Such thing as a bad call or maker?

[HookedonHooks]

A call maker is only as good as his or her worst call they let out of the shop. No call maker is perfect.

Have confidence in what you're using, and do your part of getting on the turkeys, and you will have success.

[ChesterCopperpot]

There was an interview with Pat Strawser once where he talked about how we seem to accept that a diaphragm might work great for one guy and horrible for another but we don't always extend that same thing to friction. But that individuality is identical. Style of play differs so greatly between people you can hand a pot to one guy and it's "pure turkey" and hand it to the next and its "Billy wet chicken," and both may be very adequate callers. Does make it really hard to buy calls sight unseen even with sound files. That's what makes places like Nashville and Unicoi so great is actually getting to put YOUR hands on a call and see what runs for YOU.


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[TauntoHawk]

Ive certainly purchased Calls I'd never take to the woods but I wont talk negatively about them on an open forum. there are also builders that make good calls but the builder is less than desirable to deal with and I don't repeat buy from them either.

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[ozarktroutbum]

There are many calls that sound presentable and very few that don't. I absolutely believe that a person's ability to call outweighs a call's ability by a long shot (for the most part; like I said, there are some calls that sound awful. many of which might come from a beginning call maker.)

Whether they admit it or not, many people's perception of what a turkey sounds like or how good a call sounds, has been heavily influenced (or dare I say, "tainted") by what they someone told them a turkey is supposed to sound like.

That's why when new turkey hunters go to the woods after learning how to run their new slate call/box calls on YouTube, they are dumbfounded when they actually hear real turkeys.

As a call maker myself, I too have fallen into the trap of second guessing my calls based on what other people think.

At the end of the day, everybody is just reinventing the wheel. It's humorous how pretentious and high falutin some folks can be when it comes to telling you what sounds good and what doesn't.

Turkey calls are not musical instruments. Musical instruments (guitar, banjo, etc.) were not designed to duplicate pre-existing sounds. They themselves are their own creatures. Really, no one can tell you that you are playing a guitar wrong...however, people can let you know if they like your playing or despise it...

In regard to turkey calls, either you sound like a turkey or you don't. What I think a turkey sounds like doesn't matter.

What I think won't change how in fact real wild turkeys sound.

Unfortunately we are all humans, fallible creatures, that will forever be tortured by the chains of subjectivity while we reside on this earth

Gosh do I despise the term "pure turkey..."   

[Crghss]

A bad call maker may not get called out on OG but a good call maker will have his name mentioned over and over on OG

[Meleagris gallopavo]

A bad call maker may not get called out on OG but a good call maker will have his name mentioned over and over on OG

That's what I look for when I'm thinking about buying another call.

[shaman]

Calls are not all priced the same. Some calls go for less some go for far more........what do you think determines that?

There's a documentary out there called "Kiss the Water." It is about the life and work of Megan Boyd, a renowned salmon fly tier.  Her flies were the most sought-after for decades.  She would get personal visits from Prince Charles.  I would recommend it the flick. It's out on Netflix.

Her protege, I forget his name, was talking about Megan for most of the movie.  I remember one stunning quote from Megan I'll paraphrase, "Flies are tied to catch the fisherman, not the fish."

Look, besides being the Patriarch of the Shamanic Dream Team, I make calls.  I make pot calls mostly. I've made box calls.  I just do it for family and friends. Are they good?  They mostly bring in turkeys.  My first box call, The Shamanic MK I, seems to bring in gobs every time I use it.  My first attempt at a pot call was similarly successful.    I don't claim any special skill. However, I do guarantee that the turkeys won't laugh at you if you use my call.  Needless to say, I don't take my calls or my ability to produce them all that seriously. 

I was reading this thread and I was reminded of an experience I had many years ago.  I was hunting with some guys from Alabama that thought they were ultimate turkey hunters.  I was sitting on the porch at the cabin and they were showing their expertise.  I had my old Dick Kirby  Quakerboy Grand Old Master call in my hand, and they asked me to make a call.  I did.  One of the guys asked to see the call.

"See, what you got here, is all played out," he said. "This call's no good anymore.  You need to get yourself something like this."  It was something that looked expensive. I forget the details, but it had cost him a fortune.  He and his buddy were rich; they could afford it.  I'd been using that old call for decades, and I've been using it since, and it still brings in gobblers after 40 years.  Me?  Dick Kirby actually put that call in my hand at a show.  I'd never heard a turkey at that time.  The first time I tried it in the woods, I had a gobbler honor my yelp.  I was hooked for life.  Would I have traded that guy even for his $2K Neil Cost whatever?

. . . Well, for $2K, I'd have traded in a flat minute and thrown in my shotgun and my hat.


Are there bad calls?  Yes.  Will they still bring in birds in the right hands? Yes.  The first call I ever made was a pot call-- slate over glass.  The first time I used it, the glass came unglued.  I still managed to call in the gobbler and shot him, but then I had to redo the call.  I made several calls that way. I used an epoxy that got too brittle.  None of the others came apart like that.  I switched glue and never had another problem.

