statjunk

I am working on using a mouth call and I am having a lot of trouble. I currently have the H.S. Strut video which sucks and I have a video from Quaker Boys that is much better. Does anyone know of any others that I should take a look at that will cover the yelp and cluck pretty well.

Thanks
Tom

rramby7

i have seen a few that are good. The hs strut one is very basic.

Try the Ray Eye.."Eye of the Storm" videos for sale at Bass Pro or Cabelas. This guy is awesome.

I have found that the videos do not help much though, You just have to keep practicing all the time when you can. I am fortunate to have a hunting buddy that has been at this a long time and is an excellent mouth caller. He has helped me alot over the last 2 years and answered alot of my mouth calling questions.

Learn the keywords and keep at it is all I can recommend.

gselkhunter

Statjunk, I used to work for H.S. and I always believed there was not enough info on their tapes. I have been teaching people to call since 89. The most important issue is the call has to fit your mouth right. If it is comfortable in your mouth and pushed tword the front as far as you can push it. Say shshshow, this puts your tongue in the right place on the reed. Get used to that feel, it is real important. The next step is reed control. Start a pitch and make it go as high in pitch as you can and hold it there. The idea is we are going to train your tongue. If you can hold that pitch, perfect, now bring the pitch down slow all the way to the bottom pitch of the reed and stop the reed. By this I mean stop the vibration of the reeds to no sound at all. What we are setting you up for is a basic yelp. Do this slow until you have the reed control all the way through. Once you have it speed up. When that high to low is fast enough you will be yelping. I use words for different calls. The deal with words is they get you to drop your jaw to make the sound real sounding. The only sound that doesn't work the high low progression is the purr. On every call you make STOP THE CALL, even between yelps, clucks and putts.
WORDS: yelp = Rock rock rock rock clucks = tutt tutt tutt tutt
putt = pert pert pert pert Now here is the big trick, don't put the call in your mouth. Say the words in turkey rhythm, make them sharp and clear! Hear how each sound has a true end. Now put the call in your mouth and do the same thing with the call in your mouth. You are calling turkeys. Play with this and let me know how you are doing. Even with this info, practice is needed. When I practice for competition, I have a call in my mouth for 2-3 hours a day. Now you are going to ask how to Cutt, answer loud aggressive clucks. The purr is another whole different ball game. NO CALL IN YOUR MOUTH, flutter your tongue in your mouth. It sould sound like Quail wings beating as the fly away. Then put the call in your mouth and do the same thing. I am warning you now, the first time you do it right your tongue will pay for it, but you will get used to it. Hope this helps, I check in on a daily basis, you will have question, ASK.
Gselkhunter

Hawgnman

Try Spittin' Feathers CD. I practice while driving my truck.

Bob H in NH

gs, you said put the call as far forward in your mouth? I was told to put it way in the back?

As for fit, I have a narrow pallet, I have been practicing and can make the yelp and cuts and can vary the pitch easily (not sure what is right but can do it at will), I can also vary the pitch while calling. For the fit, I think its to big, I have to hold it up against the roof of my mouth with my tongue and the outside parts of the call (not the part that holds the reed) are bent down along my teeth, especially at the front.

It took some time, but I can position it in my mouth without using my fingers now as well.

Gonna have to try that purr with the flutter thing, been trying to figure that out. I can make it sound like an elk bugle, I so assume I just sort of do that, but flutter my lips?

--Bob

gselkhunter

Lets hit fit first, if you can't get the call in between your teeth try a youth model. The call should sit in between your teeth as far forward as possible. This does two things: #1 makes the call not move in your mouth when you call. #2 Makes the call sit at an angle in your mouth, back up against the roof of your mouth and the front down because of your teeth. With the call sitting this way you will get the best seal from your tape. This makes your calling more consistent, the call isn't moving and all the air is going to calling. One other thing, if the frame of the call fits between the teeth OK and the tape is too much, trim the tape. But very little at a time. If you trim too much the call will be worse than it is now.
Now the calling part, if you push the call to the back you will be using a part of the tongue that will make it hard to do some of the fine calling. Light putts and purrs, the tongue is to wide and not as nimble as closer to the tip. Also you are balling up the tongue and blocking the air from coming out, not to mention inhibiting the vibration of the reeds. Both of these things cause your sound to not be as good as you want them to be. Hope this helps Bob H in NH.
Gselkhunter

statjunk

Thanks for all the info. I am going to start practicing again this week. I had to take some time off.

gselkhunter

Hope it helps.
Gselkhunter

Bob H in NH

Thanks GS, that all makes sense, I will play around with it more forward, I started that way then read it was suppose to go way back almost to make you gag, so I moved it back probably 1/2 to 1 inch. When it was forward I could use the tip of my tongue to make all kinds of sounds, sounds like I had it right then changed it.

I will probably have to trim some tape from the front of the call, that part actually bends down along the insides of my teeth.

--Bob

Bob H in NH

How about the pitch of the call? I haven't cut down my call yet, but last night picked up some youth models to try, I have a high and narrow pallete. The call itself, ignoring the tape, is a tiny bit more narrow on the youth call, does this make a difference?

With these calls I call much higher and the call actually stays up on the roof of my mouth.

Also picked up a slate style call and that's pretty easy to get the hang of.

--Bob