There are two basic types of turkey calls, friction calls and air activated calls. Friction calls are by far the most diverse in terms of differing types (although diaphragm calls can be pretty confusing with different setups). I’ll first go over air-activated calls (the diaphragm call and tube call). I believe that when truly mastered, the diaphragm call can be the most effective turkey call to employ.
- AIR CALLS
Calls that are air-activated are utilized just as the name suggests, push air through a shaped reed to produce turkey sounds.
The diaphragm call is small, about 50 cent piece sized and can be devastatingly effective. There are several main draws to this type of call. They are easily carried due to their size and when mastered can trick even the most choosy turkey into walking within shotgun or bow range. This type of call requires a lot of practice before even taking it out into the field, but since you utilize your mouth and lungs to produce the call, movement is minimized, which is another huge draw for this type of call. The benefits of having your hands free are obvious and bypass any movement that would be required to place another type of call down to ready your weapon. There are numerous sub-sets of diaphragm calls (cutters, triple reeds, raspy hens, etc.). For beginners, I recommend purchasing a vanilla model (single or double reed). The more time you spend with this will increase your proficiency and allow you to move onto some more advance models.
The pump is constructed out of a hollowed out tube which contains a diaphragm within. You can reproduce turkey sounds by “pumping” the tube, forcing air through the chamber and over the reeds. These calls are fairly limited in the range of turkey sounds they can reproduce and for the most part I would recommend a regular diaphragm call which allows for more lifelike recreations of turkey sounds. Another major drawback to the pump call is that it requires a fairly large range of movement to activate, increasing the chances of being caught in the act by the laser-sharp eyes of tom turkey.
- FRICTION CALLS
As I stated earlier, there are many different types of friction calls. For our purposes here, I am going to discuss the push-button, slate and box calls. All of these calls reproduce turkey sounds by creating friction between two surfaces. These calls could be considered more “simple” than a diaphragm call, but all require movement of the hands, increasing the likelihood of being spotted by a turkey.
The first friction call I will cover is the push-button call. This is by far the easiest call to master and also requires the least movement of the other two friction calls mentioned here. The call is basically a box with a protruding rod that is pushed on to recreate hen “yelps”, which are a strong vocalization to seduce a tom. Push-button calls can be constructed in many different materials, including wood, composite materials and acrylic. The only true benefit to choosing a call constructed of acrylic is that it is not porous like wood and requires less care and upkeep.
Slate calls are capable of recreating a huge range of turkey sounds and can also be effectively employed in the field with some practice. These types of calls typically require two-handed operation (although there are accessories for one-handed use). Vocalizations are produced by running a rod / striker up against a flat material (usually glass or some other material) and can mimic yelps, purrs, cuts, cackles, putts, clucks, etc. Depending on the construction of the slate / striker, you can shoot for a specific sound or pitch and even plan for specific weather.
Here are a few slate types and the conditions they are used optimally in:
Aluminum – Typically produces higher pitched calls and are good to use in wet weather
Crystal / Glass – This is the most efficient surface to use in inclement weather.
Slate – The most common surface and is typically used in dry weather
Plexiglas – Reproduces more subdued tones
There are also several different choices for striker material:
Wood – Great for dry hunting conditions. Depending on the type of wood, you can vary the tone of your calls
Crystal – Works great in wet weather
Carbon – Good for rainy weather
Aluminum – Great for reproducing higher pitched sounds
As with the diaphragm call, slate calls can be attractive to beginners due to the range of vocalizations that can be made, but you must practice long before turkey season starts before taking a call of this type into the field.
The final friction call I am going to discuss is the box call. These are similar to slate calls in that they require both hands to operate. Basic operation involves moving a thin wooden “lid” over a hollowed out wooden box. Varying your angle and friction strength recreates a fairly broad range of turkey sounds. These types of calls are easy for beginners to pick up, but require years of experience to truly master. Box calls are favorites of seasoned turkey hunters due to their hand-crafted artisan appearance as well as their effectiveness in the field.
Do you have any favorite calls? Maybe you sell hand-crafted box calls. If this is the case, feel free to place a classifieds ad with us for free!
Below are some additional resources pertaining to the art of turkey calling:
Woodhaven Cherry Classic Crystal Slate Turkey Call
Quaker Boy Dick Kirby’s 11303 Select Four-Bagger Diaphragm Calls
Knight and Hale® Long Spur Turkey Call
The Callmasters TURKEY CAMP VOL. 1 DVD hunting turkeys
2 Responses to “Turkey Calls”
Penn Big Game
May 28th, 2009 1:18 am
Hey there, I discovered upon your site a number of weeks ago and have been through all the posts and comments steadily. I decided might write my first comment. Not really sure what to write but anyway. Great blog. Will come back soon to hear what else youd like to say.
Florida Hunting Guy
July 3rd, 2009 1:25 am
you can do those “turkey calls” anywhere you want just don’t do it in the field where turkey hunting is happening. someone might mistaken you as a turkey and BAM, shoot you dead… 