Last week I participated in a youth hunt in NY with a buddy. He is currently learning to make calls from a local call maker and as a thank you for coming up they both gave some of their recent work. Ray Shields of Kaatskill Mountain Calls built this Cedar, mesquite, and purpleheart short box. I also got a single slate and slate over glass in cherry pots that were done by Jamie Novak not pictured.
I'll be honest and say that slate (was) my least favorite surface and I never really had one I truly loved. These things are a 110% turkey and are already bloodied up putting birds to rest their first 2 days in action. The box call is pure turkey out of both sides and has that awesome purpleheart rasp.
Ray has built a series of these identical box calls for each of the vets that will be involved in the wounded warrior hunt next weekend I know they are going to love them. Here is a link to his facebook as he is just getting his company off the ground and you can hear examples of his calls through the videos posted on his page. The box he is running in the video is actually #24 the box he gave me.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/KaatskillMountainCalls