i thought about doing this last year but just ran out of time, with the few posts about calls and calling already just thought i would do it now.
I am no expert and by no means a comp caller but these are my experiences and opinions on calling feel free to dispute or add to it in any way.
1. calling is somewhat overrated, by that i mean the SOUND of the call. Calling turkeys is more of a personal preference and one of the main reasons i love the sport. Everyone calls different and likes different sounds and styles, however you do not have to be the best "sounding" caller to kill birds. If you have spent any time in the woods listening you will really notice how much different each hen sounds in terms of pitch and raspyness, heck some sound so bad i have had times where i didnt even think they were real turkeys. There is no "true" sound to calling. Anyone who has hunted for years will agree that 1 call will work 1 day and on others days does nothing so it is good to learn a few different styles and sounds to help your odds.
2. box calls - box calls are by far the easiest to use and in general (like the spinner bait to fishing) are the most used in the woods. They are loud and are flexible to a variety of calls but can limit you to a few vocalizations such as the yelp, cut and cluck unless you really spend a lot of time learning to cackle, purr or gobble on them. I personally am not a fan of box calls but that is just my opinion. They care bulky compared to others and can really run a hunt with a unintended slip of the box in a vest or pocket as well as require you to keep up with messy chalk. Box calls are a great tool to use on windy days however do to how loud you can get them. If you decide to use one the main thing to learn is how to properly hold them to get all you can from the call. While there is no true right and wrong to it there are better ways to do it to get the proper sounds.
3. pot calls - a slate call is pretty hard to beat for soft clucks and yelps IMO. there are tons of options as well to make 1 call sound different by using different strikers such as carbon, walnut, osage and purple heart to name a few. Strikers are somewhat inexpensive so getting a decent pot call and a variety of stikers really turns it into a very flexible call. Slate or Glass are the most common but copper and aluminum are becoming more popular these days to use.
a. slate - will give you a much softer sound and one of my fav to use. Great for an up close call to keep it quit. Slate is very easy to scratch up to add friction and is a naturally rough surface making it very easy to use
b. glass - you can have varitys here with frosted glass vs smooth either is a good call. Smooth glass is a bit more finicky to use and requires much more conditioning to get it right. Glass will tend to be more high pitched and depending on the pot louder then slate. Glass can be used in wet conditions with the proper striker and in general is a great all around call. glass can be a bit tougher to master being it is a naturally smooth surface but if kept conditioned should be easy to get the hang of
c. Aluminum - Aluminum has been around for a long time but until recent years has been more of a secret material then common one. With most coming now anodized it removes the shinny nature of the material the most didnt like. Aluminum is personally one of my favorites to use. It tends to be very high pitched and can be used with soft tones or VERY loud making it a great all around call. Easy to condition and can be used in wet days as well
d. man made material (ala Old Yeller types) - very good surface to use and typicly come preconditioned and stay rough for the most part. Fantastic call for beginners or seasoned hunters as well. Usually a mid toned called with a bunch of rasp in it.
The price of the call is not really what kills them. I have killed birds with a $12 lil deuce to a $100 custom call just the same. pot calls are generally limited to yelps, purrs, clucks and cuts. Purrs are awesome from a slate call as well as excited cuts. Gobbles and cackles can be done but require much more practice to learn. most peoples mistakes in learning this call is they practice in the car or at home then get in the woods in positions that are unorthodox and they cant do it as well. Always practice pot calls in positions you may be in while hunting as well as with gloves if you wear them.
Pots come in a variety of pot material with wood the best in general IMO.
4. Mouth calls - not an easy call to use and requires a ton of practice. Unlike the previous ones, mouth calls tend to be personal to the person based on air flow and mouth size..some just fit better then others. for beginners it is best to start with a single reed until you get the hang of it and move to a double reed or higher to get better at it. The more reeds the more air is needed and harder to blow. all turkey sounds can be achieved with mouth calls from gobbles to kee kee's with practice and IMO are the most lifelike sounding calls available. mouth calls are generally inexpensive so it allows you to try multiple ones until you find the one you like the best. Only down side to mouth calls is they weather over time so it is good to buy the ones you like in doubles to have a backup when one wears out.if you are a run and gun type hunter they also add the challenge of trying to use one after running up and down hills, when you are out of breath they are very difficult to use lol
5. tube calls - one of my fav to use and are not a common call people use however VERY VERY difficult to master. Nothing can make a gobble sound as good as a tube call but you can also yelp and cut very well on them. I have had times where no call i had worked but the sound of a jake gobble from my tube call. not many people make them but can still be found for reasonable costs. These require you to replace the reeds each year for the most part and require tuning each time you use them. If you want to try one then you really need to get a few and see which one is the easiest to blow. Some are longer then others with a bigger mouth hole and some come small like a snuff can style.
6. wing bones - pretty much a lost art these days and require you to blow them opposite of others calls that require air buy a sucking style then a blowing style. Wing bones have been used forever but due to the skill required most people do not really like to mess with them anymore.
anyways this is a good start and there are plenty of other calls out there and other variety's but this should cover most of the basics.
