Has Anyone Ever Seen an 18th/early 19th Century Turkey Call?

[Elnathan]

I was reading a thread about making wingbone calls on another forum, and it occurred to me that, while I have seen many modern-made wingbone calls ranging from dead plain to scrimshawed and stained, I may have never seen an antique one (I think there may be a photo of one found in a bag in one of Madison Grant's books and I think that there is a picture of a single bone being used in one of the Foxfire books) nor have I ever run across a discussion of what is the PC way of joining the bones, number of bones used, etc.

Now I understand that 200-250 years ago people used their voice unassisted to imitate turkeys much more than today, and I think that they probably hunted turkeys much differently than we do today - using a call to locate flocks and then stalking into range instead of trying to entice a tom to the hunter's location. That may explain the relative lack of turkey calls. Still, it is curious that despite a great number of assertions that the wingbone call is of great antiquity,I haven't seen more originals.

The same is true with box calls. Mark Baker had an article in Muzzleloader once that included a discussion on turkey calls, and his source remarked that the earliest dated boxcall he had seen was 1803, and that it was unlikely that they predated 1790. I would also be curious to see if anyone has pictures of an early boxcall.

[Steve-In]

I have seen what was called a Native American wingbone, not sure where though.  It was just a single bone.  I would guess that somewhere if they did exist the calls would be described in a book.  Probably not illustrated.  Probably the most used call was the "yellow call" (corn).

[Elnathan]

Well, a google search tuned up this thread on a call-making forum:
http://www.customcalls.com/cgi-bin/yabb2/YaBB.pl?num=1332358819

There are a few identifieable yelpers there among the artifacts. It looks like a single bone was the most common, at least in 6000 BC.

Still looking for 18th century calls, but I see at least that the claims of great antiquity for the wingbone call are based on fact.

[Chris Treichel]

Recollected seeing some of these at the Smithsonian Museum of Native American History... 

They have a rather extensive online collection as well.  Here are some pics of hunting calls they have.
http://www.nmai.si.edu/searchcollections/item.aspx?irn=115055&catids=2,1&objtypeid=Hunting/Fishing/Warfare|Game call&src=1-4

[jrb]

http://files.usgwarchives.net/oh/newspapers/tidbits/tbs33a.txt
In this link an early settler of the township i live in mentions the local Indians on the reserve using turkey bone calls for turkeys and wood? calls for deer. The reserve was sold in about 1831 so he seems? be referring to the timeframe 1819 when he first got here and 1831.
John

[PPatch]

I have not a clue how bone calls were decorated back in the day. Turkey bone calls are simple to make but not all you make will sound good to a turkey. I have made them and used them on hunts. If you can get one to "put" like a hen a tom can show interest. Slow process and you keep the puts and cuts low and irregular to keep the tom coming to check out this fine new female on the block. As one gets closer you only make a call now an again, If the tom gobbles I wait a good 45 seconds or more before answering with a short lazy put string. Point being that the turkey wing calls do work.

dp

[Tim Crosby]

 The top two pix are of a Turkey call that is purportedly from the early 19th C. Not a wing bone call but cow horn.

   Tim C. 





 Here are two that I made.

[Long Ears]

Now I know what you want the tips for Tim! Bob

[Elnathan]

Welcome to ALR, jrb, and thank you for the link! The reference to a deer call is also very interesting - it sounds like the bit of silver acted as a reed, but where it was fastened and where the hole was made is rather ambiguous.

That is a neat old horn call, Tim.

Chris, it is interesting that that call you linked to is not wrapped at the joint, like so many modern ones. When I made mine I just packed the joints with cotton and Elmer's Glue. I wonder how that one was sealed.

[blackdave]

I got ambitious this weekend and cranked out a dozen two bone calls.  I live in the middle of "turkey heaven" here in South Central Kansas and see at least 200 turkeys a day (and I work inside a building full time), so I tune the calls to excite the local birds.  I have built hundreds of calls over the last 10 years and my calls have taken many birds.  You may do things differently than I, but mine do work!  I attach a photo of a couple of the finished product.

Your humble servant,

Just Dave