BOX CALL WOOD COMBINATIONS ????????????

[REBELYELL]

What wood combination in a box call produces the best old boss hen raspy yelp? You know, the one you sometimes hear in the woods and it almost sounds unrealistic because it is so coarse.

   

[misfire]

My favorite combination is a zebrawood paddle with an Alaskan yellow cedar box

[Spring Creek Calls]

For that old raspy yaulk, I like to use a bloodwood paddle over a walnut box.

[culpeper]

I think there are some combinations that consistently will come close to what you describe, or at least they do have the tendency to lean toward a raspier sound due to their individual properties, but so much depends on the callmaker, the wood chosen and how the call is built and tuned.  There are combinations that when brought together in the right way will give you this hard crunchy nasty rasp you seek/hear.  I have done it many times, some with Bloodwood over American Beech, some with Walnut (hard) over yellow Poplar and with Bolivian Rosewood over Red Maple and with Bloodwood over Serviceberry.

Personally, I don't care for the sound, not when it overwhelmes the call, but customers ask for it now and then and as a callmaker it's my task to build it for them.  I like a call that has more diversity, but that's just my peference.

[M Sharpe]

snakewood over holly

[davisd9]

I run a purple heart over poplar.  I love a mature hen sound with some rasp.  This combo does it for me.  My next box will be Jatoba over Holly.  Good luck!

[WillowRidgeCalls]

I like African blackwood over a hard maple, produces that old nasty hen/jake rattle in the call, but starts out with a high younger hen with just a little rasp in her voice.

[RizzardiCustomCalls]

Purpleheart over Mahogany works good for me

[M Sharpe]

One of my favorites for "old hen" sound is a purple heart over mesquite from Noel Gonzales. Most times a lot of that comes in with the tuning. Be careful when you tell some one you want an old hen sounding call. Lots of times you end up with a gobbler instead of a hen. On most medium pitched calls, you can place a finger or two on the side of the call to deepen the yelps.

[dreis3]

snakewood over holly

yup, x2

[Stoner]

I like a Persimmon box with a Curly Maple paddle. Killed many many gobblers with that box call.

[West Augusta]

For a long box, I'm partial to Bloodwood over Poplar  and Cherry  over Butternut.
Short boxes. Maple over Mahogany and Maple over Poplar.

[strutnrut]

A Holly Snake wood hen box is a good combo.

[RizzardiCustomCalls]

I have a poplar box paired with a bubinga paddle that is raspy as you can get. I cut the bubinga the wrong way for the paddle by mistake. Instead of end grain running vertical it's running horizontal.  Sure sounds nice if you're looking for lot's of rasp.  I think I may try that again and see if I can duplicate
the sound for the heck of it. I still have enough of that same bubinga to make another paddle.

[strutnrut]

Teak and Snake wood makes a good hen box.