First cluck

[dah]

   
There are times on a pot that I have trouble making a cluck after not calling for a while or first call of the day . Not as bad on grey slate with certain strikers or a hot day , but can still slip . Seem like I need to warm up the striker . Make some soft purr or soft yelp and good to go , but the cluck at times is not the sound I prefer. After a couple clucks its ok . I like pot calls , acid reflux prevents me from using mouth calls of any kind of turkey calls . I don't experience the cluck issue on a box . Any thoughts , Thanks

[Zobo]

Could be humidity. Start with your box early if it runs for you then maybe go to the pot later.

[backforty]

Try doing a couple of yelps first

[Paulmyr]

Try a different pot surface. My aluminum gets slippery on cool, damp, dew filled mornings.

[g8rvet]

Yes. Clean your call with denatured alcohol and lightly sand your striker before you head into the woods.  If it is not wet, that could be your problem.  Oily call (hand oils, bug spray, etc) is no bueno.

[zelmo1]

Strikers need to be cleaned continuously. I carry a small square of scotch brite and sandpaper to keep my strikers and surfaces conditioned to my liking. Try this a few mornings before you actually go hunting to see if that cures the problem. Z

[paboxcall]

Try a glass pot freshly conditioned with a stone - condition in one direction, drag your striker perpendicular to that. Doubt you'll have slip issues.

[Treerooster]

Never liked taking sandpaper to a call or striker. Its possible to change the surface/tip if not careful. I've seen some slate surface calls with pretty good divots in them from sanding. Something to keep in mind if going the sandpaper route.

I clean my strikers with alcohol sterile pads that you can get for first aid kits. Just keep a couple in my vest and use them periodically. I do also use scrubber pads for conditioning pot call & strikers. But over time striker tip can gummed up and the alcohol helps clean out the pores of the wood. Just have to wait a few minutes for the alcohol to dry. Don't take long.

Like paboxcall I condition my pot calls 9 to 3 o'clock and strike 12 to 6 o'clock. That way you are striking perpendicular to the grain of conditioning.

When clucking or purring your striker should be at a steeper angle than when yelping. Perhaps paying closer attention to that will help make the first cluck sound right. For clucks and purrs you can also creep up on the striker shaft slightly (away from the call surface) to make it a touch easier to cluck & purr. I do that when I am going to do a lot of clucking or purring.

[NCL]

When clucking or purring your striker should be at a steeper angle than when yelping. Perhaps paying closer attention to that will help make the first cluck sound right. For clucks and purrs you can also creep up on the striker shaft slightly (away from the call surface) to make it a touch easier to cluck & purr. I do that when I am going to do a lot of clucking or purring.

Thank you for this information. I am self taught and I think this information will help me considerably

[FLGobstopper]

I always have small lighter in my vest for humid conditions which where I hunt a lot is pretty much common. Run the flame near, NOT on surfaces and strikers and it pulls the moisture out of them. Slate is bad in high humidity and you can see the appearance of the surface physically change from the flame. I wouldn't dare do it with one of my boxes though. Other friction call surfaces especially aluminum and copper aren't near as bad so look into to those.

[runngun]

On anodized aluminum, ceramic, and titanium tile, the only thing I use is a alcohol wipe. I have seen folks condition them, which just removes the anodizing. Might as well use regular aluminum, in my opinion.
Slate, I use scotch brite- 3-M pads. Same for strikers, and as mentioned above, I clean strikers with alcohol.
I hold the striker at a almost straight up angle for clucking different than yelping.

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[appalachianassassin]

What caller do you have man?

[dah]

What caller do you have man?
  I have almost all surfaces in multiple woods , soundboards , custom and production . More than I want to count , same thing with strikers . But I want to thank all that responded . Some good suggestions , some I had not heard before , interesting . I have been reluctant to do a lot of cleaning on strikers out of fear of altering them , keep telling myself they are not a box rail . I think cleaning striker and using alcohol more on pot surface along with position of striker is a good start . Again thanks to all , still here if anyone has anything else . Heard first gobble where I hunt last week , was there predator hunting , Wont be long .

[runngun]

You are more than welcome!!! We are glad to try and help you in any way we can.  That's why we are all here, help and get help!!! I know that I have learned a lot from the people right here. There's some great folks on this forum.
Anytime, just jump on in!
Have a good one and May God bless y'all, Bo

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[dah]

 Bo , God bless you too .