conditioning Pot calls

[Bofire]

  I got two new pot calls today, a slate and a glass. The glass one says to condition it by rubbing it with this supplied pad that comes with it.
It says either sand it in a circular motion or straight accross. Do any of you have a preference?
thanks
Carl

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

Which way do you move the striker?
What conditioning does is cause more friction by roughing up the suface, the striker should move across (90*) the scratches.

[turkeydancer]

 

I use a green "scratch" pad on my slates and 60 grit sandpaper on my glass (and most other pot calls).   Also straight back and forth 90 degrees from the strikers intended path.

[Bofire]

Thanks guys! I got er done and have been practicing a little, comparing to my box calls. I can see teh glass loudness being useful sometimes, the slate is easier.
I am going to jkeep working on that dang diaphram too, if it don't choke me to death.
Carl

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

You might think about adding a push-button type call to your arsenal also, I have had good results by quick light taps on end to make a very soft   put,put, put,  as I walk along slowly and stopping for a while.
I have also had coyotes come in to this.

[PA BEN]

I ruff mine up using a circular motion, then straight across to finish. Use the green scratch pad to ruff the tip of your striker.

[Intruder]

You might think about adding a push-button type call to your arsenal also, I have had good results by quick light taps on end to make a very soft   put,put, put,  as I walk along slowly and stopping for a while.
I have also had coyotes come in to this.

You don't want to make putts... that's an alarm call.  I'm guessing the sound you're making is more of a cluck or soft yelp.  Tactic and advice are sound.... just choice of words could be confusing to someone new to the sport.

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

it might be confusing, but they are very soft put.....,put........,put........,not fast or loud., my turkeys in my yard did it while they were feeding

[Intruder]

While you are describing the sound of the call pretty accurately you're using the name inaccurately.  It is a soft cluck... it's a common call done when they are content and just gabbing among themselves.   In turkey venacular a putt is an alarm call.... it is a short aburpt, often rapid call.  Again, just a choice of words. 

[PA BEN]

You might think about adding a push-button type call to your arsenal also, I have had good results by quick light taps on end to make a very soft   put,put, put,  as I walk along slowly and stopping for a while.
I have also had coyotes come in to this.

You don't want to make putts... that's an alarm call.  I'm guessing the sound you're making is more of a cluck or soft yelp.  Tactic and advice are sound.... just choice of words could be confusing to someone new to the sport.

Putts are good but end with a yelp, or a cutt or perr. A putt is an alarm call but, it is an excited hen call too. Mix with a cutt is a come and breed me call.

[fishcrazy]

I am going to jkeep working on that dang diaphram too, if it don't choke me to death.
Carl

I have the same problem.  I keep telling my wife I am definitely not gay. I just have to much of a gag reflex for those kind of calls but I keep trying.

Kris

[STIKNSTRINGBOW]

whatever you call them, puts..clucks.... they are very soft and just every once in a while while slowly walking through woods and mixed in with purrs....my turkeys in the yard do it, and when I have done it in the woods both turkeys and coyotes have come directly to me......unfortunately they come directly to me pretty fast  and spook as soon as they get about 20 yards. I am hunting with a recurve and did not have a blind so I only have gotten one 'yote.
I am going to try a blind this year.
P.S. these are easterns in SW Washington.

[Jekemi]

I'm not an expert by any means. I always defer to the older, more experienced callers on this site  and there are plenty. Having said that, I have been told by "experts" and read in several sources that the pitch of the call is key. Turkeys can reach 15,000 Hz with their yelps, which is very high pitched. if you can duplicate that very high pitch with your call you have a better chance of tricking a Gobbler to come investigate, so long as he's not already with a hen. The glass and aluminum calls are advertised as being able to reach that pitch range.
My hunting buddy used an aluminum call last year when calling in two big Toms. They were quite a ways away when we got the first gobble response. They both came running down a road to find our mythical hen, even after we stopped calling 15 minutes before they arrived. I've switched to an aluminum call, which I seem to be able to use pretty well. I use an upside down J motion with my striker. It sounds like the real thing. We'll see how it works in the field. I'll let you all know if I have success.

[turkeydancer]

A few yrs ago, I took 2 newbies with me, and I gacve them each a pot & peg call plus showed them how to use them.  We went to an area I knew held a large amount of turks ... I laid out the best turkey music with a slate with wood striker, but no response.  One newbie started making "chalk board & fingernail screeches" on a double glass with carbide striker and "gobble, obble, obble, obble" ...  away goes the slate/wood striker and outcomes a titanium pot with carbide striker ... started playing towards the outside to get that same screech ... gobble, obble, obble, obble ... the birds were eating it up.   

I always carry 4 varied strikers along with 2 or 3 varied pots, at least 6 - 8 different mouth diaphragms, 2 different boxes, a tube call, and 2 push-pulls. If one isn't working, I'll try "fishing" with a different lure until I find out what is going to get a bite ... usually one will strike a cord and get the fired up responses I want.   

[BPturkeys]

While you are describing the sound of the call pretty accurately you're using the name inaccurately.  It is a soft cluck... it's a common call done when they are content and just gabbing among themselves.   In turkey venacular a putt is an alarm call.... it is a short aburpt, often rapid call.  Again, just a choice of words. 

  You're absolutely correct with this...the sound he is hearing from feeding/content birds is a cluck!  Although the sound is similar, you will quickly find out (and hear) the difference when those feeding/contented birds you've been watching become alarmed and dash off out of range.
  Another interest note, when turkeys are feeding, they like to maintain a certain distance between each other and this clucking is one of the ways they maintain that spacing.

[bow4elk]

A few yrs ago, I took 2 newbies with me, and I gacve them each a pot & peg call plus showed them how to use them.  We went to an area I knew held a large amount of turks ... I laid out the best turkey music with a slate with wood striker, but no response.  One newbie started making "chalk board & fingernail screeches" on a double glass with carbide striker and "gobble, obble, obble, obble" ...  away goes the slate/wood striker and outcomes a titanium pot with carbide striker ... started playing towards the outside to get that same screech ... gobble, obble, obble, obble ... the birds were eating it up.   

I always carry 4 varied strikers along with 2 or 3 varied pots, at least 6 - 8 different mouth diaphragms, 2 different boxes, a tube call, and 2 push-pulls. If one isn't working, I'll try "fishing" with a different lure until I find out what is going to get a bite ... usually one will strike a cord and get the fired up responses I want.   

100% agree.  My vest looks like the bargain cave at Cabela's - full of options, and I make my own diaphragms as well so I can sound different than any commerical reed.  What works one day may not the next.  Everyday is like bass fishing and trying to figure out what will resonate with an old jellyhead gobbler.  All this coming from a guy who's called in a mess of birds and NEVER tagged one...yet 

[Jekemi]

bow4elk: I'd like to learn more about how you make your own mouth calls. Do you have a pamphlet, such as "Diaphram calls for Dumies?" I'd like to get a few tips from you.

newcordia@comcast.net

[teal101]

I found the primos call conditioner has a pretty useful conditioning stone on it, well worth the $7.  I use that and finish with some 60 grit paper.  I use a scotch brite pad to rough up my strikers.  Works real well on my slate class.