Cleaning my turkey calls

The vest hangs where I can't see it from my desk, but I had to go over that way today, and I was a goner. It may as well have had a Pick Me Up sign hanging off it.

Oh well, the turkey bug bit me bad this morning. Each one of my calls came out, and each one was carefully inspected and cleaned. My favorite diaphragms were washed in warm water and allowed to air dry.

All mouth calls work best when kept cool, and there's nothing wrong with keeping your clean diaphragm calls in the refrigerator. Cool temps keep the latex reeds in better condition.

It's time to work on your turkey calls before hunting season begins.

My vest is cool, and when I'm not hunting, I wash the latex reeds and insert a flat (not round) toothpick between the reeds to clean and separate the latex. A few callers I know store their diaphragm calls in the cool and dry basement when not in use, but I don't go that far. Mine never hit the fridge but I keep them away from heat in my vest.

I don't do too much to my box calls. I dust them off, including the paddle and lips of the sound chamber, and make certain there are no twigs or anything else inside them from last season.

A light sanding of the paddle and the edges of the sound chamber will remove chalk residue. It may need a bit of tuning after a light sanding. Just don't use any force when sanding. Keep it light and gentle.

Keep all-wood calls dry and remove excess chalk and any dirt.

Many of my calls require the use of chalk although I also use chalk-free calls ,and I try to lightly remove as much old chalk as possible. Once they are cleaned and dusted off, I allow them to sit on a shelf near my desk. They are thoroughly dry when the time comes to use them, and I try not to let them get damp or wet. Too many wood box or push-pull calls have been ruined by using them in rain or snowy conditions.

My aluminum, crystal, glass or slate calls require little care. I clean the surface with a soft, slightly dampened cloth, and then they are wiped completely dry moments later. The peg or striker is another story.

It took me some time to learn, because I like to experiment with pegs, but gradually it dawned on me that certain pegs perform best with certain calls. I've used wood, plastic, glass and graphite pegs or strikers, and they all work ... on certain calls.

I've yet to find that one peg works on all calls. Use the wrong striker, and you'll sound more like a ruptured duck than an amorous hen.

Clean calls work better, produce truer sounds, and can make gobbler go nuts.

A major problem for some people is they keep all the strikers together, and invariably try to use the wrong peg on the wrong call. The sounds that come forth are not those of any turkey any of us has ever seen.

My trick, if that's what it is, is to keep the peg with the proper call. I try to wrap each call (including my box calls) in an old soft dark colored washcloth. A thick rubber-band is used to keep everything tight so it doesn't rattle or make an odd sound while walking to a spring hunting location in the darkness.

Many hunters have learned to put a layer of dry washcloth across the top of a box call, and then wrap the paddle in another layer of cloth. Rubber-band it tight, and you won't have those telltale squeaks or raspy noises coming out of your vest if your arm bumps the call.

One tip on using a wash cloth. Use an old one that has been washed many times, and choose a dark color. Do not use a blue, red or white wash cloth for obvious safety reasons. A dark brown cloth works well for me. and dark green is my second choice for cloth colors.

A cagey old gobbler, who has made it to three or four years of age, may not hear human footsteps in soft soil or pine needles, but they will hear an untimely squawk if the box call or push-pull call makes a noise at the wrong time. Sometimes the sound may not spook the bird, but why take any chances?

Now is the time to sew up holes in your vest after all of your calls have been made ready for the hunt. Barbed wire or sharp tree stubs have a habit of ripping holes in a hunting vest. If a favorite call falls out, and is lost, you'll never forgive yourself for not doing it when time permitted.

All of this can be done at home in an hour or two. Use that time wisely, make certain all decoys and stakes are ready to go, and when the season opens, grab a bag of decoys, the hunting vest and shotgun (don't forget the shotgun shells and license) and it's off to the woods you go. Double-check that the shotgun shells are No. 4, 5 or 6 and nothing larger or smaller in shot size.

And best of all, your equipment will be in perfect working order when you need it to be that way.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

Talking turkey requires plenty of practice

Don’t practice calling in the field to gobblers, John Phillips yelping.

It’s not my intent to create marital acrimony. It is my intent to get turkey hunters in April and May to have some calling practice under their belt before they don their Mossy Oak <www.mossyoak.com> camouflage clothing and take to the turkey woods.

