Box, slate or mouth call for turkey?

One thing that could be considered.  It is sometimes possible to keep a turkey talking the entire time he is working in closer to you.  this may not be to your advantage in crowded hunting situations. It may be better to let the tom come in with out doing much gobbling. I have found that one can keep a turkey gobbling with a box call, but that is when one can get run over by the hot footing young hunter trying to run down your bird. Purrs and soft clucks will get them coming in faster because they won't be wasting so much time strutting and gobbling way out of range. For that I prefer the double or triple diaphrams, less motion to give your position away.

[MSwickard]

Some of my favorite calls are custom.  But If I had to pick some current calls I'd go with a Lynch box call (fool Proof), HS Lil Duece glass mix up the strikers, and any mouth call single, double, split it really doesn't matter much to me.

[cgeiser]

Just got a mouth call to practice while driving. Can make some good clucks but can purr yet. Hopefully by the time turkey season opens   . Also gonna look into making a box call, I'll search the how to's.

[gwhunter]

Good luck.  Keep practicing and you'll be purring before long.  I heard a gobble the other day.  Probably just establishing the food chain, but it was exciting.

[huntin_sparty]

Since you said you dont care which is easier.  I prefer the mouth call over time I am able to yelp, purr, cackle, kee kee, all the calls with a mouth call and it doesnt require movement switching calls which is key with the sharp eyed turkey.  Master the mouth call throw in a ASAT 3d suit and you should get some turkey!

[Oliverstacy]

I'm probably the best on a slate but I like a box call to locate a bird from a distance because I can get louder on it.  But nothing beats a good mouth call when the birds are close.

Josh

[gregk]

all three, windy days i use a box call more, i use a slate or glass call when im trying to get them to commit and close the distance, mouth call from then on when i dont want to use my hands. They all three are useful because of the different situations you encounter.

[Jon Shade]

I carry a yelper call, mouth calls and a box call. I wish I were better with the mouth call. It frees up the hands for the bow.

[hayslope]

Originally posted by 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.

What Mike said.............It's a scary feeling when working a bird and some dude with a shotgun tries sneaking (what he would call "stalking") on "you"!

As for calls, I use all three........they all have their strong points.

[Kapellmeister]

I use all three... for me, the box call is loud and I use it almost like a locator.  I'm able to get the most variation and subtle nuances out of a slate call.  For me, the mouth call is great when I know a bird is closing in (no movement). As always, YMMV.

[bolong]

I use all three but use a mouth call 98% of the time.  (Woodhaven Yellowjacket) an Primos.

[TommyBoy]

Yes ... all three. Box and slate for long range, and mouth call for up close.  If you are a bowhunter, you need to learn to use a mouth call.

[hedgetree]

They are all good tools, but gain confidence in a mouth call for those birds that are in close range.

[cgeiser]

I picked a a couple mouth calls. I've got a bit of drive time in the next two weeks and figure I can practice then. Today I also worked on making a scratch box just for fun. Glue should be dry tomorrow and I can try it out. I'll post pics if it works out at all.

I guess there must be a lot of tradgangers getting excited for turkey season as there's a lot of posts here. Thanks for all the advice.

Che

[BOWMARKS]

Have never bagged a bird but called a few in , just did not have a shot. I used a mouth call just to keep my movment down to the minimumn.

[Spurs]

My absolute favorite is the mouth call.  If you are good enough, there is not a sound that a turkey makes that can't be made on a mouth call.  For most this comes with years of practice, but just a simple yelp can keep your hands free, and call in turkeys.  

Slate, glass, or friction calls have there place.  They are easy to run, and sound much like turkey.

Now for the meatstick turkey call for hunters from a beginner to a professional caller.   The BOAT PADDLE box call.  When all else fails, the boat paddle won't.  These calls can be loud, but from a distance a trained ear can't distinguish the caller from a real turkey.  If there were only one call, this would be it.  My humble opinion.

[Mike Most]

Interesting that this thread should pop up.

Why just this morning, I was out a 9am CST tying up a goat to eat some weeds, (its starting to warm up in South Texas) when I hear a gobble. Only one barb wire fence between me and the bird located in the pasture behind the house. I walk back up to the garage, locate the box call and went back standing up by a gate post. blue jeans, blue and white plaid shirt. (no bow no arrows).    

A big Rio Grande Turkey comes in to with 25 yards of the fence, now I have the call in my hands and he could see the movement if he looked. I managed a couple of squawks, really awful sounding stuff. Maybe a bobcat would understand but not a decent turkey. I stood motionless for about an hour as I watched that beautiful bird    

He stayed for a while and knew that I was there, but wasnt interested in any blondes. I was wishing my mouth call was closer.....he finally wandered back into the woods and I went and sat down to analyze what had happened.

It made my day.....

[cgeiser]

I was out at the archery range here in town and saw six turkeys. They love to feed on he archery range    

[Spurs]

What a great place to have feeding turkeys.  The archery range.      This would drive me crazy.  Now if only you had blinds placed at various locations.

[Stiks-n-Strings]

Spurs,
I seen this post and was wondering if any tukey call conisuerrs where gonna mention a boat paddle call.
I have made alot of box calls and am a box call lover and I agree, nothing beats a good paddle call. You can get a whole flock of birds wrapped up in that dude if it's tuned right.

I have a mutiltude of different style calls of every shape and design.
my two favorites are my Irving Whitt sassafrass short box a good ol' tube call, and my trusty ol' boat paddle.

I need to make few calls before season sneaks up.

Kris