Outside of my Bow my Turkey Call is the most important tool I have for hunting Turkeys. If you feel the same way I would like to share some tips on taking care of your box and mouth calls to ensure they last season after season.
Box Call Care
Taking care of your box call can pay big dividends with one of the most important tools you will have for hunting turkeys. There are a variety of Box Calls on the market with some being very expensive.
When maintaining your box call, the first thing to remember is to keep the call’s surfaces clean and do not ever use sandpaper on it. The reason for not using Sandpaper is it can change the tone of your call.
Because Skin contains natural oils, it can affect the sound and life of your call if you handle your box call inappropriately. Things to keep in mind to manage this is to keep your fingers off the striking surfaces: the edges of the box and the underside of the lid. We are often asked what kind of chalk can I use for my calls. We suggest you use only box call, teacher’s or carpenter’s chalk. Stay away from chalks with an oil or sugar base.
Only use chalk on the underside of the lid. The beveled edges of the call are important in its design, and use of chalk on the edges can wear them down. Make sure you blow out the sound chamber of your box call from time to time. This will get rid of any chalk dust that might have settled and impact sound of call. Store your box call in a large plastic bag or holster if you have one. This will keep moisture from getting to the call.
Mouth Call Care
Mouth calls can be one of your most effective and versitle calls but improper care can result in dried out call. Following are some tips on storing and care of these calls.
Mouth call care should begin as soon as the call comes out of the package. It should be washed with warm water to remove any latex residue. Then, if you like, spray it with an antiseptic.
After use, put your mouth call in a case supplied by the manufacture or a plastic bag. Also consider placing it in the refrigerator. The reason for this is the dark cool environment, and the colder temperature will tighten the latex reeds, resulting in optimum sound.
A flat toothpick is a great tool for mouth call care before and during storage. 1) Run the toothpick between the reeds to clean them, 2) Be careful not to tear the latex. 3) When storing, place a toothpick between the reeds, so they won’t stick together between uses, 4) Store your mouth calls away from heat sources. Heat will cause the latex to expand, lose pliability and create too much vibration when used thus impacting the quality of sounds by the mouth call. Following these tips and it can help maintain one of your most important tools for the field.
Good Luck and Remember “You Won’t Get’em if You Don’t Stick’em“©
