The call that started it all..........

[Yoder409]

About a month ago, I ran across this hacked up 35mm film can (less the reed) in a box of odds and ends hunting stuff. 40-some years ago......around the age of 14-15, I made a tube call from a 35mm film can, a piece of surgical glove that my mother (an RN) brought me from the hospital and a few wraps of black, electrician's tape. Total cost..... zero.

My (5 years) older brother and his best buddy were "expert" turkey hunters back then. Neither had ever killed a bird, but......

So a day or two before spring season opened, I showed my call to my brother's buddy. Played it for him. He said, "That's the good thing about homemade calls. When they're junk, you can throw them out and you're not out nothing."

The first morning of season, I called two jakes in to 20-couple yards and shot my first ever wild turkey. I called my brother's buddy and asked him how he did. He had worked one and was "just THIS close". He asked me how I did. I told him I called two in and shot one.  He was speechless !!! Told him "That's the good thing about those homemade calls...... When they're no good you can just throw 'em out and you're not out nothing".

So, I had a doctor appointment a couple days ago. While sitting in the exam room, I spied latex gloves (not easy to find in these days where everyone is allergic). The nice nurse was kind enough to send me home with a couple gloves. This evening, I cut a fresh reed and stretched it......success first try......and 40-some years later, the call that started it all is back up and running. I just need to lock it all in with some black tape.

Today was our fall opener. I'm don't really get excited to shoot a fall bird. But, I believe one of these days, soon, I need to hit the woods one more time with this call that started it all......

[Tom007]

Wow, great story. Good luck with that treasure. Harvesting a bird with a homemade call must be a thrill. Keep us "abreast" on the results of your hunts......

[callmakerman]

Great story. You have to get out and give that call another shot.

[Yoder409]

Wow, great story. Good luck with that treasure. Harvesting a bird with a homemade call must be a thrill. Keep us "abreast" on the results of your hunts......

I've got a buck tag to fill first.  But, in that event, this tube is going to the woods.

I've killed a GAD of birds with calls I've made.  One walnut pot slate-over-glass in particular.  But this little hunk of junk is a level of sentimentality above that (MUCH more refined) slate call.

Should be fun.

[Greg Massey]

Awesome , i still have my first 2 old snuff can calls, great memories

[Zobo]

     Your brother's friend and that little homemade call probably have a lot to do with your lifelong commitment to and love of turkey hunting. It's amazing how important those early successes are.
     I have tried to promote positive early memories for my kids. It doesn't always work out, experiences sometimes have an unpredictable life of their own.
     It's good you were successful, a small triumph and some measure of justice over the typical "know it all" older brother and company. What a great first bird and interesting story to tell.

[troutfisher13111]

Great story!


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[shallowskiff]

Those 35 mm canisters were every where back in the day.

Thanks for sharing.

[bbcoach]

Great story.  This fall or next spring, without your brother knowing it, you need to take that call in the woods, call in a bird, hang a tag on it and text a PIC of the bird and the call to him with the title " 40 YEARS OF TRASH!"   Then remind him, "When there GOOD, you just keep HARVESTING birds with them!"  Both of you will have a Memory for LIFE and little brother will always have braggin rights when it comes to Turkey Huntin.  Thanks for sharing!

[LMO]

Love it, Awesome story 👍

[Yoder409]

Love it, Awesome story 👍

Thank you, sir !!

[joey46]

Great story.  Got a LOL about the latex.  Viewing some old Knight and Hale YouTube stuff David Hale tells were they got the latex for their first tube calls.  It wasn't from gloves.  The pharmacist at their Cadiz drug store thought they ran a very "active" barber shop. 

[Yoder409]

Great story.  Got a LOL about the latex.  Viewing some old Knight and Hale YouTube stuff David Hale tells were they got the latex for their first tube calls.  It wasn't from gloves.  The pharmacist at their Cadiz drug store thought they ran a very "active" barber shop.

Yeah........  I've heard that story recounted. 

I, actually find that proph (I guess I never tried the ribbed stuff    ) is too thin....and surgical is too thick.

After I resurrected the old call an killed a bird with it, I bought an actual tube reed kit off eBay and found the ideal thickness for it.  Sounds a good bit better now.

[Dougas]

I have never tried one. Now, I have try one out.

[KYTurkey07]

What a great story! Thanks for sharing.