How do you do it?

[Coop1082]

For you guys who own a multitude of pot/strikers/box calls/trumpets, etc how do you approach your morning in the woods? I only using 3-4 diaphragms, 3 pots, 4-6 strikers depending, and a box, along with locators but disregarding those and I have a tough time deciding on how the heck I want to start my morning. Is it predetermined for you guys or just based off of feel? Usually the way I got about it is if I do any tree talk it's a mouth call, but after fly down I run about everything in my vest one after another until I strike one interchanging every 15-30 minutes or so and whatever he hammers on is usually what I work him with. Just wanting to see how you fellas with a ton of call operate or even guys like me who don't carry much but still have a touch time deciding!

[pauld]

Easy. LOL! I have my call collection, I have the calls I have made for my son and his collection then I have the calls I have made to hunt with and a couple that others have made for me that are hunting calls.

[SteelerFan]

For me, it's "situational". 1st light, bird gobbling on the roost - set up and wait for him to hit the ground = mouth call & pot call. If he responds well, then it's game on. If he changes his attitude, I'll change up tempo, attitude, or pot call with a different "flavor". Might throw in a scratcher or box.

This year I plan on using the trumpet a lot for that 1st scenario. I generally rely on a box when "prospecting" for a bird as I roam.

Some calls will ride the vest all season, others I'll swap out just like pulling a clean shirt from the closet - just because.

Being the over-thinking hunters that we are, we'll no doubt place undue blame on a certain call(s) for "not working" on a day when the birds just aren't playing, same way we'll give undue praise onto a  "magic" call(s) that gets a bird to gobble (when, really, anything might have worked). But that's just what we do...

There's a lot of merit in hunting with just a couple of calls that you play well (and can play with variety) - but it's also a lot of fun to look at the shelf and think "hmmm - which one should I take tomorrow?"

[Spitten and drummen]

I have more calls than the law should allow. I constantly change them out through the season so I am giving them something different in the areas I hunt. Every single call in my vest is the very best sounding ones to me in my collection. I have enough great sounding calls that I could run a different one every day of our month and a half season. I also have that many that will never see the woods. All that being said , It gets tough deciding what I want to carry any giving day and then what I will start out with lol. It boils down to the weather and how passive or aggressive I want to be. Calls are like bass baits , you never know what they are going to hit. Usually when I pick a call , I have to make myself stick with it long enough that morning to give it a chance to work.

[TauntoHawk]

It just starts organically.. I'm always gonna have a mouth call in but how far off are the birds, am I even hearing any, how many and how wound up are they, hens talking?

lately I start with a scratch box in the am, I like the tone it has and really make some sweet notes. If I am searching for a bird and have non located there's not much better than a box.

[M,Yingling]

me I normally start out with small slate side one my crystals (soft stuff ) normally its between a crystal and copper working between the 2 the birds was responding well them  last season ,, then if they don't work out I just start walking and trying different calls till find some thing birds like lol

[Coop1082]

Really enjoying reading the different methods fellas! I think my biggest problem is like spitten and drunken mentioned in not giving a call time to work. I have a bad habit of changing mouth calls and calls in general like underwear in the woods until something works!

[Yoder409]

spitten and drunken

I've been that way a time or two myself.........

Don't ya just LOVE autofill ??

[Coop1082]

  lol sometimes I feel autocorrect knows me a bit too well!

[Spitten and drummen]

  Spitten and Drunken. lol . Dang you got me lol.

[jed clampett]

Lol....thats funny!!

[wvmntnhick]

Almost always start with my Yingling crystal (last year anyway). The slate on the back makes some nice soft talk. From there I'll transition to the crystal side. Diaphragm call in mouth if I'm calling for myself. If not I'll use all pot calls or boxes. If the bird doesn't cooperate, I'll walk around and try to strike them with another call. The couple calls that are really sounding good to me right now are a Yingling slate and a brass as well as an aluminum from enticer game calls. Those are the three I plan to integrate more this year.

[Lucky_Strutter]

I carry 3 mouthcalls, two box calls & 3 pots with 8-10 strikers and use a combination of them depending on how the birds act once they hit the ground. I usually start the morning soft with a Jimmy Nugent slate and yellowheart striker.

[Yoder409]

It's pretty easy for me..................

I probably have 200 box calls.  For the last 26 seasons, I have used ONE box call on 99+% of my hunts.  It's a Hally Caller Deluxe Box and it just plain talks to 'em.  If I'm hunting big country sub-species, I'll go to a purpleheart over mahogany call............short box and/or paddle caller of one variety or another.

I only have a scrub bucket full of pot calls.  But I've used a walnut slate over glass I built with my own 10 thumbs for about the last 15-17years.

Diaphragms can vary from year to year.............. usually one rises to the top and that'll be my go-to for the entire year.  It's been a Gooserbat Heckler as of the last couple years.  That call just suits my style (calling too loud & too much) to a T.

[Coop1082]

Recently just got a Heckler myself Yoder. I love how hard you can crank on that call. My first time running Gooserbat calls, and it's been a really solid experience so far. Still enjoying seeing how all you guys approach the morning! Glad I'm also not alone in the "which danged call" battle!