Are there bad call makers?  Yes. I've seen some mass-produced stuff that was pretty abominable. However, I've also seen some that worked quite well.  I taught #1 Granddaughter how to make her own pot call.  Does it work?  It works great.   She'd sell it to you for $40 and even sign it as a Mooselette MK I Original  Serial #00001.  She'll even throw in 2 custom strikers.


 

[howl]

One of the most renown names in trumpet making produces dead calls. It isn't Permar. You need to consider that an awful lot of people don't know how to play calls, don't know what a turkey sounds like and are still able to kill a turkey now and again.

[Spitten and drummen]

Some days you could call in a bird scratching a nail on a piece of tin. Other days you can be a world champion caller and get ziltch. Turkeys are strange birds. I have said it and I believe that turkey calls are like bass baits. They catch more fisherman than fish. Its a good thing hens all have different voices. There are some calls that just flat out produce and others not so much. I believe that when you deal with unpressured 2 year olds , it does not really matter how good or really bad you sound. Now when dealing with old birds thats been pressured , its time to set yourself apart from other hunters , including your calls. Knowing what to say and how to say it trumps everything. To answer your question, as with everything you have good and bad ones. Confidence in your call is what matters most.

[M,Yingling]

I have a friend that just bought a lathe to start making his own calls for himself for fun and our discussions about the calls he's made so far triggered some thoughts...

Just applying a little logic on data from the site for fun while I drink my coffee.  So every post I see about any call made by any call maker is always positive and sounds "pure turkey". The only negative comments I've seen have been about big box store cheap calls made by bigger name companies.

Don't take this the wrong way, but the data shows that either it is very easy to make good calls, because they all do according to the posts, or guys are not being honest and not "calling" out bad calls or makers. Are they all really that good, and if so, why pay top $ for one when it is no more effective than a cheaper cheaper call maker?  Anyone care to share bad ones openly and admit the $200 call you bought was junk?

I have a Permar trumpet that sounds great to me so far, but I got it right after the season last year from Ralph and will find out how the birds like it in a few weeks, so the verdict is still out on it.

i think most of us was taught at young age if u dont have anything nice say dont say it ,,, now if your buddy makes calls and drops some sound files on them and asks for opinions  iam sure he will get them good or bad and cant get all butt hurt over bad ones ,,, as for big box store calls iam sure every one that says the sound like crap theirs another that it says it sounds great and killed birds with them   seems easyier to bash a big company then one person ,,, i got boat load of calls here that people rave over high clear pitch  that people probly kill birds with every day season but thats just not what i hear turkey sound like in my area so i dont use them  and as was said dont have confidence in them but would never come on say bad things about them sound wise  ,,, how bout wing bone and trumpets in my area i dont hear to many turkey that sound like them but they work people kill with them also  i dont judge a call as bad on sound ,,, to me its all bout how easy it is to run. The perfect call to me should have nice breaking yelp rolls over easy and dont have run striker in 2 in circles get yelp out it  Have some nice rasp to it and with little striker pressure should have clear sound ,,, i always felt if a call runs high clear pitch right off their hard get any rasp out them   ,,,

[ferocious calls]

When I send a call out I tell the hunter that I need him to love the calls sound. I already know if played well, it will call turkeys. If the hunter is not extremely satisfied I ask them to send it back and I will send another. We are only as good as the last call we shipped.

At 40 bucks they tend to want more as well. Many Elite call makers turn their noses up to a built call. The turkeys sure don't. 

[3bailey3]

I brought a call on here from a call maker that gets a lot of good reviews, when i got it i thought it was just average. Someone else on here was looking for one a few weeks later and we worked out a trade but he wanted a sound file, so i sent him one and he loved it and we made the trade. I had also sent that sound clip to a few buddies that started raving about how great that call sounded. I had never listened to the clip but when i did i called the guy up and tried to buy the call back. No luck there. I think it is good to record yourself and you and buddies listen to it.

[Bowguy]

People are often trying to be nice not saying but there's some bad ones out there. I'll give ya their number if you want to try a few! Kidding

[mspaci]

Guess Ill vent. Just today sent a long box call back to a big name that everyone raves about. Got it yesterday & the box has no right side, none, zero turkey in it. So when I questioned it, he says thats how his personal call is & its not always easy to get both sides to play well. Really? Its already back in the mail. Mike

[TrackeySauresRex]

What constitutes a bad call? Or maker? Sound, pitch, tone and deflection. Or.. construction.? I'm not a call maker however I called in a hen once. She sounded like she smoked two packs of Lucky Strike for 20 years. For sure I thought it was a hunter messing with me. So if is sound, it's what they want to hear that day JMHO. I'm strictly a novice 
If they take to long or don't get it to you that's a lil different.