Turkey Box Call

[ol skool]

What wood should be used for the paddle on a box call. Softer or harder than the sides?

Built a turkey box call out of some old weathered Western Red Cedar fence boards. It's soft so I used a piece of Red Oak from some left over flooring for a paddle. Sounds good and the hens and young'uns that pass though daily right now take notice.

Just wondering if there's good general rules for box call construction. Any experience or tips appreciated.

[izzyjoe]

Walnut would make a good paddle, or you could just use the cedar you have. Box calls are sometime hard to get right! There's a place online that sells kits, and parts for them, but I can't remember it right now.

[ol skool]

izzyjoe:

Thanks! I'll try walnut. Think I'll try one of everything I have this winter to see what works.

115266

Here's a pic. Quick and dirty to see if it works. I think I'll leave the rest of the experiments beat up and weathered like the old fence board - it is - I am. LOL!

Might make em a little nicer shaped though.

[bedbugbilly]

I don't hunt Turkey but we have some around on the farm her and in the yard once in a while. I remember years ago a guy had a box call and he let me try it out - I was really "taken" with it. I enjoyed reading this thread - I am a retired woodworker and had a custom cabinet/millwork/woodworking shop so always enjoy reading about what others are doing and playing with.

I hope you'll let us know what works best for you on your calls. I find it very interesting and would love to learn more about them. Thanks!

[waksupi]

I'd like to learn, too. You gave me the bug!

[ol skool]

If you care too, like to hear what works or especially doesn't work from anyone that tries one.

[Boyscout]

I have some box calls made by an aquaintance I meet at the State Forest every spring. One of the better sounding ones has a paddle made of Sassafrass and another of Yellow Poplar. Cedar is too mellow for me. I am sure design, personal preference, and experience play into that too.

I make scratch box calls and have settled on Cherry and Walnut for the fricition surfaces. I make my strikers out of Walnut dowel. I have tried Purple Heart and Hickory but they slide too much and don't resonate. Chalk makes a huge differnce too. Some chalk is waxy and kills the sound. I do well with Lohman and Primos (high resin railroad chalk?). I bought some HS Strut once and threw it out; it seemed to have wax or something in it and I had to re-dress my calls and rechalk with better chalk.

[ol skool]

So you make scracth calls with wood instead if the slate type calls? I like that idea. Very interesting.

Did not know there are different kinds of chalk, will explore that. Thanks!