Newbie, overwhelmed by calls!!

[kayl]

First time turkey hunter here. Didn't get one this spring, but had a blast. I used a primos mouth call and a Quaker Boy Slider. I was able to get close to some birds and get some responses, but couldn't get a shot. I picked up a cheap slate pot call and a Primos Hook up box call, but there are so many more options out there! Glass pot calls, aluminum pot calls, etc! What should I have as a beginner?

[ChesterCopperpot]

You've got everything you need to kill a turkey. Practice with what you got and get proficient with those calls. Listen to recordings of real hens, learn the context in which they call, mimic those sounds, and place yourself within that context. If you learn that there's a certain type call you prefer (maybe a mouth call, maybe a pot) search out suggestions on the site for some customs. But all that to say, you don't NEED anything else. Get good on the calls you've got and put in the time and you'll kill birds sure as the world.


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[Paulmyr]

You've got everything you need to kill a turkey. Practice with what you got and get proficient with those calls. Listen to recordings of real hens, learn the context in which they call, mimic those sounds, and place yourself within that context. If you learn that there's a certain type call you prefer (maybe a mouth call, maybe a pot) search out suggestions on the site for some customs. But all that to say, you don't NEED anything else. Get good on the calls you've got and put in the time and you'll kill birds sure as the world.


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X2, get proficient at those calls and learn to call too turkeys instead of at them. Turkeys have language. Learn how to differentiate how turkeys call too each other and why. Inflection is a huge part of this language as different types of calls can mean similar things if the right inflection is used.

I guess what I'm saying is don't just do the standard monotone yelp,yelp,yelp,cluck,cluck,yelp,yelp, or a standard cutt. Vary your pitch and cadence according to the situation. If you want to sound excited than you'll need to pick up the cadence and most likey the volume. If your trying for a more contented approach than a softer more mellow cadence would be the ticket. If your trying for a searching lost type scenario than prolong your calling starting from soft and slow to quick and loud with some quick breaks mixed in like your listening for a response. ie; yelp,yelp,yelp,..yelp..yelp,yelp,..yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp,..yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp,yelp.

Sometimes you need to demand he come over and take a look, sometimes you need to play soft and coy uninterested so to speak, and sometimes you've said enough and need to be silent. Most of this is situational awareness and will come from experience.

[kayl]

Yeah, I'm planning on practicing a lot this summer. Is there anything else you guys would recommend for a newbie? Is there any value to buying a cheap glass call (HS Strut, etc) or a production aluminum call? Or should I just keep it simple?

[Paulmyr]

I have a glass, anodized aluminum, and a slate pot call. Don't hardly use them. One of them, depending on how I'm feeling as to which, only comes out every so often during heavy winds when i cant stir anything with my diaphragm calls.
Plenty of guys here with more experience than I on pot calls. Some will likely help you out here.

[ChesterCopperpot]

Yeah, I'm planning on practicing a lot this summer. Is there anything else you guys would recommend for a newbie? Is there any value to buying a cheap glass call (HS Strut, etc) or a production aluminum call? Or should I just keep it simple?

I tend to run pot calls and yelpers. I always carry two pots and five or six strikers. Most times it's a slate and a glass, but I'll switch out all sorts of calls as season progresses. You could always just get some different strikers and pull different sounds out of the pots you have. My main point is don't get caught in the gear craze. It's easy early on to think, well, I didn't kill a bird this season but all I've got is this slate and everybody else keeps talking about copper and they're killing birds. Or, well, I don't have decoys and everyone else is running dekes and they're killing birds. Turkey hunting, perhaps more than any other sporting pursuit aside fly fishing, has become very product driven and you could spend yourself blind trying to get every latest and greatest new thing. If you've got the money and that's what you want to do then great. But if you don't just know that the calls you have are plenty enough to effectively and consistently kill turkeys. Out of curiosity, which calls are your favorite to run? Or rather which ones do you have the most confidence in as far as your sound? Diaphragms? Pots? Box call?


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[mountainhunter1]

You've got everything you need to kill a turkey. Practice with what you got and get proficient with those calls. Listen to recordings of real hens, learn the context in which they call, mimic those sounds, and place yourself within that context. If you learn that there's a certain type call you prefer (maybe a mouth call, maybe a pot) search out suggestions on the site for some customs. But all that to say, you don't NEED anything else. Get good on the calls you've got and put in the time and you'll kill birds sure as the world.


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Amen - Chester has given you excellent advice. A call or two that one can run efficiently are much better than twenty calls of which one cannot run a single one of them effectively.

[Marc]

The advice of getting good at with what you have is solid advice...  NEVER taken by another turkey hunter...  But still, good advice.

The mouth call is the most versatile turkey hunting call made, and the most difficult to run correctly.  Different cuts sound dramatically different (even by the same maker).  Gooserbat, Hooks, and Woodhaven are all calls I have liked.

I would get some different cuts, and practice making different turkey sounds CORRECTLY.  Making the sounds is half the battle, knowing when to make them is the tough half.