One might ask now during the dead of winter: Is calling as important to a turkey hunter as some sportsmen would have us believe, or is calling just the frosting on a turkey hunters cake? If it isn't to you, it should be.

I’ve turkey hunted for many years in Michigan and other states, and find the physical act of calling a gobbler close enough to shoot to be more exciting than actually shooting the bird. Most hunters who have taken a number of longbeards often  feel the same.

It's one thing to choose a spot to ambush a gobbler as he walks by, which is legal but not very sporting. It's still another to make the longbeard come to you, one or two tentative steps at a time; its head up and looking, the roar of a return gobble, the sight of a snowball head moving slowly through the woods toward a hen call.

The epitoome of turkey hunting is calling a gobbler in.

Turkey hunting is fun. Calling a gobbler to the bow or shotgun is just about as much fun as anyone can have while wearing camo clothing. Is calling hard and must we be an expert caller to succeed?

Good questions. No, Harold Knight of Knight & Hale Game Calls once told me one doesn't have to be an expert to be successful he said that “calling is not extremely difficult but getting the right cadence can be tricky.”.

Using a diaphragm call is much more difficult to learn than an aluminum, crystal, glass or slate friction call. The wood box call is perfect for first-time hunters because it is one of the easiest to master, and the easiest of all to use is the push-button call that produces realistic sounds.

The most difficult turkey call of all to master is the wing-bone yelper. Anyone who can run a yelping sequence on a wing-bone yelper or trumpet is a person who has my admiration. It is extremely difficult to master, which is why few people use them in the northern states. Wingbones are more commonly used in southern states.

There is one important thing to remember: turkeys, like humans, have different voices. I've listened to world champion callers, and once spent a week deer hunting in Alabama with the late Dick Kirby of Quaker Boy Calls. He was prepping for the World Championship  of turkey calling, and he could make truly realistic turkey sounds that were as clear and pure as the brittle tinkle of an icicle breaking.

"Championship calling is different than an in-the-field situation," Kirby told me. "Hunters who can cluck, cutt, purr and yelp can call birds. Championship-type calling isn't required because no two turkeys sound alike. The key is more about the cadence and rhythm of a call than the quality of the sound. The biggest secret is knowing when to call, which call to make and not to call too often. A caller who calls much too often will scare more birds than he will attract."

Choose your calls wisely and practice often with each one.

Box calls - Hold the call lightly in the palm of the hand. Many callers hold a box call horizontally, and draw the paddle across the top of the box. Some hunters, especially in southern states, hold the box vertically and hold the striker between index and middle fingers to strike the lip of the box. Both methods work well, and what it boils down to is using whichever method that feels the most comfortable.

A turkey show was on television recently, and the host was using a box call in a horizontal position, and would then hold the call in a vertical fashion. He didn't look very comfortable with either method. Use whichever feels best and produces the best sound, and there's no need to switch back and forth from horizontal to vertical.

Make a cluck by popping the striker (handle) against the top of the box. It is a sharp one-note sound. To cutt, make a series of sharp clucks in rapid fashion. Yelps are made by moving the handle across the lip of the box and cover the sound chamber to accomplish the two-note call. Purring is simple and works best early in the morning when birds are roosted; move the striker lightly and slowly across the lip of the box.

Diaphragm - David Hale could make astounding sounds with a diaphragm call but mine sound like a gobbler with an adenoid problem. However, my diaphragm calls are effective. Remember, notes need not be competition perfect. Just understand the cadence of each call, and know when to make that particular call. Go to Knight & Hale at <www.knight&hale.com> .

To cluck exhale air across the reed(s) and say "putt." Cutt by making three or four fast clucks quickly and sharply. They can be made loud or softly, and much depends on how far away the bird is and how he responds to the call. A soft cutt often excites gobblers when they are within 50 yards.

The hen yelp is an important one to learn.

A yelp begins high (and can be strung out) and falls off into a lower note. Yelps can be strung together quickly or done just once but jaw, mouth and tongue movement can affect volume and tone. Experiment until it sounds good. A purr is fairly difficult to do, but I find it easier than breaking off the high end of a yelp into the low tone. My yelps sound like a bird with tonsillitis but they usually come to it.

