a turkey call. If they happen to be able to do anything else, that's wonderful.....but I didn't build and tune them to do anything else. These scratchboxes are deadly fall and spring....maybe even more so in the spring. The scratchbox with the strutting gobbler on the soundboard is my personal hunting call. I did the artwork to keep me from ever being tempted to mess with that soundboard. This scratchbox changed the way I turkey hunted in the spring....and it has been a most effective and deadly tool to call in old gobblers.
Here is a picture of the ol' gobbler scratchboxes I'm taking to Unicoi.....
They're all packed up, except for the top left one, and in the truck, so they are ready and will make the trip to Helen, GA. The top left one has disappeared....I think I know where it is....and that's OK....LOL!!!
Great info Marvin. Your artwork is excellent. How many calls are you taking to Unicoi overall?
I will only be taking 25 scratchboxes to Unicoi; and of that 25, 7 are my Ol' Gobbler scratchboxes. I ruptured a disc in my lower back in August; then I hurt in again a week ago. I've crippled myself up pretty good....LOL!!! I can't stand for any length of time or pick up anything with any weight, but I can sit OK....if I'm careful not to twist and turn. Fortunately, last fall I built a few scratchboxes that I had set aside for future use I was able to finish up to have something to take to Unicoi.
Here are pictures of the other scratchboxes going to Unicoi.......
As I said, I built these last fall and had set them aside to work on at a later date. Unfortunately, I was forced to change plans, and I had to do what I could do with the restrictions I had to work under. The pictures were taken before I applied any finish to allow me to assess if I needed to tweak anything. It is amazing how you get to see things differently if you take a picture and make comparisons.
Marvin, Looks like you have a good flock going to Unicoi!
Those look awesome....Boy, you have artistic talent and the patience it takes to make calls like these.
Spectacular!
These strikers are addictive.....LOL!!! I'm going to have to quit messing with them.
Marvin, That turkey doodling on those strikers are top notch!
After some encouragement from several callmaker friends, I posted a sound file video of my Ol'Gobbler scratchbox on FB Sound File Central.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2757675407717552
I've now sold all the Ol'Gobbler scratchboxes I made. I tried to get them into the hands of turkey hunters that will hunt them. I'm really looking forward to hearing what response they get from gobblers when the use them. For the last 4-5 years, I've used my Ol'Gobbler scratchbox more than any other in my hunting vest....next to my trumpet yelper.