superstrutter

Mouthcaller, you hit the nail on the head when you said confidence. If you are confident in your call, whether $3 or $10, that's what matters. High end or low end, it really doesn't matter, whatever your comfortable withand confident in.

SouthernStrut56

Thanks for all the info guys, i like this debate, good stuff. I would love to find a call I can do EVERYTHING on. I use the HS deuce cutter mainly, and I can do everything except a good kee kee on it......and believe me, if theres a way to do a kee kee on it, I could do it. It just doesnt do it when I want it to. Its super raspy and cuts and yelps like a champ. It even makes great purrs in my opinion. But the only time it does a good kee kee is when I first put it in my mouth and the reeds are stuck together and not loosened up yet. I do kee kee's with a primos diamond ....yelper I think, its the brown one. It purrs pretty good, but the yelps sound terrible and I cant cut as well with it. Somebody said the sadler mcgraw woodhaven is a good all around one that does it all. I like the look of that reed design, I may check that one out. Have you seen the new HS Stagger calls? Check those out and see if you can tell by lookin at the cut design what type of sound it would make. I kinda like the look of it, its different and looks like it'd be extra raspy.

mouthcaller

Ican effectively Kee Kee on most cut reed calls by flipping it upside down and holding a bit of tension against the cut reeds (now on bottom) so they don't vibrate. Try it sometime.

Mouthcaller

SouthernStrut56

That's interesting, I'll have to try that later. Kinda makes sense though. Thanks mouthcaller

mfd1027

Yep, flip em over. A kee kee can be a great spring call esp. followed by some cutt'n or yelp'n on a box or pot call. The boys love it.

Dan

SwampCollie

Matt Van Cise Sig Woodhaven... if you can handle it. Personally I cannot. But Matt can do anything on that call. I can keep on it if I turn the thing half sideways and call out of the side of my mouth and it does perfect gobbles.


They are my favorite all around call. If I could only have one... that'd be it. And I think you'll find that if you cannot do a kee kee on that call... then you won't ever be able to do one.



As to expensive calls vs cheap calls.... confidence does have a lot to do with it. And I've got a couple woodhavens that are going on to season four now... and still sound about as good as they did in season one. QBs and just about everything else will last me 1.5 to 2 seasons at the most. And the sound does change on them after the first season.

I used to keep in contact with a fellow who has won the VA state championship several times and calls in the nationals every year. Haven't spoken with him in about a year or so, but he would buy 9 or 10 of each call (he used van cise's and sadlers) because he believed that there is a minor minor difference... and you will sooner or later find a sweet one.... beats me.... but he beat me too.... often.... everytime.... every contest.

wholelottagobble

What you boys may not know is that ALL mouth calls, expensive or cheap, all cost only 20 - 30 cents per callto make. The difference in shelfprice is the quality of the frames, tape, and latex, as well as the method by which they are built (handbuilt vs. machine).

When it comes to contests, all your best callers are making their own calls with their own press. Just cause they are wearing a company'sshirt does not mean that they pulled their yelper straight off of a Walmart shelf.

Its tough for an average turkey hunter to hear because most average hunters are just average to below average mouth callers, but their isn't even a comparison between a mass produced call and a handbuilt high end call.

It's like comparing a Kia to a Cadillac, both will get you down the road, but only one will make people wanna hop in with you and ride!

I don't mean to sound condescending, but thats just the way it is. I've been calling in contests for years and this is all just fact.

On another note, Woodhaven makes great calls friction or mouth. Personally, I think that William Terry's Legacy Mouth calls are the best you can buy. Most of mine are homemade but I wouldn't hesitate a bit to go to the woods or stage with just Legacy Game Calls to blow.

SwampCollie

I certainly agree that a lot of guys make and design or commision a design on their own calls.... but you might be suprised how many boys are buying calls off the store shelf or direct through a company. I watched the man who won the VA contest last year drop about $200 on them in the Bass Pro Shops. I suspect one of that bunch won in Roanoke for him.

Contest calling ain't really likeAmerican Idol where you can finish in the top 30 and get a record deal at the drop of a hat. I have placed in the state duck calling contest a couple of times.... and the best I have gotten is a ride share (and several rounds of shots)from the foiles boys (and I blow Echo Calls), so I know that while I might not be great... I've heard great.... and not everyone who is great has their ticket punched for them. Moreover... I know a couple guys who do have punched cards that really AIN'T that great... or at least they aren't as good as they think they are; but you'll have that.

wholelottagobble

I'm certainly not trying to start an argument here...

I don't know who you are referring to, and I am only speaking as to what the best in the country call on. Your VA caller certainly could be an exception, however he could also be just some guy who won a contest. I have a hard time believing he's a very accomplished caller if he's having to buy his calls off a Bass Pro shelf and doesn't make his own or have someone building them for him.

What I said earlier is not an opinion, it's a fact. Your kidding yourselves if you think Matt Van Cise pulls his signature series yelper out of a Woodhaven package and blows it in a contest, or that Parrish blows a Knight and Hale.

I have been calling in contests a long time. I don't make my own calls, however everything I blow on stage is made by someone else and given to me or bought very cheaply. My yelpers are $2 bucks a piece, I buy about 20 at a time, and they could easily be sold in stores $10-$15 a piece.

Its about the craftsmanship.Period.

HS STRUT, K&H, PRIMOS, all those may call up turkeys, but compared to what you CAN get...they are all crap. Crappy calling calls up turkeys all the time. That doesnt mean your yelping or cutting or kee kee sounds great just cause you called in a turkey with it.

hunter0206

I use primos and knight and hale calls...i thought i would go up town and spend 11.99 on a mouth call that zink made because zinkmakes awsome waterfowl calls so i figured their new turkey calls would be good...i was wrong, i cant get that call to do anything....just my opinion on it