Why do I need more calls?

[Franco]

I have 3 different HS mouth calls I practice in my truck back and forth to work. I have a HS lil Deuce slate call. I listen to turkey sounds and I think I am making good sounds with a combination of them all. I was thinking about adding the hen call that sounds like she is being mated because I can't duplicate that, but why do I need anything else?
 
I have looked at other brands of mouth calls, glass and crystal calls, and different pegs in diferent styles and materials. I have looked at the box and the push pin call. I have had them in my hand at the store and put them back.
 
Keep in mind I have never turkey hunted or called in a turkey, but why  would I go out and buy other calls if I can make most of the sounds? I am not questioning the experienced guy that does or that kills turkeys, just wanting to know why and if or what I should get.

[shaman]

If that works and you bag a turkey, that's all you need.
 
My son, Angus, got ahold of his first mouth call when he was about 6 and started working it and a few days later I mistook him for a turkey on the calling tape.
 
 
 
Now, having said that, I would not be at all surprised if you find   you need to add to your arsenal after the first season.

[kenturkey89]

The reason most people have multiple calls is because it gives them different options to choose from. For example, box calls tend to be very loud calls where the sound can travel a great distance. I like to use one of these on windy days because I know the sound can cut through the wind and reach out to gobblers that are further away. I also like to carry around a glass call and a crystal call because they make slightly different sounds than my other calls and I can play them with soft, medium, or loud tones. I have multiple mouth calls that I like to use because some are raspy, some are clear, some I can cutt better with and some I can soft call better with.

All of the calls you buy will make the same basics calls: yelps, clucks, purrs, and cutts, but they all have different tones, pitches, ranges, etc. This is another reason why so many people like to have multiple calls. You may be sitting out there one morning yelping and cutting on your slate call and get no responses, but when you switch to some other call like a mouth call, for example, you might get a response immediately. Different sounds will trigger different birds so you have to be prepared. In your situation, however, I don't think it's really necessary to overwhelm yourself with buying every call you see and packing them into the woods. As a beginner, the best thing you can do to become a better hunter is to learn woodsmanship (which I'm still learning today). Woodsmanship trumps calls any day of the week, and having a boat load of calls isn't necessarily going to make you a better hunter any quicker. It's good to just start out with a few calls like a box call, slate call, or a push-pin call and slowly work your way up to things like mouth calls and other things like locator calls. The product that you're talking about that makes the noise of a breeding hen is known as the H.S. Squealing Hen, and there is a forum with reviews about this product on this website. I'll just give you my honest opinion and say that's something you shouldn't really bother yourself with right now. If you want to go ahead and buy it, then by all means go ahead. But I don't think that's a necessary call for anybody, especially someone who's just starting out in the sport.

In conclusion, if you are satisfied with the calls you have now then I wouldn't worry about getting anything else. This first year (and every other year for that matter) will be a learning experience for you that will make you a much better hunter next season. I would just make sure to practice playing your calls as much as possible and listening to tapes and watching videos hen talk, hunts, and anything else you can get your hands on. Hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck this season!

[BigBuckeye]

I agree with kenturkey89.  I have a squealing hen call you can have for free; it has scared every bird I called to with it. [:D]
 
One other consideration may be, turkeys have great memories, if you hunt the same area all season, there is a chance they will get familiar with your calls and associate it with a dead buddy (if you were good the first time) [:)] or getting bumped.
 
Good luck whichever direction you go.... 51 days to the TX opener !!!!!

[ghamlin10]

if u can make the sounds w the calls u got dont worry bout it, i like to mix it up myself

[1Morgan]

You'll find out in due time...ya just have to have more...just because...

[Steve_In]

See http://forum.turkeyandturkeyhunting.com ... ey=&#37877 [:D][;)][:)]
Callmakers like Scott make it very difficult to not want more calls.[8D]

[mark hay]

You'll find that some of those older toms are perty suspicious,,,especially ones that have been hunted hard on public land . They hear so many calls being made from so many different hunters that they become shy or suspicious of every hen they hear ,,,NEARLY , but not all .
 
Hunter goes into a certain woods . Hits a boxcall . Tom gobbles right on top . Tom comes so far and stops . Hunter continues to use the box . Offering soft yelps , loud yelps , cutting , cackling , purrs . Tom responds to everything but doesn't come any closer . Finally tom wanders away from this obnoctious loudmouth hen that wants to tell him ALL of her troubles .
 Hunter returns on day two to same area but a different spot for his setup. Now he uses the pot n peg . Ever so subtle and soft . Striking the call only every 5 to ten minutes no matter what the tom does . Hunter knows that tom is just beyond the crest of the ridge by his furious gobbling so hunter does a little leaf scratching followed by a short soft purr. The da'gum gobbler can't take it any more ,,,he just has to get closer ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,BUT THIS DOESN'T MEAN YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HIM . He's a turkey . He's good at manuevers . He may look as black as a buzzard from a hundred yards but he'll blend with the woods .
  Ppffttt,,Dummmmmmmmm,,,,,,,,right behind you hunter .[:D] Better sit still .Better slowly squint your eyeballs to slits . And stop that shaking , you'll have limbs falling from the tree your leaning on . Steady feller. Don't breath to deep or loud ( yeah right ). If it's cold enough he'll see your foggy breath rolling out through your facenet . Be glad he didn't gobble or you would have jumped real high and spooked him .
 Wait him out .
 
 Da'Gummit ,,,no wonder turkey hunting is an addicting , obsession , habit forming , good time .

[SouthernStrut]

As the years have gone by and my skill level on a mouth call has increased, I have slowly eliminated more and more calls from my vest. When I first started off years ago I used to carry a box, two or three slates, a push pin, and 7 or 8 mouth calls. Last year I carried one slate and 3 mouth calls almost all season, called all my birds in with the exact same mouth call and never even scratched the slate. This season I'll be using the mouth calls I've made myself and nothing else. Might break out the slate on a windy day, but I've got a couple of nice high pitched mouth calls that should cut through the wind pretty well. I've honed in my natural voice calling pretty good this year too so I may take a few walks with no calls at all just to see what happens. If you are new to turkey hunting and can already make the sounds you need to make with the calls you have, don't buy anything else until you see how well your calling is against the birds you're gonna be calling to this season. You never know what the birds are gonna like to hear til you test em out on them. You might end up whackin the heck outta some birds with the calls you have, or you might strike out completely and be looking for new calls. I've found what works in my area and I won't change it til it stops working.