I Can't Mouth Call for the Life of Me

[thunderbirder]

I'm new to turkey hunting and have been practicing (a lot) on my box and pot calls for several months, and feel pretty ready to take them for my first hunt. When the tom closes in, I want to be able to make as little movement as possible, therefore learning how to call with a diaphragm is crucial to me.
I bought the Primos Learning the Art that comes with 3 calls and the instructional CD. I read alot of tips and watched a lot of videos on how to use them. I must have a narrow palate because no matter how far back I move the calls, they are overlapping my molars and just don't feel snug against the roof of my mouth. It just doesn't go from that high to low pitch yelp. It makes a really ugly screech.  At the end of a practice session I feel like a hopeless, slobbering idiot.
What am I doing wrong? Am I just screwed with the anatomy of my palate?
Any help would be greatly appreciated, Al

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[catman529]

They make calls that are smaller for narrow mouths. You can also trim the tape with scissors. Practice making the separate tones, especially the high pitch, before you try a whole yelp.

One thing I noticed, you mentioned you want to be hands free in your calling when the tom is closing in. While a lot of people do like this advantage, you are probably better off being silent when a bird is already coming. If you keep calling to him, he's more likely to stop and strut and gobble out of range because he thinks you're coming to him (the way it usually works in the wild). So once you have a bird coming in, lay down your calls and be patient.

Good luck


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[TrackeySauresRex]

Use a plain double reed only when you start out. This will help capture the most air. RELAX.... don't muscle the call to the roof of your mouth and jam your toung to it.. nice soft clucks and soft yelps when you start out. Check out you tube,you'll find something there to help.

[GobbleNut]

First, if you feel like the calls you are using are too big, go to a smaller frame call.  They make both adult small frame calls and youth frame calls.  Try those.

Secondly, make sure you are starting off with the right kind of call in terms of reeds and cuts.  Most people are able to learn more easily on thin-reed call designs rather than with thick-reed calls.  From my experience, two-reed calls are also easier for most folks than most others.  If I was to recommend one call design for beginners, it would be a two-reed call constructed of thinner material, and with either a simple center V-cut or perhaps a "combo cut".  However, everyone has to determine what call design works best for them.

Finally and most important, for most people, learning to use mouth calls takes some time,...and sometimes quite a bit of time.  Patience, persistence, and determination to learn are required.  Just keep working at it until you begin to get a feel for how to produce sounds with the call.  After that, it is simply a matter of refining your technique and mechanics to control the sounds you can make.

[trkehunr93]

Like others have said, try a smaller framed call and don't get fancy.  A simple double reed call is great to learn on.  Try a Primos Limbhanger, not a small framed call but smaller than some production calls.  Blows real easy.  Good luck!

[bbcoach]

First off, Be Patient.  Don't get frustrated.  You can Master this.  As others have said a smaller taped call will be your best friend.  Hooks makes their calls with smaller tape.  I would call Scott Hooks and explain to him what problems you are having and he'll help you.  He will probably recommend the Deceiver.  This call is a split V with two thin prophylactic reeds that is easy to run.  I'm not sure what you are doing when you call but you aren't actually blowing the call.  You should be tightening your stomach muscles and bringing short bursts of air from your diaphragm.  Don't slam the call to the roof of your mouth with your tongue, just give it enough pressure with the tongue to hold it up against the roof of the mouth and let short bursts of air to come from the diaphragm and ride over the tongue.  If you have used a duck call, it's very similar.  Good Luck and Don't get Discouraged.

[Bowguy]

All good advice. Mouth calls take time. A few months may not be enough. Most guys I know including myself didn't feel proficient for years. There's more information available now but keep trying n don't get discouraged. Is the metal frame overlapping or just the tape?

[SteelerFan]

Agree with all said...

Let's go back to the "overlapping my molars". The call should fit between your teeth to the point where there is no contact. Tape that is too large will prevent a proper seal. If after trying the call for a period of time, your tape has folds or large creases in it - it's probably too much.

The tape helps create that seal to give you "clean air" under the call and over your tongue. Without that - you get the "barking seal" sound. Some guys prefer as much tape as tolerable, others will run a call with next to no tape.

If you do trim, try to maintain the original shape a trim sparingly & evenly. Once you cross the line of too small - you can't go back with that call (without new tape).

Get the right fit, and play around with making all sorts of sounds.

Good luck! You'll get it...

[TrackeySauresRex]

Great photo right here ^^

[Marc]

Everyone has given some good advice...

As a die-hard duck hunter, being familiar with calling and calls, turkey calls were easy for me to pick up on...  That is until I tried a diaphragm call.  That is the single most difficult call I have ever tried to learn.

Calls did not feel comfortable in my mouth (I always felt that same discomfort as at the dentist when taking X-rays), and the calls were truly "tongue-ticklers" for me...  Then, for me, it just clicked.

I would call up a call maker such as Hooks, or Gooserbat, and have them send you a recommended beginning call (both of them make a smaller-framed call that fits better in my small palate).  I would guess that either one of them could make you a thinner-reed frame that would be easier to learn on and fit in your mouth.

I believe that everyone can learn these calls with some persistence if the motivation is there.

[thunderbirder]

I can't believe what a great, knowledgeable community is on here. Thank you all very much, I didn't realize they came with smaller framed calls as well as the concept of trimming them up bit by bit. I will definitely keep practicing and look for the suggested smaller - framed calls as the calls I currently  have are too large (frame).
Thank you again very much. I will keep you posted on what I ended up getting and maybe try to post a sound bite. "Barking seal" is the best way to describe what I'm achieving at this point.

[WisTurk]

I'm in the same boat.  I seem to have a really narrow pallette or something myself and could never get a call to comfortably fit.  On top of that, I get a really bad gag reflex that also prevents me from using one and I've tried everything to get past that.

[bbcoach]

One thing most of us have failed to tell you is once you get a call that will fit you whether it's a call you buy off the shelf or one that you trim to fit, use that call as a template for all future calls.  Keep after it and Good Luck.

[TauntoHawk]

I can't believe what a great, knowledgeable community is on here. Thank you all very much, I didn't realize they came with smaller framed calls as well as the concept of trimming them up bit by bit. I will definitely keep practicing and look for the suggested smaller - framed calls as the calls I currently  have are too large (frame).
Thank you again very much. I will keep you posted on what I ended up getting and maybe try to post a sound bite. "Barking seal" is the best way to describe what I'm achieving at this point.

Google Hooks custom calls, they make top notch calls with small tape and even with small tape and small frames that are as cheap as the calls you will find at Wal-mart but much better quality.

When I was learning finding hooks was a huge improvement they just fit better and were easier to run once I got comfortable I can run about any call but I still trim my tape somewhere between standard and what hooks does.

[LaLongbeard]

I wish I could buy pack of mouth calls for every turkey hunter in my state....the very best Turkey conservation tool ever invented.It takes a lot of practice to become proficient and most people don't want to put in the time so there's guys that are really good and the rest sound like a choking buzzard.