I am no expert and by no means a comp caller but these are my experiences and opinions on calling feel free to dispute or add to it in any way.
1. calling is somewhat overrated, by that i mean the SOUND of the call. Calling turkeys is more of a personal preference and one of the main reasons i love the sport. Everyone calls different and likes different sounds and styles, however you do not have to be the best "sounding" caller to kill birds. If you have spent any time in the woods listening you will really notice how much different each hen sounds in terms of pitch and raspyness, heck some sound so bad i have had times where i didnt even think they were real turkeys. There is no "true" sound to calling. Anyone who has hunted for years will agree that 1 call will work 1 day and on others days does nothing so it is good to learn a few different styles and sounds to help your odds.
2. box calls - box calls are by far the easiest to use and in general (like the spinner bait to fishing) are the most used in the woods. They are loud and are flexible to a variety of calls but can limit you to a few vocalizations such as the yelp, cut and cluck unless you really spend a lot of time learning to cackle, purr or gobble on them. I personally am not a fan of box calls but that is just my opinion. They care bulky compared to others and can really run a hunt with a unintended slip of the box in a vest or pocket as well as require you to keep up with messy chalk. Box calls are a great tool to use on windy days however do to how loud you can get them. If you decide to use one the main thing to learn is how to properly hold them to get all you can from the call. While there is no true right and wrong to it there are better ways to do it to get the proper sounds.
3. pot calls - a slate call is pretty hard to beat for soft clucks and yelps IMO. there are tons of options as well to make 1 call sound different by using different strikers such as carbon, walnut, osage and purple heart to name a few. Strikers are somewhat inexpensive so getting a decent pot call and a variety of stikers really turns it into a very flexible call. Slate or Glass are the most common but copper and aluminum are becoming more popular these days to use.
a. slate - will give you a much softer sound and one of my fav to use. Great for an up close call to keep it quit. Slate is very easy to scratch up to add friction and is a naturally rough surface making it very easy to use
b. glass - you can have varitys here with frosted glass vs smooth either is a good call. Smooth glass is a bit more finicky to use and requires much more conditioning to get it right. Glass will tend to be more high pitched and depending on the pot louder then slate. Glass can be used in wet conditions with the proper striker and in general is a great all around call. glass can be a bit tougher to master being it is a naturally smooth surface but if kept conditioned should be easy to get the hang of
c. Aluminum - Aluminum has been around for a long time but until recent years has been more of a secret material then common one. With most coming now anodized it removes the shinny nature of the material the most didnt like. Aluminum is personally one of my favorites to use. It tends to be very high pitched and can be used with soft tones or VERY loud making it a great all around call. Easy to condition and can be used in wet days as well
d. man made material (ala Old Yeller types) - very good surface to use and typicly come preconditioned and stay rough for the most part. Fantastic call for beginners or seasoned hunters as well. Usually a mid toned called with a bunch of rasp in it.
The price of the call is not really what kills them. I have killed birds with a $12 lil deuce to a $100 custom call just the same. pot calls are generally limited to yelps, purrs, clucks and cuts. Purrs are awesome from a slate call as well as excited cuts. Gobbles and cackles can be done but require much more practice to learn. most peoples mistakes in learning this call is they practice in the car or at home then get in the woods in positions that are unorthodox and they cant do it as well. Always practice pot calls in positions you may be in while hunting as well as with gloves if you wear them.
Pots come in a variety of pot material with wood the best in general IMO.
4. Mouth calls - not an easy call to use and requires a ton of practice. Unlike the previous ones, mouth calls tend to be personal to the person based on air flow and mouth size..some just fit better then others. for beginners it is best to start with a single reed until you get the hang of it and move to a double reed or higher to get better at it. The more reeds the more air is needed and harder to blow. all turkey sounds can be achieved with mouth calls from gobbles to kee kee's with practice and IMO are the most lifelike sounding calls available. mouth calls are generally inexpensive so it allows you to try multiple ones until you find the one you like the best. Only down side to mouth calls is they weather over time so it is good to buy the ones you like in doubles to have a backup when one wears out.if you are a run and gun type hunter they also add the challenge of trying to use one after running up and down hills, when you are out of breath they are very difficult to use lol
5. tube calls - one of my fav to use and are not a common call people use however VERY VERY difficult to master. Nothing can make a gobble sound as good as a tube call but you can also yelp and cut very well on them. I have had times where no call i had worked but the sound of a jake gobble from my tube call. not many people make them but can still be found for reasonable costs. These require you to replace the reeds each year for the most part and require tuning each time you use them. If you want to try one then you really need to get a few and see which one is the easiest to blow. Some are longer then others with a bigger mouth hole and some come small like a snuff can style.
6. wing bones - pretty much a lost art these days and require you to blow them opposite of others calls that require air buy a sucking style then a blowing style. Wing bones have been used forever but due to the skill required most people do not really like to mess with them anymore.
anyways this is a good start and there are plenty of other calls out there and other variety's but this should cover most of the basics.
