If you’re going to turkey hunting you’ll be needing some hunting calls. There a quite a few different hunting calls to choose from, ranging from easy to advanced skill sets. Even seasoned turkey hunters work on honing their skills. For the less experienced, it’s a good idea to start with a simple call and work up to more advanced methods.
Turkey Calls:
- Push-Pin call
- Diaphragm calls
- Slate/glass pot & peg call
- Box call
- Tube call
- Gobble call
- Glass call
- Turpin/wingbone call
- Owl hooter call
- Crow call
If you plan on calling that big gobbler in, you need to practice emulating a turkey hen. The types of hen calls are yelps, whines, purrs, and clucks. It is critical to your success to know how to make these calls.
You can purchase instructional video and audio material to help master these techniques. You don’t have to be an expert, just have a good to an average command of calls, especially clucks and yelps for beginners.
Carry several different calls with you and experiment with each to determine what works at any given time. Always go on the assumption that “less is more” when calling. Take care to remain still and limit movement.
New or just beginning turkey hunters will be better served using push-pin or slate type calls. These are easier to use and the new caller will cut down the chance of mistakes.
Description of Turkey Calls:
Box Call – The box call works by the lid sliding along the box surface. The box call produces a louder sound than other callers/
Push-Pin or Push-Pull Call – For the beginner turkey hunter this will be one of the easiest calls to use. The push or pull of a button forces a call plate across a pin or peg.
Diaphragm Call – This type of call requires some practice and not recommended for beginners. These calls do a good job of emulating an actual sound of the turkey. The diaphragm call is put into callers mouth.
Friction Calls – Many turkey hunters use the friction call, mainly because it’s one of the easiest to use and produces a genuine turkey sound. The sound is created by drawing a striker or peg across a ceramic, slate or aluminum surface.
Owl Hoot/Crow Call Locator – These calls are used to get ole Tom to gobbling. Now if you were paying attention, you should have a good idea of his location.
Wingbone Call – For the more advanced caller. These were originally made as the name applies from a turkey wing bone. Placed in the caller’s mouth, a quick sucking action results in a hollow yelp.