Aluminum, crystal, glass or slate calls are quite easy to use but require both hands. I favor these calls when a turkey is a good distance away, and as the bird comes closer, I switch to the diaphragm call so both hands are free to handle the shotgun. Try Southland Game Call’s new yellow heart crystal from <www.southlandcalls.com> .

All four materials require the use of a peg or striker. Strikers are made of carbon, glass, plastic or wood. To cluck, hold the striker like a ballpoint pen but turn the tip at an angle pointing toward your body and drag it toward you in a skipping motion. Press down harder to make a louder cluck. Cutting is done by making a series or fast and irregular clucks for five to seven seconds. Cutts can be soft or loud, and long or short in duration. Yelping is done by dragging the striker with some pressure in a circular motion or a straight line. The more pressure of striker against the call, the louder the sound. Purr by lightly dragging the striker across the call. This is one of my favorite calls early in the morning because it sounds like a contented bird.

A recording of these sounds make more sense for a beginner than me trying to put down what each sound is like. Hunters also can talk to an accomplished caller and learn these basic sounds. but the key to success is practice. I sit in my basement office, and practice often while my wife and grandkids go to the other end of the house..

Treat call-shy gpbblers carefully. Don’t too much or too loud.

Some gobblers are, by nature, downright call-shy. Gobblers often will call from the roost, and four or five Toms gobbling back and forth sends chills down my spine. As a general rule, don't call as often as a gobbler; let him wonder where the hen is and come looking for it. I often give one or two soft tree yelps after I hear the first crow calling at dawn. If there is no response, try again five minutes later. If a gobbler responds, sit still and say nothing. Wait for the gobbler to call again, and then softly cluck or purr for five seconds and shut up.

A big limbwalker will probably boom back a return call but let him wait again. As he gobbles, birds in other areas may respond with a gobble so wait for a few minutes after silence is restored. Try another soft purr, and if it is full light, slap a turkey wing against a tree or your pant legs to imitate a bird flying down, and give one short and soft yelp to sound like a hen on the ground.

Muffle some calls like a hen moving around on the ground, and listen for the gobbler to fly down. Give him another yelp, and if he gobbles, let him come. If the bird stops 50 yards away, purr or softly cluck and scratch in the leaves with your fingers like a hen feeding. If the bird keeps coming, stay quiet and let him come. If the gobbler stops behind a tree within range, purr or cluck softly and shoot when he steps out and lifts his head.

If a gobbler hangs up, try a trick that has worked for me many times. Use two calls at once: yelp softly with a diaphragm and with a box or slate call to imitate two hens calling for Tommie. This trick has produced many gobblers for me and my friends. Or, try creeping backwards and turn and call softly awau to imitate a hen moving to a more distant location.

Try to set up so the bird can come into a semi-open area to look for the hen. Gobblers will move through thick cover if necessary but they like to see what lays ahead and to check if it appears dangerous

alling isn't particularly difficult but it requires some practice. Do it in the car or at home, but not out in the field. The first time you call outdoors is when you have a shotgun in hand.

One final tip: mosquitoes can be a problem in the spring.The ThermaCELL unit keeps them at bay. Check it out at <www.mosquitorepellent.com> .

The above are just some of the basics of calling a wild turkey within range, and it represents some of the tricks that work. Give 'em a try when the April-May turkey season is open, and work at learning something new every day. Studying turkey behavior and their calls- will pay off.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

A turkey call for coyotes

Coyotes run dry ground or snow in the winter. February is the breeding season.

HONOR, Mich. -- You've heard fingernails being dragged down a blackboard. Or chair legs scraping across a tile floor. Right?

The sound seems to rip through your ears and produces an instant headache. It wouldn't be any fun coyote hunting with Roger Kerby of Honor unless you wear ear plugs. His predator call will set your nerves teeth on edge. Just writing about it makes my skin crawl.

He uses a diaphragm call made for turkey hunting. Used in the manner for which it was designed, the call sounds like a turkey. Used how Kerby does it, it sounds like a rabbit being eaten alive by fire ants.

A nasty sound that many coyotes cannot ignore.