I like box calls, and might think about getting a good Spring Creek call from Mike...

[Turkeybutt]

Find a call or some calls you like, that sounds good and works for you. Ask a friend to walk away from you 60 or 70 yards and you start to call and allow him to tell you if it sounds good or not. Calling in your house, in the garage or while in your vehicle is a lot different sounding then in the woods.
Don't get caught up in the latest and greatest new things out on the market or before long you'll have 3 or 4 boxes of calls, face masks, gloves and boots you didn't need.
Stick to the basics for now, get good with what you have and develop your skills.
Good Luck

[spurred63]

Like some have said KEEP IT SIMPLE! Get yourself a good slate and glass pot call, both these calls will be able to get the job done in most cases . There are many commercially produced calls on the market that are affordable that sound great. If you've been bitten by the turkey bug and this is going to be a life long addiction I would spend the extra money and buy some of the custom made calls from one of the talented call makers on this forum, its worth it.

Get yourself a reed call and try to master making realistic sounds. This is very useful when the tom is getting close to eliminate your movement.

Rhythm is another import part of calling. Every situation is different. The turkeys will let you you know by the way they respond to your calling.

One last note, some of the worst sounding turkey calls I've heard through the years have come from the turkeys themselves.

                                           Good Luck!

[rifleman]

Turkeys here in my area of WV seem to like the pot calls that I use which are a Woodhaven slate, Crystal Mistress, and Twisted Sister.  I can usually pick one up with any of those but the bring em' off the end of the gun barrel call for me is a simple 2 reed call with soft putts, purrs and I just started using the putt most call a"bubble putt".  Little controversary about that sound but it works for me.

[eddie234]

I normally carry one each of slate, crystal, aluminum, ceramic and glass with an array of strikers different sounds for different days.


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[GobbleNut]

Lots of good advice given above.  Can't argue against any of it.  There was a time in the distant past when turkey calls of all types were not as refined as they are today.  From what I have seen, it is a rare (friction) call made today that cannot be made to sound like a turkey,...and the resources available (videos, sound files, media sources) all make it pretty easy to learn how turkeys sound and replicate those sounds. (caveat: AIR-operated calls are an entirely different story and require a much greater learning curve for the most part)

Calling turkeys nowadays is more a function of the "Four W's".  Those are WHAT to say, WHEN to say it, WHY to say it, and WHERE to say it from.  Unfortunately, those Four W's are often fluid and can vary from turkey to turkey. On the other hand, the flip side of that is that since that "fluidity" varies from turkey to turkey,...some turkeys will wade right into it,...and some won't even put a toe into it to test the waters.  ...Which brings us to the next point...

Often, once a person has learned to call and apply that calling properly to any given encounter, success or failure is determined by the "attitude" of the gobbler you are calling to,...and the circumstances under which you are calling him.  Way too many folks, when they fail, end up blaming their calling when, in fact, it was just THAT particular turkey and/or at THAT particular time. 

Summary:  Learn to call a little bit with whatever calls you choose to use,...and then focus on learning how to apply those "Four W's" in every encounter you have with any given gobbler,...and you should be fine,.......eventually...   

[bbcoach]

Turkey hunting is Extremely fun but frustrating at the same time.  Learning to call, when to call and when to be quite is just part of the Battle.  I believe SETUP is 75 to 90% of turkey hunting.  If you are hunting areas that hold birds, you are in the game.  Scouting is a very BIG part of the Setup process.  If you see birds, know their travel routes and know where they tend to go, you can plan your Setup accordingly and you will up your odds of getting birds within range.  As others have said, learn to use the calls you have WITH CONFIDENCE (Practice, Practice and Practice some more).  Get a small tape recorder and listen to yourself until you have the Confidence that you sound like a Hen.  Scout early next spring!  Know where the birds are and where their travel routes are.  Put these 2 things together and your Frustration factor will go way down and your Fun factor will climb exponentially.  Remember FUN doesn't always mean Killing a Bird, that is Icing on the Cake.  Good Luck!

[sixbird]

My advice, get a reasonably priced , GOOD box call.
Nathan Taylor makes a good one and you normally don't have wait long for it. Jody Harrison "Preacherman" should be able to get you something in a reasonable amount of time. Derek Tereza makes a great one but he's been really busy recently. There are a lot of good call makers.
Expect to pay $100-200 for one. Taken care of, it'll last you a lifetime.
The other cal I'd get, and be proficient with is a good mouth diaphragm. Pecker Wrecker is good. Woodhaven also good. Before getting a mouth call, I'd get a diagnostic kit from Calling All Turkeys. That'll tell you what cut suits you. You can go from there.
That's it but practice with real turkey sounds ( you can find them on the web).
Mostly though, it's practice and listening to real hens.
If the price of s box is a little out of your range, a Primos Box cutter is a really good sounding box.
Bottom line, listen to real hens. Do what they do.
Don't give up. Even if you're not a great caller, birds will come to you. The better you get, the easier it will be to fool them.