Call sounds

[WillowRidgeCalls]

Me and my hunting buddies were discussing the sounds of calls, and I'm curious as to what you all prefer in the sound of a call. Lets say it's your go to call, what is it about the sound of that call that makes it your go to call?
1. is the old school sound, where a call has a good mid-tone start that rolls over into a more raspy finish.
2. is a newer call sound that has a high pitched start that has a good big breaking rollover and somewhat of a softer rasp finish, kind of a cleaner sounding call.
3. is a higher pitched call, that doesn't have much of a break in the rollover, and a chattery rasp that is a softer sound.

[Treerooster]

I don't know if I could accurately describe the soumd I like in my favorite call, which is my Burrville Bomber longbox. Its a walnut paddle over a black limba box

I have a sound file of it from the maker (Tim Fralik) when I was looking at buying the call. I also have a call on order from a guy (Russel Beard) that is going to build me a black limba longbox (not sure on the paddle wood yet). He gave me a sound file of a black limba longbox he took to nationals and I liked it as it was close to my other longbox.

I would like to post the sound files but I don't know how.

[Gopherlongbeards]

I seem to like a higher pitched, cleaner sound from my hen calls. For gobbler talk deep and a little raspy. That being said, the turkeys don't always agree


edit* hey! the smileys are working again

[Cut N Run]

Both of my long boxes (Quaker Boy Boat Paddle and Russell Beard's BeardHunter Brazilian Cherry over Butternut) are higher pitched, but a short box (Woods Wise Mystic) I use is deeper and more raspy like a boss hen. The Bronze Glass call Scott made me (in my avatar picture) has a nice roll over and is also higher pitched than my slate. I use it more than any other call. If it is windy, the turkeys are a long ways off, or there are a lot of leaves on the trees, I'll hit it hard with a long box to get the sound to carry as far as possible & grab 'em by the ears. I'll use a diaphragm when they're closer to cut my movement down.

The short box has a different tone than the rest of 'em, but sometimes that will get a response when the others fail. Most of the time my higher pitched calls do a good job for me, which is why I have more with that sound characteristic.

Jim

[Uncle Nicky2]

Interesting topic, I never gave this much thought....

When I buy a call, I usually have 3 criteria in mind...1). Will it work in the rain or damp conditions? 2). Is it durable/practical? 3). Most importantly...does it sound like a turkey? If it meets all 3 (possibly 4 being price, since I hate to overspend for anything if I can help it), it winds up in my vest. I've found 1 box call I favor (MADD River Otter), and 2 slate calls (Knight & Hale Yella Hammer & Silver Hammer). I DID call in a bird with one of Scott's custom calls last year in the turkey contest, it had a very realistic sound to it.

I've usually gone by time of day and conditions when I decide which call to use. Before flydown when the woods are silent- slate call, just some purrs & clucks for "tree talk". After flydown- start with the slate, and if no response, box call or diaphragm call. Windy days-box call. Run & Gun- diaphragm call. In close- diaphragm call or push-pin call (this usually drives them NUTS along with some leaf scratching if I can get away with it).

[retranger]

Guess I don't have experience enough to describe the sound but the go to call is my Quaker Boy "grand ole master" to get started. When I have one on the hook I set up and switch to premos "freak" frictionite. It has worked for me so I don't change.

[kygobbler]

I would have to choose option 1. is the old school sound, where a call has a good mid-tone start that rolls over into a more raspy finish.

I just love a raspy call and you can get aggressive as you can get on it. My first pot call was a Cody Woodsman glass call with a rosewood striker that worked wonderfully. Im going to retire it this spring due to two cracks on the side of the pot. I have some new calls that will surely be as good if not better.

[Fan Club]

I seem to like a higher pitched, cleaner sound from my hen calls. For gobbler talk deep and a little raspy. That being said, the turkeys don't always agree

Gotta concur with that Gopher, what we think is a great sounding call and what the birds fancy are often quite different. I have to go against the grain and say that the circumstance and time in the breeding season are much more important than any call you could ever use.

Three years ago I got my home state gobbler on the last day of the season in a downpour that wasn't forecasted and I couldn't get any of my friction calls to function. I found a year old used diaphragm in the pocket of my rain suit and forced out some pitiful thin sounding yelps as the call hadn't been maintained and the reeds were hopelessly stuck (read: welded) together. Two mature gobblers and three jakes that were halfway across a plowed field turned on a dime and came straight in. Compared to the articulate serenades I usually provide, the calling sounded amateurish (to me) and could have been made by a rank beginner. My hunting buddy couldn't believe it either...he said "A month of hard hunting and all it took was the right day."

Having said all of that, my go to call for years has been the Knight & Hale Pocket Puppy made of Sla-Tek, a synthetic slate. The only way I can describe it is that it has the best "range" of any call to my ear. It can go from high and squeaky clean to deep and raspy if you want, and will produce cutts that will make your hair stand up. Dozens of gobblers have fallen to that call and I was heart broke when it fell out of my vest and I stepped on it last year. I have an exact replacement for it so it will be interesting to see if it has the same mojo.

[scoot12]

The new school sound is more pleasing to my ear but the lower toned raspy sound I seem to have better more consistent responses from. Scoot

[Chief Many Longbeards]

not trying to be a wiseguy, but i gotta say the sound i like the best is the one that works that day.
i always carry slate, glass and crystal pot calls and at least three diaphragms that i feel cover the range from No. 1 to No. 3.
on the sunrise setup, i usually favor lower toned calls like the slate or glass or a more raspy diaphragm to start with, but if i am running and gunning later in the morning i tend to use higher pitched calls more - like the crystal, a box or tube, or a high-ball mouth call - to try and strike a gobble.