He and his wife, Nancy, were cruising the back roads near home recently. They came to a spot, and both jumped out of the car and quietly eased the car doors shut after he grabbed his .308 bolt-action rifle, and they walked silently into an area he had hunted many times before.

The wind was right for this location because downwind was fairly open. Coyotes, when coming to the call, often circle to the downwind side to check for danger.

They sat down, Roger with the rifle across his lap, and inserted the diaphragm call in his mouth. He moved it around to lubricate the latex reed with saliva, took a deep breath, and began calling.

He uses a great deal of force, and leans hard on the reed with his breath. It is pinned hard by his tongue  to the roof of his mouth, and air is forced hard over the reed. The resulting sound will make your ears hurt and keep your eyes moving in search of a coyote.

It is a high-pitched "e-e-e-e-e-ah" sound and was quickly followed by another ear-splitting call. He called steadily for a minute, lowered the volume by reducing the force of his breath over the reed, and then stopped and sat motionless.

His .308 was topped with a scope, and Kerby has excellent vision. He waited for several minutes, and ran through a shorter version of the same call with it ending in a blood-chilling gurgle.

Getting ready for a shot that can come at any time.

A second later he nudged Nancy, and they spotted a coyote a quarter-mile away streaking in their direction. He knew the animal would stop, but kept the scope on the big animal. It stopped about 100 yards away, and the crosshairs settled on its shoulder, and he gently squeezed the trigger.

The coyote swapped ends in mid-air, landed, thrashed once and died.

"I've been using a turkey call for many years," he said. "I have a Stewart electronic caller, and other commercially made hard plastic predator calls, and they work fine. Some days I used the electronic unit if I don't have to carry it far. If I have a long haul over rough terrain, I just carry my turkey diaphragm and my rifle."

A soft huff of air will produce a cluck or yelp like it is supposed to do but that doesn't work for him. It's when he leans heavily on the call, and forces the air hard over the reed that the grating noise comes out.

"Once I shoot," he said, "I keep calling because often other coyotes are around. I've shot three coyotes while hunting from one spot.

"Experience has taught me that too many hunters call a few times, get up and move to another area. Often an unseen coyote is coming, and is then spooked by the moving hunter. Give each spot a little bit of time, and then give it a few more minutes. Some coyotes come running on the first call, some move on the last call, and some coyotes never come.”

Keep moving and trying other locations.

They moved on to another spot where Kerby had killed a coyote the previous week, and tried it. It didn't produce, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't work the next time.

"Some coyotes show an unusual amount of caution, and the next one comes running in like it hasn't eaten in a week," he said. "Each coyote acts differently, and the trick is to be positioned so you can see a coyote coming before he picks up your scent."

Coyote hunting is a passion for Roger Kerby. He spent years guiding deer and turkey hunters, but when snow covers the ground, he gathers up his rifle and diaphragm or electronic call, and heads for the woods and open fields.

The screeching that comes from his diaphragm call will give you the heebie jeebies, but it sounds like the dinner bell ringing to a coyote. He admits that learning how to put the screech into the call and the other little nuances he uses when calling can only be learned by trial and error.

"I don't even remember why I first tried the diaphragm call, but it works just fine," he said. "Whenever I can call a coyote into rifle range, it is a good day. They are one of the most exciting animals there is to hunt on winter snow, and their caution level is always on red alert."

That caution has to be respected by the hunter, and they must make every attempt to avoid being winded. Kerby takes about 10-12 coyotes every year, and considers them one of the most difficult animals to hunt. That's why he likes to call these predators. in as close as possible.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

How many turkey calls?

A sampling some key turkey calls I’ve used for years. How many do I have?

It's been troubling me. The question concerns how many turkey calls I own. Got no clue so the only resource is to count them.

I went through the diaphragm calls, the owl hooters, wingbone yelpers, box calls, crow calls, push-pull and all the friction and slate calls.

Take a guess. How many turkey calls do I own?

Almost everything I do goes to one extreme or another. Too many? I personally think, like with fishing or hunting books, one can never have too many turkey calls. I doesn't help that I seem to lose a few each hunting season, try to find them, give up and wind up buying more.

