Calling turkeys effectively can be the difference between a successful hunt and a fruitless day in the woods. While specialized turkey calls offer precise sounds, creating a convincing call using readily available materials like a box is a fun and affordable way to practice your technique and even attract birds. This guide will teach you how to craft a simple box call and master the basic yelps and clucks needed to lure in those gobblers.
What You'll Need:
- A sturdy cardboard box: Think a cereal box or a slightly larger shoebox. Avoid flimsy boxes that will easily bend or break.
- Sandpaper or a sanding block: This is crucial for smoothing the surfaces and creating the right friction for sound production.
- Scissors or a utility knife: For cutting and shaping the box.
- Optional: A thin piece of wood or stiff cardboard: This can be used to reinforce the box or create a more defined striking surface.
- Optional: Some lubricant (like beeswax or petroleum jelly): This helps smooth the striking surfaces and improves sound quality.
Building Your Box Call:
- Prepare the Box: Cut the box down to a manageable size—around 4" x 6" is a good starting point. Ensure the box is rectangular and sturdy.
- Sanding is Key: Thoroughly sand all surfaces that will come into contact with each other. Smooth surfaces are vital for producing clear, consistent sounds. Rough surfaces will create scratchy, unpleasant calls. Pay particular attention to the edges.
- Create the Striking Surfaces: You'll need two surfaces that will rub together to create sound. Often, this involves leaving two adjacent sides of the box relatively flat, or optionally adding a small piece of wood or stiff cardboard to one side for better definition.
- Lubrication (Optional): Applying a thin layer of beeswax or petroleum jelly will reduce friction and create smoother, clearer sounds.
Making Turkey Sounds with Your Box Call:
The most important sounds to master for turkey hunting are the yelp and the cluck. Here's how to produce them with your homemade box call:
The Yelp:
- Hold the box securely in one hand.
- Use a steady, smooth motion to scrape one surface against the other.
- Vary the speed and pressure of your scrape to create a range of yelps from high-pitched to low-pitched. A high-pitched yelp sounds like a hen, while a lower-pitched yelp simulates a gobbler.
- The key is consistency in the movement; abrupt changes will disrupt the sound.
The Cluck:
- Maintain a similar grip as with the yelp.
- Use short, quick strokes to create a series of rapid clucks.
- These clucks should sound short, sharp, and somewhat repetitive.
Practicing Your Turkey Calls:
- Start Slow: Don't rush into making complex sounds. Focus on mastering the basics.
- Listen to Recordings: Familiarize yourself with the sounds of real turkeys. Many online resources offer audio recordings of turkey calls.
- Practice Regularly: The more you practice, the more natural and convincing your calls will become.
- Experiment: Try different techniques, such as varying the pressure and speed of your strokes, to discover the sounds your box call is capable of producing.
Beyond the Basics:
While this guide focuses on basic yelps and clucks, experienced callers use a wider array of sounds to mimic a turkey's various vocalizations. Once you've mastered the basics with your box call, consider exploring other sounds like purrs, putts, and kee-kees to add more complexity to your calls.
This DIY box call is a great way to begin your turkey calling journey. Remember, consistent practice is key to becoming a proficient caller. Happy hunting!
