Turkey Calls

[Jason_L]

This year will be my 2nd year hunting turkey. I'm starting to buys some calls  and was wondering if any of you could chime in. Is there any brand/type of call that you think is an absolute must for a beginner hunter? I have already purchased a Primos box cutter. I have been practicing with it by watching hen footage and doing my best to try to mimic the sounds and cadences. Is this a good brand to start with? I have purchased a diaphragm 3 pack too, which seems a lot harder to use, but I'm going to keep practicing. Thanks for any help.

[monsterbuck]

If you can fine one, get you an easy yelper. They are push or pull style that's has a rod through the box. I think the last one I had was a Quaker Boy. It was a great call and easy to use. But that's just one, there are many good calls out there. Hope this helps. God bless.

[Jake Scott]

Get a pot call from R.W. Mackey, a sponser here. Talk with him about how to use it, he'll help you.  There is also a wealth of knowledge online.  I fancy myself to be pretty dang proficient with a diaphragm call, but there is no substitute for a good pot call.  Get in touch with Roy.

Jake

[Msbow]

There are so many calls to chose from. Monsterbuck is right an easy yelper is the best to start out on if you're just starting to learn. For me a diaphragm call was harder to figure out other than a wingbone call. Most use a pot and peg call which could be made from all sorts of materials. Slate, glass, crystal, aluminum, ceramics are some examples the list goes on and on.

[R. W. Mackey]

OK Jason, here's some advice for you, take it or not it comes from 29 years of chasing these great birds. First you made a good comment about the Turkey cadence, this is the most important thing in learning to call. Hens may be raspy or high pitched or anywhere in between, but they all have the same rhythm. Learn the rhythm it's the beginning of all calling. How,
Lovett Williams was a turkey biologist and studied them for many years, he has a series of recordings of every life phase of the turkey, get some, memorize the sounds.
  The second part of turkey hunting is learning what calls to make at what time, this includes not calling at all. This can only be learned by spending time in the field, you will have more failures than success, but each failure is a learning experience. It takes time to be successful at anything, it takes more time to be a successful turkey Hunter.
  Now, as for calls, most anything you buy will sound somewhat like a turkey. After listening to to the Williams CDs
Ask yourself do my calls sound real. Maybe or maybe not according to what you have bought. Good calls are like good bows, fast cars and pretty women, the more you spend most of the time, the better you will get.
  Get yourself a good custom built Box and Pot call learn to use them, they WILL make a great reproduction of the turkey language. Now those mouth calls you bought are a turkeys best friend, unless you are seriously good with one, you will scare more birds than you will ever call in. It's OK to practice with one, but don't dare use one on the woods unless you sound as good as the Wiliams tape.
  Good luck, it's a great sport.
RW

[huckbuck]

I'll second Jake, get a call from R.W. Mackey.  I ordered one Friday and got it yesterday.  Best sounding pot call i've ever had after 20 years of hunting turkeys. Not to mention the best looking call.  Can't wait to hit the woods with it next month.

[R. W. Mackey]

Tony, I thought you would like that call. Good to hear how much. It's very satisfying when someone with your experience
Makes a claim like that.
  Good luck to you this season.

RW