Box, slate or mouth call for turkey?

[cgeiser]

I'm looking for advice on my first turkey call. I'm not worried too much about what's easier or harder to learn as I will practice. If you had to pick one favorite call for stalking turkey what would it be? Any tips on how to use it? I'm out west (Northern California) if that matters.
Thanks for your help!
Che

[Jeremy]

Stalking turkey??  I'd never do it for safety reasons.

But in answer to your question: YES.  :D
Each call is a little different and birds will respond to them each differently at different times.

[cgeiser]

Is stalking the wrong term or are the other posts related to 'run and "bow"' also a bad idea? Is the danger related to gun hunters primarily?
Thanks

[lpcjon2]

Stalking is illegal in my state.And it's a good way to get shot by a anxious gun hunter.I like a mouth call to free up my hands for shooten.

[wingnut]

I use all three types often on the same set up.

Can't have enough calls when they aren't finding the one your using to be sexy enough.

LOL

Mike

[lpcjon2]

wingnut, how could they not find you sexy...LOL

[KSdan]

I stalk them all the time. Never a hen.  But that is the fun to me; calling and the "chess match".  I have taken some of my biggest with limited calling and crawling in on them.  I tried the sitting in blind thing-though effective-it is just not any fun to me. Diaphragms are my mainstay as you can have different ones, different sounds, and versatile. That said- over 30 years of hunting them I have collected a couple of boxes and a slate- various sounds; time and place works well.

Good luck.

[Dan White]

Using mouth calls will give less movement...turkeys have good vision. If you do not mind practicing try natural...no call, just your voice. I have called that way for 28 years and get a bird or two every season.

[wojo124]

mouth and slate call for me..

[cgeiser]

Thanks for all the tips so far. I'm following up on a few private land leads, so hopefully I'll find areas where there are no other hunters and the spot and stalk will be safe. I know I'm not as likely (maybe very unlikely;) ) to get a bird but it sure sounds like a lit more fun than sitting in a blind!

[BlacktailBowhunter]

I yelp with a box call, KeeKee with a mouth call, and purr with a slate call.

I hunt from a ground blind on private property and use the box to get them started and the purr to real them in.

Buy a couple of Primos videos and you will learn all you need to know about each call.

Good luck,

Paul

Private property or public it is no guarantee that your gobbler won't bring in an over anxious gun hunter coming in on a dead run. I have found that a box call can call in more shotgun hunters than my double reed.

[Steelhead]

All 3 calls work obviously.

You may master the diaphram easily or may not.You could screw up on it as well and scare a few birds off if your not profficient.I would recommnd some easy clucks to start of with it and not overcalling with a diaphram if you are just starting.The diaphram does give the advantage of working well in the rain where a wet box call or slate is gonna be trouble.Hands free operation is always nice as mentioned.

The slates good because its easy,user friendly and forgiving.A little easier than a glass call or double glass.just need to prepare the surface properly for easiest use.

I like a box alot and use it more than any other call overall.It is the loudest and good on windy days or when cutting and running looking for a bird to pull a gobble out of that may be a long way off.

I would get both a box and slate personally.You can also get 2 or 3 diffent strikers for your slate to change the sound of that one call to make it more versatile.As mentioned above the slate is great for purring and also soft calling with clucks mixed in with the purrs to make contented and natural turkey sounds.

One call can work and does.But your better off with a few calls.Sometimes a bird just responds better to a certain call for whatever reason.You can also sound like 2 different birds.That can be good.

Or if a bird hangs up out of range and wont budge sometimes a different call can push em over the edge for a shot oppertunuty.

[Longbow338]

Get good with all of them they will all have there place.

[cgeiser]

Any recommendations for your favorite box, slate and mouth calls? Maybe from our sponsors?
Thanks again,
Che

[Mojostick]

I owned a hunting/fishing store and personal biggest producer is still the old Lynch's World Champion box call.

But mouth calls are also super great and you really must have some too.

[Chris Shelton]

I would not stalk them untill you have done it for a while.  They can sound obvious or not so obvious.  And only time will allow you to be able to distiguish a hunter from a group of turkeys.  However with that said since you are in CA I think you will be hunting wide open area??  goin out on a limb by sayin that, I really havent got a clue but if you can see for a ways, then I would go for it, dont stalk birds in thick cover!  But as far as the call, I would say you need them all.  I have different uses for every single one of them!  And be sure to post pictures when ya nail one!!!

[MSwickard]

Never stalk!  Strike a gobble, move in to set up and park yourself and call him in.  Besides another hunter, stalking will blow more hunts them calling one in.  If a gobblers is sounding off, hens are not far away.  Learn to call them in that's the pure fun of turkey hunting in the spring.

As for calls, easiest to learn is a box, slate/glass friction call, then mouth.  You can never have too many calls.  I've had bird go silent then pick up a particular box call and start gobbling his head off.  So have a goos call arsenal.

Mike

[cgeiser]

Any recommendations for your favorite box, slate and mouth calls? Maybe from our sponsors?
Thanks again,
Che

[Ragnarok Forge]

Take at least two and I always use a mouth diaphram call to get the bird in close.  Very little movement and I have both hands free to draw and shoot.