Mussel shell as friction surface

[ChesterCopperpot]

Saw a video recently of a man named George Clark Burge in South Mississippi playing a mussel shell he picked up on a sandbar on the pearl river. He's using a plexiglass striker and it sounds amazing. Wondered if anyone else has seen or heard of people using shells (mussels, clams, oysters) as friction surfaces or if anyone is using one his/herself? I asked some questions of the person who posted the video and they said he's also used oyster shells. That he sands and roughs up the inside a little and then uses the plexiglass striker because for some reason it works better than any other material on the shell.

[Sir-diealot]

I have heard of that, only once though, seem to remember reading about it though, not a video.

On a side note when I saw the words mussel shell it made me think of the movie Jeremiah Johnson when he and the boy are out trapping and they see a hawk and Jeremiah says something like "Hawk boy, he's heading for the muscle shell, it would take me a week of riding to get there boy and he, well hell he's there already" Odd how some words and phrases make you think of things.

Good morning by the way.

[ChesterCopperpot]

If you're interested in seeing the video a guy named Michael O. Giles posted it in a Facebook group called "Turkey Call Trader/Collector." You have to send a request to join but there's no criteria. They post some good stuff from time to time.

[Sir-diealot]

If you're interested in seeing the video a guy named Michael O. Giles posted it in a Facebook group called "Turkey Call Trader/Collector." You have to send a request to join but there's no criteria. They post some good stuff from time to time.

I know Michael, I have one of his books and he was part of the re-release of Old Pro Turkey Hunter. I also belong to that group, I will check out the video, thanks.

[KentuckyHeadhunter]

I have an oyster shell call and have made several with scallop shells.  It works but doesn't sound as good as a well made pot. 

[Greg Massey]

Most of the ones I've seen and heard played didn't sound that good. I have to agree nothing like a good pot call.

[guesswho]

There were a couple old timers when I was growing up in Central Florida that carried them.  This was  back in the 60's.   I can't remember how they sounded.  The few people I saw back then around camp had scratch boxes, box calls or home made cane calls.

[Jstocks]

Ive met George Burge a few times. He is a very nice older gentleman who loves to talk Turkey. We were in a lease together at one time. He had a camp right next to mine up there and we would talk out on the porch or by the fire. George has been known to kill quite a few turkeys in that Pearl River swamp. There are not hardly any turkeys left on the lower Pearl River anymore. We used to be able to go out and hear several birds each morning. This year I walked several miles and could not even find a hen track. I'm jot sure if a disease got them, or the recent Spring flooding has destroyed the hatches or what. In my opinion the states need to close the season. Both Ms and Louisiana.

Lots of mussel shells on that river to picked up. Seems like a good idea for a conversation piece.

[greencop01]

I have a hardshell clam shell I use at times. It soft calls great and I use a hickory striker on it and sometimes an Ipe striker. I'm from Massachusetts and the clam is called a quahog. I first saw a call like this at a sportsman show. Kind of unique.

[Turkeytider]

I THINK I read somewhere that certain Indian tribes used shells as calls.

[g8rvet]

I made a couple out of clam shells I found on the beach in North Florida.  They sounded just okay.  I am sure you could kill one with it, but it was not very loud and changing pitch or cadence was difficult due to the shape. A lot of a call is confidence and it is not like I hunt so many days I would want to waste one just to use that call.  I could see someone with more time and less pressured turkeys doin it for the fun of it.