Turkey Calls: Our Top 3 Calls For Beginners
If you are new to turkey hunting, and you are wanting to be successful in the woods, planning out your journey beforehand is going to be crucial to your outcome. However, nothing is going to increase your chances of success like learning how to successfully lure birds into range. That is why we want to give you the ins-and-outs on how to properly select and use turkey calls to your upmost advantage.
Below, we will first share with you some our tips when it comes to selecting the right turkey call(s), and learning to practice/familiarize yourself with your newly purchased turkey call(s). Then, we will go through our top three favorite turkey calls for beginners.
Lets begin.
How To Select Your Call(s):
When you are selecting what turkey call you are going to use for a hunt, there are two things you must keep in mind before you make a decision, and those two things are: how easy is it to use and how comfortable are you carrying it around. As a less-experienced turkey hunter, the best thing you can do is make yourself feel comfortable and confident. No one wants to go afield feeling worried they won’t make the right sound, have enough time to make the correct call, etc. Therefore choose a turkey call that is going to make you feel certain, assured, and ready to harvest.
Some of the most popular and timeless calls are box calls, push-and-pull calls, diaphragm calls, and crow calls. Each call has their reasoning behind what makes them the most popular, but at the end of the day, you should choose something that is going to make you feel confident going into your fundamental season(s). Make sure to do some research, check them out in person if possible, and get a feel for a variety before you choose your call of choice.
How To Familiarize Yourself With Your New Call(s)
As we stated above, it is important to feel comfortable and confident when you are using your new turkey call. And one of the best things you can do to ensure that you are comfortable is to practice with your call a lot. You know that saying “practice makes perfect?” Well, as cliche as that saying may be, it couldn’t be more true. With that said, practice in advance before going afield to bring home a gobbler. Turkeys are easy to fool, yet very stubborn at the same time. And that is why it is going to be crucial to learning the ins-and-outs of what your type of calls specialty is, what types of vocalizations it is best known for etc. Below, we break down the four most common calls, and what they are known for.
Box Calls: Box calls are a wonderful beginner call for turkey hunters. They are easy to operate, their vocals sound very realistic, and but gripping differently, you can sound like more than just one turkey. This type of call is considered a “friction call” because most box calls are made of wood, and make noise by using the paddle. Box calls are often louder than other turkey calls, making them ideal when the woods are fairly quiet.
Push-And-Pull Calls: Push-And-Pull calls, once mastered, are very consistent. These calls are known for their consistent sounds that pressure a bird to respond/react. Push-And-Pull calls are often overlooked by experts, however, can be very useful for beginner hunters, and they can cut into almost any conditions with loud, realistic vocals. Most of these calls have a wide assortments of vocalizations that they can make, causing them to be a great call for beginners.
Diaphragm Calls: This call is often referred to as a mouth call, and is one of the most inexpensive, yet overused, calls in the woods. Although it can be very handy, as it is small, making it very easy to carry around for a long day in the woods, they take quite a bit more practice, as you call by using your tongue against the rubber at the roof of your mouth. Nevertheless, although you may not be using this call right away, it is not a bad thing to purchase and practice with daily, because as we stated above they are fairly cheap to purchase.
Crow Calls: A crow call is a great call when you are trying to locate a turkey and get a response back. This type of call almost forces a gobbler to answer, helping you easy target his location. Again, one of the best time to use this call is when the woods is almost silent, with no activity. At this time, the turkey is most likely irritated from the lack of mating action, and is going to respond. Therefore, if your hunting day is going slow for the most part, pull out your crow call and get to locating.
Now that you know a little bit about some of the most popular turkey calls, and how to better select them, here are HuntWise’s top three calls for new turkey hunters.
Houdini Strut Commander Box Call
The Houdini Strut Commander Box Call could be described in 3 simple words: the highest quality. This box call is perfect for beginners and experts alike, as they are hand built and tuned by the pros of the Strut Commander crew, who are deeply passionate of turkeys, and produce a variety of sounds, which is ideal for beginners. Click here to check out this call, which you will want for all of the turkey seasons to come.
Photo: Strut Commander
H.S. Strut® Lil' Strut Starter Pack Diaphragm Turkey Calls
The Lil’ Strut Starter Pack, which you can purchase directly through your HuntWise account, is ideal for beginners. Not only do you receive 3 mouth calls for $15.99, but their smaller build make it very easy for younger, or new, turkey hunters to get a feel for mouth calls. Click here to purchase.
Photo: HuntWise
Quaker Boy Cyclone™ Waterproof Push-Pin Turkey Call
Finally, the Quaker Boy Cyclone Waterproof Box Call is incredibly easy to use. It has adjustable volume, making it very easy for beginners to practice their intensity of their call. It also does not require sanding or chalking, making it very easy to use year after year. Click here to view this call.
Photo: Cabela’s
Although there are hundreds of different shaped, sized, and colored calls, all with different specialties, we feel that these above calls are going to not only going to make you feel confident with a little practice, but help you become a more well-rounded turkey hunter. With your turkey call in one hand, and your HuntWise maps in the other, you are sure to see success.
Make sure to share your success with us by tagging us on Instagram (@huntwiseapp), or posting it on your HuntWise app.
Good luck hunters, and shoot straight.