There was a preliminary guess that I made before going through my turkey hunting vest and all my spare calls, and I was off by a good bit. Nope, I'm not going to tell you whether my guess was high or low.

Instead, I choose to make it a guessing game for readers. How many turkey calls do you think I own? Email me at <dave@daverichey.com>, and give me your total count. Leave your name abd address with your guess, and a week from now, I will see who guessed closest to the total of all turkey calls.

I will pick two winners, those that guess exactly the total number or are the closest to the total number. Each one will receive a free autographed copy of my book "Hunting Michigan Whitetails." It will take just a minute to guess the number of calls, and send me an email with your name. Put the word "Calls" in the memo line of your email.

Keep in mind, this includes all locator calls (be it a crow, owl or screaming peacock or whatever). It also will include box calls (including my working calls and collector models that are not used).

This question involves all types of turkey calls.

Also included will be my wingbone calls, and here I'll give you a hint. Wingbone calls are fairly scarce in my collection, and I've never practices each with them to be proficient at calling birds.

Then there are the box calls, in all shapes and sizes, and some are decorated with actual drawings and signed by the maker. One little hint: My collection includes at least one call made by the late but legendary turkey hunter, Ben Rogers Lee of widespread fame.

Then there are the aluminum, glass, slate, etc. calls that are used. Some calls have a single surface while other calls  have as many as three or four different surface materials that make different sounds.

There also are rubber shaker calls that can produce a reasonable facsimile of a gobbler, but I seldom use them except when hunting private land.

Last, but certainly not least, are the push-pull calls that are great for working birds that are heading toward your calling location. Some hunters tape them to the forend of their shotgun, and can activate the call while the shotgun is shouldered across your knees. This is a very versatile call, and one that I use often when birds are close.

Note that some of these calls are rather unorthodox in appearance and how they function. There are snuff can calls, scratch box calls, and diaphragm calls with, double and thriple reeds.

Frankly, I use perhaps six or seven calls in a season although there have been a few times when I've used a dozen different calls on any given day. Why, you might ask.

I've gone after a gobbler, get fairly close, and use one or two calls. If the bird keeps moving away, it becomes a run-and-gun chase and I often keep moving, trying to get ahead of him, and try a different call. If that doesn't work, there may be another foot race and two or three others calls will be tried. I've found, that on any given day, the birds will respond to one call but ignore all others.

E-mail me your guess plus name, address & phone, & two will get a free book.

That means a turkey hunter must be versatile in his hunting techniques and the calls he uses. I once used an old box call that seemed to be on its last legs, and it made a squeaky sound like an old rusty gate being opened. On occasion it would work when everything else failed. Sadly, I raced to a spot to get ahead of the bird, sat down and crushed the call.

Here are other clues that may help. I have calls signed by Greg Abbas, the late Roger Latham,the late Ben Lee, Harold Knight & David Hall, the late Dick Kerby, the Birdman, Paul Butski, Primos, Pro Automatic,  Rick Reid, Dean Stratton, and Woods-Wise to name just a few. Some dandy calls are well worn, and names or companies are no longer legible, but it doesn't stop the birds from coming to them.

Look through your own turkey calls, and see how many you have. Ask yourself: does Richey have more or fewer than me? I'm asking for the total number, not just how many I will use during the season.

I have wingbone yelpers and box calls that will never be used. They are simply too beautiful, and too expensive, to risk damaging. Those calls are included in the total amount.

So, take a chance. It's not a big deal. All I need is your name, email address which will be provided when you email me, and your closest guess as to the total.

Two winners will get a free book, sent postpaid. Just one guess per email, but all family members can guess. Who knows, you may win.

If you don't win, we'll have another contest some other time. It's one way to spend a few minutes as we wait for turkey season to arrive in April. Take a wild flying guess, and perhaps you'll win.

It will be fun, and I'l report the winners, their guesses and the exact number of turkey calls I own. You can't win if you don't put in.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors

How many turkey calls"

A sampling some key turkey calls I’ve used for years. How many do I have?

It's been troubling me. The question concerns how many turkey calls I own. Got no clue so the only resource is to count them.

I went through the diaphragm calls, the owl hooters, wingbone yelpers, box calls, crow calls, push-pull and all the friction and slate calls.

Take a guess. How many turkey calls do I own?

