turkey mouth calls

[bear204]

anyone have any good pointers on how to learn how to use mouth calls. Is there a good cd out there that helps. I bought a primos three pack can get some sounds out of it but not very well.

[Hotspotter]

Primos and HS Strut both make good instructional videos, that used to be able to be purchased separately from their websites. These videos are also typically sold in a promo pack with some calls.

Spending some time with a fellow hunter who sounds good on a mouth call might be the best investment yet if available. Ask questions, and don't be embarrassed. Learning this call takes time, but you'll be well-served by learning it early in your turkey hunting career.

As for general pointers, start with your single reed or most simply constructed call.....leave the triple reed, ghost hook, limbhanger, with a diamond cut for later:

1. Position the call in the roof of your mouth. It should feel somewhat comfortable. If not, think of trimming the tape on the outside of the call with a scissors. A little at a time! Do this until it feels decent.

2. Apply pressure from your tongue (the flat center part of it) against the bottom part of the reed.

3. Say "chalk," while making an emphasis on the jaw-drop as this helps obtain the high-low sound we're all looking for in a good yelp. "Cheeeealk" until you can shorten it up and it sounds good. Start with singles, then graduate to a string of yelps.

4. Practice. Repeat. Practice. Repeat. Keep at it....it takes time!

5. After mastering the yelp, look towards some of the other sounds in the turkey vocabulary, such as clucks, purrs, and very lastly, cutting.

More on these later, but right now, just get focused on making some turkey-like sounds out of that thing, and getting comfortable with it in your mouth.

Joel

[xedge2002]

Primos puts out a pretty good CD for learning how to use their mouth calls. I bought the 3 pack and got the CD too. It taught me well enough to call in a tom the first time I tried turkey hunting. I always kept the CD in my truck and practiced calling whenever I was driving.

[Borch]

Also you'll find that different calls are easier to get into and keep in the proper position in your mouth than others. So if you're having a lot of trouble try another call. For me the Lohman call was the easiest to get the hang of in the beginning. However, for you it might be another call. A lot has to do the the call's size, shape, tape texture and flexibility. Everyone's palate is a bit different so don't be afraid to try a few calls.

Don't feel that you have to sound like a turkey right away. Get it to make a consistent sound with controlled pressure. After you get that it's all about adding the stuff Joel mentioned.

Good Luck!

[brittman]

Don't be shy.

Mouth calls must be played with a good level of emotion to sound like a hen turkey.

If you are hesitant, reserved and/or methodical --> mouth calls just don't come off as sounding realistic.

[Borch]

Quote:

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Don't be shy.

Mouth calls must be played with a good level of emotion to sound like a hen turkey.

If you are hesitant, reserved and/or methodical --> mouth calls just don't come off as sounding realistic.

---

The worst sounding hen turkey call I ever heard came from a real live wild hen turkey. But she sure was emotional!

[brittman]

EXACTLY. If you want to run a "boaring" three to five yelps in a row and then stop, wait, and run again - then the box call or friction call maybe a better choice.

If you want to talk turkey, use the mouth call. Put some expression into the sound and change up the cadence. If you hit a few raw sounding notes - just keep going -real turkeys do...

Tree yelps, fly downs, aggresive yelps and cuts - are what I have found mouth calls most usefull for.

Now if the gobbler does not respond - then try another type of mouth call (rasp) or switch to a box or slate. I have called gobblers in with all three types and have also had one come into a jake decoy where I had no time to even get a call out of my pocket (no calling at all).

[Greybeard53]

When you first start out, just get the call to make noise..any noise. Then just keep expanding the types of sounds you can make. Don't worry about it sounding like a turkey or not. I also keep my calls in the car for those long drives to work. It sounds stupid, but I try to call along with the music. That forces me to try different timing and sequences. Once you learn what your call can do, THEN try imitating a turkey. CD's are great, time in the woods is better. Get a hen talking to you and just imitate everything she does. It's fun to watch an old hen get ticked off at you for doing that. The most important thing with calling (not just turkeys) IMO is confidence. As mentioned above, real birds don't sound perfect either. If you make a sound you weren't planning on just keep plugging away. You'll never stop learning and that's part of the fun.