Author Topic: What woods are suitable for turkey calls  (Read 16489 times)

Offline longcruise

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What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« on: November 29, 2015, 09:22:42 PM »
Looking at the call made by GANGREEN in the building forum, I'm prompted to inquire as to what woods are suitable for turkey calls.  His appears to be of curly maple and is very attractive.

One of my Christmas projects will be a turkey call for one of the grandkids.  I've never made one and would appreciate any and all suggestions, pictures and references.  I'm thinking box call type.
Mike Lee

Offline wattlebuster

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #1 on: November 29, 2015, 10:16:08 PM »
In all my yrs turkey hunting the best sounding box calls I have ever been blessed to own were made out of poplar. Walnut and cedar sound good too but give me a good well made poplar an it will produce feathers
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Offline FDR

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #2 on: November 29, 2015, 11:26:41 PM »
for tutorials on making a turkey call look here:

http://thogamecallsforums.com/index.php/board,110.0.html


Offline GANGGREEN

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2015, 12:57:04 AM »
It's been my experience that the rails should be a slightly softer/less dense wood and the base and striker can be or should be a harder wood.  I like Tulip poplar or cedar for the rails and maple, cherry or something else for the striker.  The one that I posted the photo of obviously has a curly maple striker but, believe it or not, the rails are American chestnut (wormy reclaimed chestnut in this case).


Offline Osprey

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2015, 02:35:05 AM »
Here's another good site with some tutorials.  http://www.customcalls.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl 

Best sounding box I've made was a solid curly sugar maple body long box with walnut lid.  I mainly make pot calls and strikers, not too difficult if you already have a lathe.
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Offline longcruise

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2015, 03:18:58 AM »
Thanks for the references.  I do have some curly maple and walnut on hand and of course poplar is readily available at the Big Box.

Any other thoughts on wood combinations?
Mike Lee

Offline okawbow

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2015, 04:39:42 AM »
I make my turkey calls out of Osage orange wood. It's very loud and produces a raspy, high pitched call. Great for windy days and far off gobblers. I've  called them in as far away as I could hear them.
As in life; it’s the journey, not the destination. How you get there matters most.

Offline FDR

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2015, 05:27:49 PM »
Purple heart is one of the best paddle woods.  It is also one of the  best woods for strikers.  Bell Forest Products or Woodcraft has it.
« Last Edit: December 01, 2015, 09:25:59 PM by FDR »

Offline longcruise

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #8 on: November 30, 2015, 11:59:33 PM »
Thanks to all who helped!

With the suggestions and references, I'm making sawdust.
Mike Lee

Offline valongrifles

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2015, 02:28:29 AM »
Archibald Ruttledge liked yellow locust board for turkey calls. I never tried that, but have requested some from a local lumber sawyer.

Offline longcruise

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #10 on: December 02, 2015, 01:42:34 AM »
That would fall under "exotic" in my part of the country.  I have a lot of odds and ends from my bow building projects.  Much of it too small but some large pieces of walnut and some purple heart and a bit of rosewood.  There are outlets for the more uncommon (north american) woods in the area but they don't like to cut it!
Mike Lee

HAWKEN

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #11 on: December 02, 2015, 09:54:53 PM »
Western cedar, for the sides, makes a nice sound.  Any harder wood will work for the paddles or strikers.  I have used white pine, oak, walnut and teak......robin   ;)

Offline longcruise

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #12 on: December 03, 2015, 04:58:33 AM »
I have a piece of teak flooring somewhere under the bench. 
Mike Lee

Steve-In

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #13 on: December 05, 2015, 12:49:48 AM »
I have a yellow popular call ( old porch post from wife's G-father ) with a walnut paddle.  It's nickname is Ma Bell cause it can really reach out there.  I have a Martin Bros scrach box made from Butternut that has great sound for a small package. 
My curly maple call just looks nice.

Offline BOB HILL

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #14 on: December 06, 2015, 05:40:50 PM »
Most of the calls that I've made were curly maple, walnut, poplar, cherry, red cedar, cypress and mulberry. All of these are indigenous to my area. I have also used mahogany and butternut with good results.
South Carolina Lowcountry

Offline Robby

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #15 on: December 06, 2015, 09:29:16 PM »
I have used Maple, black walnut, english walnut, black cherry, poplar and Osage orange, for box calls. They all make excellent sound if I do my part right, but I am in agreement with Okawbow, Osage make the loudest and raspiest call of all of them, if I can hear them, they can hear me. Its also the hardest to work, but worth it.
Robby
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Offline GANGGREEN

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #16 on: December 08, 2015, 01:39:25 AM »
I see people talking about some unique woods and I should probably mention that an apple wood turkey call can really scream.  My best/favorite call is made from apple, both sides and striker.

Militant_Hillbilly

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #17 on: December 13, 2015, 05:37:56 AM »
I use primarily cedar for the body and cherry for the paddle.

I've used poplar a couple of times with walnut paddles. It seems to make clucks better than my cedar calls.

Here's one of my favorite sites for learning and seeing what others do:

http://oldgobbler.com/Forum/index.php/board,15.0.html

Offline Virginiarifleman

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Re: What woods are suitable for turkey calls
« Reply #18 on: December 14, 2015, 09:02:10 PM »
My Father made box calls with a cedar body and a beech lid. great sounding call.