Alternatives to a mouth call

[sbertram87]

Hi i am new to turkey hunting and i can not learn how to work a mouth call. I can not get my tounge to hold it right. So wondering if there are other mouth calls out there i can run hands free?

Thanks

[WillowRidgeCalls]

There really isn't another call that is hands free other than a mouth call. The closes thing would be a gun mounted push pin call, so you can hang onto your gun and still run the call at the same time. Your limited to the calls the call can produce, but at least you can make calls without letting go of your gun.
Mouth calls require a lot of practice and it takes a while to find one that fits your mouth correctly, there are different sizes of frames and tapes, so you may just need to find the right size call for you to use?

[1Morgan]

Your tongue doesn't really hold it. It should just fit a spot in the roof of your mouth. trim it more on the back side, just a little at a time, until it just "fits" you might need to bend it a little, too.

[Chief Many Longbeards]

DON'T GIVE UP!
very few turkey hunters are "naturals" when it comes to mouth calling. it takes lots of practice and can be frustrating.
in my case, i was about to give up when, after hours of practice, things just "clicked" and i started making good yelps and cutts.
start slowly and master a good cluck (sometimes that's all you need to finish him off) and then procede to the other calls.
i never make a setup without a diaphragm in my mouth and i cant tell you how many times all it took was a couple clucks or soft yelps or purrs to bring a tom in those critical extra few yards when movement on another call would have busted me.
check out these call tip vids from champion caller scott ellis....
http://www.youtube.com/user/prostaffer2?feature=mhee
good luck

[Steve_In]

Get a HS Raspy old hen. If your trying to run a single reed call it is one of the toughest calls to run. Also get a DVD like the HS Strut Mouth Calling 101. What calls are you trying to use? Calls that are old can loose their stretch. Fit is very important. Some people have better luck with a youth frame call. Almost everyone should be able to use a youth call, you are better off with too small than too big.
Just blow air across the call without moving anything. When you get a sound regular drop your jaw a little while blowing until you hear the pitch change. The rest is cadence. Are there any outdoor shows coming up in your area. Often there will be someone selling calls that may be able to give you a hand.
The air should come under the call. The tape should seal on your pallet. Good luck and keep with it.

Also put a general location in your profile, someone near you may be able to help or direct you to help.

[Dixie Belle]

You might want to try some of the "Quaker Boy" mouth calls with the foam instead of tape. They seem to be a little more friendly to the beginning mouth caller. And like some others have said try the multiple reed diaphragms they are a little easier to run than singles. Dropping the lower jaw gives you a good break on the yelp with the muti-reeds. Don't try to "hard" a softer controled breath will get you a "more harmonious outcome".
Ted

[SamuraiTater]

The most reliable call I know of goes in your mouth. It's that 6" BMT on wheat bread from Subway that you packed in your cargo pocket.

This is practically guaranteed to work almost every time. See, it's like 10:30 and your belly is rumbling because all you've put in it was that cup of coffee at 5:00 AM. You'd of ate something earlier, but you slept a little longer than you intended and you were running late. Ooops.

So there you are, sitting against your tree. All the action has drifted off somewhere else and you're certain there's nothing going on in your corner of the woods. ....You survey your surroundings one last time and you lay that shotgun in your lap. You retrieve that sammich from your pocket and take a big bite. ....Uhmmm, so good. .....One more big bite and you get the feeling you're being watched.

Then, over there on the left at about 70 yards. There's a big red head looking at you like, "Hey, what-chu got on that sammich ?"

Give it try, this spring.

[Steve_In]

After re-reading my reply I really did not answer your question. Asking a lot of us for a hands free call is like asking about how to ride a bike. Most know how, assume you should know it too and have a hard time believing you can't. Primos makes a call you strap to your leg but you still have to use a hand to run it. Scott's suggestion to attach a push-pin call to your gun barrel is about hands free as it gets. A lot of turkeys were killed before mouth calls were around. You can set up with a log or low brush in front of you to hide movement but good luck finding that every time you want to set up. Carry a little pruning cutter and place some brush in front of you. You can get one of the screen type of blinds and use it to hide your movements. They are light weight, set up fast with practice and hide some movement. This will allow you to use a pot and peg, box or switch between the two.
I hope this helps you some. Keep tying the diaphragm it takes time.

[Cut N Run]

Keep practicing with the diaphragm. It'll start working for you one day and you won't realize that you did anything different. All of a sudden, you'll get it to start making turkey sounds. My first attempts with a mouth call were plain old awful. Keep a call in your mouth and work on it whenever you get the chance.

Just try to start making any kind of sounds with it and hone them with more practice. Build on whatever you achieve each time you try. Find another turkey hunter in your area willing to give you some pointers or encouragement. Having help shortens the learning curve.

Stick with it, you'll get it. Nobody was born knowing how to play the saxophone either you know.

Jim

[sbertram87]

Hi, do i have to use the back of my tounge to force air to the call?
Can someone give me the steps they take when they move air to the call
thanks
steve