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Homemade/ Custom Calls

FinBonZ

Life Member
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This is a picture of my shotgun turkey's beard and spurs (here's your close up Mudd!). And that sweet call you see is a DLO wingbone. I know that he is steering away from the wingbones to go towards his custom slates, but this call sounds great! Now, I didn't call this particular bird in with his call (way too close of a set up for a yelper) but I have had a lot of responses with his call this spring.

I also had purchased two calls from a high school friend. A slate call (slate over glass) with striker and a box call. Along with DLO's call, the slate and box call sound awsome! Granted, there are a lot of super manufactured calls out there, but I can bet the calls off the shelf can not compare to any of these.

The craftmanship definitly comes through during hunt. I have made some wingbone yelpers, but never as nice as DLO's. I know too, that I wouldn't have the talent or patience to work wood into a box or slate call.

Has anyone else made their own or came across a great custom call that they use? Please tell us about, or post a picture of your homemade call or calls you have purchased.

**Beware***
Between duck and turkey hunting I am a call junkie! You may be getting a PM from me on any posts from here on out!
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Thanks again Dave for the yelper!
 
Andy Kaiser of Booneville, Indiana, custom built this call for me in the spring of 2005. I knew that I wanted it in Birdseye Maple with a band of inlay around the edge. The striker (not pictured) was also turned from a piece of Birdseye Maple. The track pattern running across the bottom was a tribute to the bird that I took in the fall of 2004 that was missing the ends of two toes on his left foot. The calling surface is glass over glass and it was designed to have good volume for the open spaces where I hunt in central Nebraska. So far the call has two turkeys to it's credit. You can check out some of Andy's other custom calls at www.kaiserkalls.com

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I've been doing a little experimentation myself with wingbone calls and was amazed how easy it is. Here's some pictures of the ones I've made so far

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3-Bone variety
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2-Bone variety
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i have to agree, custom calls have immensely better sound than the mass produced stuff. i have a kaiser kall, and it is definately THE call that never gets left at home
 
Here is the call I Used to call in my turkey this year. I Made it out of black walnut. It's slate over glass. The striker is made from a brazilian hardwood. I made a wingbone call but I'm not going to post a picture until I get it wraped and brave enough to write on it. I have been practicing my art skills that I dont have.
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My dad got into making calls a couple years back and that is the only thing that I have used for the last three years. Seems to be working pretty good since I have smacked 10 birds in those three years and have called for 2 buddies who dropped birds last year. The calls my dad makes are slate over glass and he uses a variety of wood for the calls and strikers. I will post a pic after I take one.

I agree with the others, the custom made calls are the way to go, they may cost a little more than the ones on the shelf but the sound and craftsmanship of the custom calls is well worth the extra cash.
 
I have a uncle from Warsaw, Illinois that makes a box call. His name is Don Hardy. He is in Earl Mickel's third book Turkey Callmakers Past and Present. If anyone is interested in one of his boxes PM me or call Don at 217-256-4442.
 
i have some for sale in the classifieds,i am new to call making so they are selling pretty cheap.mainly so i can get more supplies to practice more.all calls sound good and they will call in turkeys.i have more than pictured or can make one for you.cherry mahogany oak walnut or cedar.aluminum copper or slate.slate is hard to come by and if anyone knows where i can get slate at a decent price it would be worth a discount on a call.
 
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