new to turkey hunting need help

[rayvond33]

I want to get a couple of pot calls for next season but all the materials and wood combinations have gotten me confused.  Are materials better than others for certain things or is it just hunter preference?? What's a good starting point a slate and a glass?  or a call that has them both? I have so many questions I don't know where to start. If I ever get past the pot calls then its what boxes to get and then mouth calls. Well.......at least I have a year to get it figured out....LOL

Thanks

[USMC0331]

If you want to buy a pot call with slate on one side and glass on the other that would be great. If not buy a slate call from one of the makers on this forum it is very easy to run.

[scoot12]

Slate is normally a little better for soft calling and glass or crystal you can crank it up more but still tone it down,  those are two surfaces I would start with.  If I where you I would get a good double sided pot call glass or crystal over slate and a box call that has a totally different sound.  That would be a good start.  Scoot

[pappy]

I agree with everyone on the slate pot, as a beginner do not get wrapped up in exotic calls like something metallic or a pot that would be hard to learn, you'd get discouraged pretty fast. I would go with a slate over glass in a dual pot, or you could reverse it to glass over slate, the latter would be good fro cranking it up and playing softer for those coming off the roost calls. A box call would also be a great starting call, nothing fancy just something that makes turkey sounds...pappy

[Scpossum]

I started with a glass call 23+ years ago.  All I could do was cluck on it.  Called a gobbler within 5 feet one of the first trips I went on.  I will never forget the look in that birds eye when I turned around to see what the sound was behind me.  Not sure who was suprised more.   

Glass is good in all weather conditions.  I like slate, but if it gets wet it will not make a sound.  There is a lot of good advice to be had on this forum.  My advice is try to find a hunting partner.  It is amazing what you can pick up from watching a good turkey hunter

[TauntoHawk]

A two sided pot is a good idea, Pappy will make a fine one in glass over slate, get 2 or 3 strikers for it start with a soft wood, a hard wood, and something waterproof like a carbon. A box call that looks good, sounds amazing, and wont cost more than your first car look at SS custom and their field grade. mouth calls just buy a couple and start practicing you'll figure out what you like better than us telling you what works for us.

Work on becoming a master of a few calls rather than acceptable with many.

[M,Yingling]

I would go with copper glass -  call  they just as easy to run as slate

[strutnrut]

I like Aluminum over slate, with a fiberglass striker.
My advice to You, is that you will be better off going to Walmart and picking up a slate call on clearance that comes with multiple strikers and get you a dvd of turkey talk. Set back an listen to the dvd and try an mimic the turkeys or find a guy in your area that love to turkey hunt and form friendship while learning how to call. You have plenty of time to get a custom/handmade call. Feel free to PM me I'll give you my cell number and we can talk turkey all you want. 

[VAarrowslinger]

My advice to someone just starting would be...get a glass over glass and an aluminum pot call and learn how to condition each call . A laminated striker and a hickory are good starting strikers. I'd also advice a straight double reed diaphragm to start, like an old boss hen or HS raspy hen. Use this forum and YouTube to learn.

[Onpoint]

For the money you can't beat Lonnie sneeds hot hen slate. He makes a glass call too but I haven't run it do I can't say how good it is. But If it's anything like his slate you could two calls for about $60.

[beardwacker]

If you are new to this great obsession, i agree go to a store and pick up a reptible company slate call.  Learn how to use it.  Slate is a great call, but not weather friendly.  After you get done the "mass produced" slate.  Get ahold of pappy or another on here and call them.  they are friendly and will talk with you to build you a call that is awesome.