In my past life I was a fly fishing guide at a pretty high-end fishing lodge in Northern New Mexico. We used to have a saying, “There are flies that catch fish and then there are flies that catch fishermen”. The call industry is very similar. Last night while digging thru my favorite mail order catalog I counted 267 different turkey calls but they all pretty much worked and perform the same way. You either rubbed two things together, you blow thru a reed or you flapped it to get a sound. So why so many calls? Well the real answer is because at one time or another they all work. When I am on the hunt, I carry at least 10 different calls with me, most are different kinds of diaphragm calls with different reed designs but unless I find the lucky one, I use them all. I can’t explain it but it always happens, I can be in a spot that I know holds turkeys but I can’t get them to gobble , then I switch calls and all hell breaks loose. For some reason some calls just seem to work better at certain times. I wish I could give you a formula but if you are not getting any action switch calls and see what happens, you might strike that magic note.
When I am trying to get a shock gobble I have had my best luck with a box call. I really like the fact that they are loud and are easy to use. Each manufacture will say there calls are “tuned” and give a reason why there calls are better and you will notice that each call might sound different but when it comes right down to it I don’t really think it matters what brand you choose; the turkeys will either like it or they won’t. The key is to make sure that your call is properly maintained. Make sure you clean the bottom of the lid and the rail and chalk them periodically. Regular black board chalk usually works best.
BOX CALL
