Need some call advice

[Mike Honcho]

I have been turkey hunting for about 5 years seriously and have taken a good many gobblers.  I work hard at scouting and that probably is the reason for a lot of my success, that and I pay close attention to deep cleaning by barrels, patterning etc.

The area I need to improve in is calling. I have never owned a "custom" call.  I use a Primos Black Magic slate pot call and a Power Crystal glass pot call as well as an old Lynch's No. 150 box call and a Knight and Hale Mini Jenny box call. Where I live there really aren't any "old timers' that can teach me much so I've had to learn on my own.

I think I'd like to try a custom pot call or box call or both...I just don't know how to go about selecting the right materials on the pot calls, copper , aluminum, slate, glass etc. And same thing on box calls.

I would rate my calling ability not much more than a novice.  Any suggestions would be appreciated guys.

[scoot12]

Congrats on your harvest so far as a newer turkey hunter,  I think you hit it on the head with your scouting,  in my opinion it is very important,  be where the birds want to go.  I am starting to learn how important it is.  As far as calls go if you don't want to break the bank contact Lonnie Sneed and get his hot hen slate and small green glass.  You can get both for $40.  Also WillowRidgeCalls builds a killer bronze glass I have had great success with.  I own way to many custom pot calls and have ran a bunch more and the Sneed calls are some of the best sounding pot calls regardless of price.  Good luck Scoot

[M,Yingling]

Looks like you got the calling and killin part down already ,,Congrats,, Each makers calls is going to give you slightly different sound ,, Look and listen till you find the calls you like ,,
Everyone has their own opinion of what a call should sound like

[callmakerman]

Great advise so far.Sneed's slate call is really nice and you can't beat the price. Cane Creek pro custom is also a great call but I would find a custom striker to really bring the sound you want. As far as box calls I love the Turpin style boxes as they give me the most realistic clucks and yelps that I'm looking for. Good luck with your search.

[Old Gobbler]

The gobbler gets to make all the rules....he sleeps in a pine tree each night , and will make his way to you if you sound convincing enough

Let your ears steer your wallet - take time to listen to demonstrations (over the phone or online )

 

[outdoors]

    The gobbler gets to make all the rules....he sleeps in a pine tree each night , and will make his way to you if you sound convincing enough
                                                     X2.       

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Being a call builder I'd like to sell you a bunch of calls, BUT, to be honest with you, if you have calls that are producing birds for you every year, you've already got everthing you really need. If you have calls that aren't producing for you then replace them with something different. If your calling is just so so, then work on practicing your calling, practice, practice, and practice some more, until you can make every call you need to make, easily. Then a custom call might or might not help you run a certain calling sequence easier?

[alloutdoors]

You don't need custom calls to sound like a turkey. In fact, there are plenty of production calls that will make turkey sounds as good as any custom. That said, all of my turkey calls at this point are custom. I enjoy collecting them, to me they are works of functional art, and I appreciate the craftsmanship that goes into making them. The advantage that custom calls have when it comes to sound is not so much about sounding "better", but sounding unique. If twenty guys of about the same calling ability go to WalMart and they all walk out with the latest "guaranteed to make turkeys come running from two counties away" slate call from Primos, they are all going to sound just about the same when they hit the woods. That's not a problem you are as likely to run into with custom calls. If you really want a unique sound, learn to use suction calls and tube calls as there are relatively few guys that use them.

It also sounds like you've already discovered one of the most important secrets to calling turkeys. Put in your time scouting, figure out where they are hanging out, and then call them in to a spot where they already want to be. The truth is that most guys who kill a lot of turkeys and become regarded as good callers could probably kill just about as many turkeys without ever using a call at all. If you are where a bird wants to go and can make a sound that is even remotely close to sounding like a turkey you have a pretty good chance of getting that bird (tune in to just about any turkey hunting show on TV if you want proof of this  ). On the flip side, if you're calling from a spot that the bird has no interest in going to, you can be the Mozart of turkey calling and it's not going to do you much good.

I think the best thing you can do to improve your calling is to listen to real turkeys. Pay particular attention to their cadence, and try to imitate their timing. There is a relatively wide range of pitch and tone that qualifies as acceptable turkey sounds, in my experience getting the overall cadence of the sequence right is much more important.

[Mike Honcho]

Thanks to each of you for your responses.  I agree listening to live turkeys and also sound files of different custom calls is a big help.  Then practice , practice practice. I have to admit I am just wanting to add some custom calls to the mix because I appreciate the time and craftsmanship that went into making them. Good luck this season to all of you!

Mike

[pappy]

Thanks to each of you for your responses.  I agree listening to live turkeys and also sound files of different custom calls is a big help.  Then practice , practice practice. I have to admit I am just wanting to add some custom calls to the mix because I appreciate the time and craftsmanship that went into making them. Good luck this season to all of you!

Mike

YOU GOT THE BUG........as addictive as turkey hunting is, the collecting end is just as bad. But the end result is always measured by the commitment of the hunter/collector ... PRACTICE is always the key. Anyone who ever picked up a custom made call will tell you, not all calls look or sound alike,  some will cost you in more ways then just cash....you would have to set aside time for each call, and time is sometimes a costly commodity, because if it is not spent right it will end up costing you a turkey in the field. I firmly believe in custom call maker's who take the time and effort to make each call as individual as possible for the buyer. Sounding like a bird is one thing but having the consumer dictate how it is to sound is a challenge only a custom call maker can accomplish.   In the end, adding spurs and beards to your collection of calls will tell the story ... whether you are serious about collecting or about mounting, the entire choice is yours to pursue, and you most definitely come to the right place to do that. Old Gobbler has such a broad spectrum of qualified custom call makers that i doubt you will be able to chose just one to help you out..pappy

[rmbailey2010]

Check out Woodhaven Custom Calls.  They're some great guys to deal with.  Also take a look at scottellis-eliteturkeyhuntingandcalling.com.  Scott is an AWESOME caller and has a DVD called Mouth Call Magic that is very helpful in all aspects of calling!  Hope this helped some and good luck this spring!!! 

[Turkey Trot]

Consider these videos:

Turkey Hunting Secrets by Roger Raisch

Pot Call demonstration video by Russell Lynch, Bud N Betty Calls

Look up Sadler McGraw's videos on youtube.

Mouth Call video by Tom Teasers.

Mouth Call Magic by Scott Ellis.

Numerous videos from various makers on youtube about calling turkeys.

Listen to turkeys calling on youtube.

Also, turkey sound CD's from Lovett Williams and Woodhaven.


Buy a slate pot and bronzed glass pot from Lon Trice, Lonzo's Custom Calls.

Buy a box call, purpleheart over cedar from Dad's Calls.

Find mouth calls you like from makers like Tom Teasers, Legacy, Woodhaven, and those on this forum.