call tips

Friction Calls - Positioning

1. Cup the call loosely in one hand without covering the holes in the bottom of the pot.
2. In the other hand, hold the striker like a pen, resting your hand on the edge of the call like you would on a table to write.
3. Hold the striker at a slight angle and point it in the direction you wish to move. Once the striker is in contact with the glass, you should not have to pick it up from the glass. You can make all the calls in one spot without lifting and repositioning the striker.

Friction Calls - Calling Technique

1. YELP: With your hand in position, put the striker on the glass between "Enticer" and the turkey head. Move the striker back and forth horizontally. The more pressure you apply, the louder the call.
2. PURR: Drag the call vertically for about 1" so that it almost jumps/skips across the glass.
3. CUTTS: Similar to the Purr, pop the striker across the glass in the same direction. Do not make a series of jumps as with the Putt. Instead, keep the striker jumping in one spot. The sound will resemble a "pop" repeated about ten times.
4. CLUCK: Same as above with only one "pop".
5. CACKLE: Exactly the same as a Yelp, but repeated quickly.

Mastering the Mouth Call

1. Start with a double reed call or a single, if you have one.
2. Place call in mouth and place it inside of cheek. Practice moving around your mouth and get used to the feel of it in your mouth. Do this several times. Getting used to the call in your mouth can help eliminate the gag reflex associated with mouth calls.
3. WITHOUT the call in your mouth, practice huffing, not blowing, the “sh” sound. Notice how your tongue forms a small space against the middle of the roof of your mouth. This is where the latex reeds of the call will eventually be. The air you HUFF through this small space is what vibrates the reeds.
4. Again WITHOUT the call, expand your “sh” huff to sound like “sheeok”. With the addition of these syllables you will notice your tongue tip relaxing a little. This drop in tongue will eventually result in a drop in pressure against the reeds which will change the pitch.
5. Place the call against the roof of your mouth in the same spot the space was created from the earlier exercise. The open straight edge of the reeds should face outward. On multiple reed calls the shortest reed always goes on the bottom. Sometimes a little crimping button can be noticed through the tape and this usually is on the bottom of the call as well. This is just helpful for fast placement – when in doubt always put the short reed down.
6. With call placed properly, attempt making the “sheeok” huff like before. Keep your tongue up against the call only allowing for the variation caused by the change in syllables. Repeat several times. You will eventually get some sort of a squeal, at least. This means you are well on your way to mastering the mouth call.
7. The “sheeok” sound will eventually give you a yelp sound on the call. Dropping the tongue a little more or dropping your jaw in the middle of the call will further exaggerate the pitch change giving realistic yelps. Practice other sounds by trying to talk through the call (saying simple words and sentences). This will allow you to feel the various changes being applied to the reeds and to hear the resulting sound. Soon you will be able to yelp (sheeok), cluck (tchook), cut (rapid clucks), and purr (huffing air while rolling tongue against reeds and/or rolling lips.
8. Variations can be made to your calls to give them more rasp. Experiment with adding small "u", "v" or "w" shaped cuts in largest reed.