Wild Turkey Calls for the Bowhunter

Few aspects of bowhunting wild turkeys are more enjoyable than experiencing the thrill of using your calls effectively to bring tom's into shooting distance. In fact, the only thing that gets the heart pumping more is actually harvesting the bird. In order to make calling wild turkeys an effective component of your bowhunting repertoire there are a few basics that should be taken heed of.

Turkey calls come in a variety of shapes and sizes, along with those shapes and sizes there also come a variety of names. The call, or calls, you chose will depend solely upon your discretion and what you are willing to learn. Most are simple and each kind is as effective as the other.

The Pot and Peg Call or Slate Call

When this type of call first came to market it was called the pot and peg call. The reason is simple; it's made of a small pot covered with slate that acts as a sound chamber and a striker (the peg), which is made of a variety of materials including wood, glass or graphite. Slate calls can offer extremely realistic turkey sounds and are becoming a very popular call for modern bowhunters.

Some care tips must be taken with this type of call to ensure quality use every season. It is important that the working parts are never touched with fingers or anything with oil as this will change the sound and often render the call useless. When sanding the call, sand in only one direction, as this will ensure you the best sound. The striker, too, should have the tip sanded in only direction.

Diaphragm or Mouth Call

This call, although it looks easy, can be one of the most difficult to learn. Yet, it is one of the most effective as it is simply placed in the mouth and leaves your hands free for more important bowhunting tasks like, like drawing and shooting. Because of this hands free operation and variety of calls produced, this is by far the most popular call used by today's wild turkey hunters. In addition, this call often costs much less than other types of turkey calls.