Almost everything I do goes to one extreme or another. Too many? I personally think, like with fishing or hunting books, one can never have too many turkey calls. I doesn't help that I seem to lose a few each hunting season, try to find them, give up and wind up buying more.

There was a preliminary guess that I made before going through my turkey hunting vest and all my spare calls, and I was off by a good bit. Nope, I'm not going to tell you whether my guess was high or low.

Instead, I choose to make it a guessing game for readers. How many turkey calls do you think I own? Email me at <dave@daverichey.com>, and give me your total count. Leave your name abd address with your guess, and a week from now, I will see who guessed closest to the total of all turkey calls.

I will pick two winners, those that guess exactly the total number or are the closest to the total number. Each one will receive a free autographed copy of my book "Hunting Michigan Whitetails." It will take just a minute to guess the number of calls, and send me an email with your name. Put the word "Calls" in the memo line of your email.

Keep in mind, this includes all locator calls (be it a crow, owl or screaming peacock or whatever). It also will include box calls (including my working calls and collector models that are not used).

This question involves all types of turkey calls.

Also included will be my wingbone calls, and here I'll give you a hint. Wingbone calls are fairly scarce in my collection, and I've never practices each with them to be proficient at calling birds.

Then there are the box calls, in all shapes and sizes, and some are decorated with actual drawings and signed by the maker. One little hint: My collection includes at least one call made by the late but legendary turkey hunter, Ben Rogers Lee of widespread fame.

Then there are the aluminum, glass, slate, etc. calls that are used. Some calls have a single surface while other calls  have as many as three or four different surface materials that make different sounds.

There also are rubber shaker calls that can produce a reasonable facsimile of a gobbler, but I seldom use them except when hunting private land.

Last, but certainly not least, are the push-pull calls that are great for working birds that are heading toward your calling location. Some hunters tape them to the forend of their shotgun, and can activate the call while the shotgun is shouldered across your knees. This is a very versatile call, and one that I use often when birds are close.

Note that some of these calls are rather unorthodox in appearance and how they function. There are snuff can calls, scratch box calls, and diaphragm calls with, double and thriple reeds.

Frankly, I use perhaps six or seven calls in a season although there have been a few times when I've used a dozen different calls on any given day. Why, you might ask.

I've gone after a gobbler, get fairly close, and use one or two calls. If the bird keeps moving away, it becomes a run-and-gun chase and I often keep moving, trying to get ahead of him, and try a different call. If that doesn't work, there may be another foot race and two or three others calls will be tried. I've found, that on any given day, the birds will respond to one call but ignore all others.

E-mail me your guess plus name, address & phone, & two will get a free book.

That means a turkey hunter must be versatile in his hunting techniques and the calls he uses. I once used an old box call that seemed to be on its last legs, and it made a squeaky sound like an old rusty gate being opened. On occasion it would work when everything else failed. Sadly, I raced to a spot to get ahead of the bird, sat down and crushed the call.

Here are other clues that may help. I have calls signed by Greg Abbas, the late Roger Latham,the late Ben Lee, Harold Knight & David Hall, the late Dick Kerby, the Birdman, Paul Butski, Primos, Pro Automatic,  Rick Reid, Dean Stratton, and Woods-Wise to name just a few. Some dandy calls are well worn, and names or companies are no longer legible, but it doesn't stop the birds from coming to them.

Look through your own turkey calls, and see how many you have. Ask yourself: does Richey have more or fewer than me? I'm asking for the total number, not just how many I will use during the season.

I have wingbone yelpers and box calls that will never be used. They are simply too beautiful, and too expensive, to risk damaging. Those calls are included in the total amount.

So, take a chance. It's not a big deal. All I need is your name, email address which will be provided when you email me, and your closest guess as to the total.

Two winners will get a free book, sent postpaid. Just one guess per email, but all family members can guess. Who knows, you may win.

If you don't win, we'll have another contest some other time. It's one way to spend a few minutes as we wait for turkey season to arrive in April. Take a wild flying guess, and perhaps you'll win.

It will be fun, and I'l report the winners, their guesses and the exact number of turkey calls I own. You can't win if you don't put in.

Posted via email from Dave Richey Outdoors