Slate Turkey Call Trouble

[infuriatednoodle]

So I'm pretty pumped for spring turkey season this year. There's one problem however, I'm relatively new to friction calls. I can produce yelps, clucks, etc. and have been told that they sound good. The one sound I can't produce is the purr, which I know makes those gobblers go crazy. I have tried different techniques, sandpaper(60 and 100 grit) and I try everything that people have told me but I just can't get a purr. I don't have another striker handy so I can't try that. Should I run my striker with the grooves made by the sandpaper or perpendicular to them? What are some techniques that you think can help me get it down? Sorry for the dumb question guys, but this is just buggin the crap out of me.

 

[MrSpiffy]

What type of striker and pot do you have? Wood/acrylic/carbon striker? Slate/glass/crystal/metal pot?

I'm fairly new to pot calls, myself. But here's a bit of knowledge I can pass along. Sounds are made by running your striker across the grooves. You definitely want to do this with the purrs. But purrs are made with slower, gentle strokes. If you go too fast, it'll slide across the grooves. The purr is made by getting caught by the friction. Try going light and slow to get that purr sound.

Also, I don't know about you, but I find it tough to pull a striker on a pot call. I usually push it, instead. It just seems easier for me.

 

[jbkebert]

Lighten your grip on the striker. Started towards the top and pull towards you at around a 50 degree angle. You want the striker loose enough in your hand so it skips on its own. Its hard to purr with much volume but when the toms get in close it is a deadly call.

The striker should vibrate and skip without you helping it. Good luck

Also sand your pot in a circular motion not back and forth. I use pretty rough paper 60-80 grit on glass and acrylic and 80-100 on slates.

 

[GJgo]

I often have to sand my (wood) striker as well, the tip polishes up with use.

 

[D*N*R*]

my new thing is to have a wood striker along with my carbon. They seem to be softer sounding. Great for up close. Actually if i had to choose one it would now be wood.

 

[Cob]

The Secret ingredient is chalk.... Waxless chalk works best, and produces the best sound, but if you are using a wood striker, grab a piece of chalk, rub it along the striker, your sound will be much smoother.
The second ingredient is practice... That's probably more important thant the first...

 

[infuriatednoodle]

I just sanded down my pot real good and also my striker (wood) and I eventually got something that sounded like purring, although it is very uneven and sounds jerky. Time to practice some more eh? And Cob, I'm assuming you mean pool cue chalk..?

 

[Cob]

I have used kid's sidewalk chalk, as well as regular white chalkboard chalk. I believe pool chalk would probably work well, if yo have the white kind.. if not, use the blue... but that's on a couple of wooden calls im using, not slate... I prefer the wood myself, and have called in turkeys with them successfully.

 

[double bogey]

Get a Woodhaven laminated striker. It seems to be the only one I can use well.

 

[buck460XVR]

Try hardening your wooden striker by burning the tip slightly with a lighter. Graphite strikers are the easiest to make good purrs with and also will work with a wet call. I have several strikers I use with all of my pot calls, be they slate, ceramic, aluminum or glass. Each striker makes a different sound on each and some work better for purrs than others. Buying a three pac of spare strikers is a good investment for any turkey hunter. I would avoid using chalk on a slate call and would avoid using colored sidewalk chalk on any wooden call because of the oil used in the color....but that's just me. A homemade call made with a flat stone I plucked outta the Black River helped call in this Tom and his three hens Wednesday morning.........