Not the Same Old Thing

For some folks, turkey hunting can become the same old thing year after year. Those hunters love their time-tested shotgun, go-to hunting spot and favorite turkey calls, and they might never try anything different. But with so much ever-changing hunting gear, trying new options adds to the challenge and fun of the sport.

No other gear is more straightforward to swap out with something new than turkey calls, especially diaphragms, which come in dozens of styles and materials. That’s why so many call makers churn out a mountain of new mouth calls every year.

Here are a few newer ones to consider.

ESH Custom Calls, from Herndon, Pennsylvania, is a hand-crafted specialty call brand run by Pat Strawser, an NWTF Call Maker Hall of Famer and 14-time calling and callmaking champion. It specializes in combination packs that include multiple friction and mouth calls at a group price.

ESH’s True-Hype Raspy Old Hen features a snub-nose batwing with slits cut in the top reed. That helps produce the high-ball raspiness of an older hen. Still, the call’s difficulty level is easy. The all-around threereed call hits high-volume two-tone notes and is a favorite of run-and gun-hunters. (www.eshcustomcalls.com)

Final Approach, out of Kansas City, Missouri, is well known in waterfowl hunting. Its massive inventory of specialized gear now includes turkey decoys, vests, apparel, and, yes, turkey calls. It recently introduced five diaphragm mouth calls in a series called Last Strut.

FA’s Last Strut V Cut features two thinner reeds with a simple V-cut, designed for easy raspy yelps and cuts. The Ghost Cut features three reeds with a ghost cut, designed for the whistles and yelps of a kee-kee run. The other calls are the 2 Reed Yelper, Combo and Batwing. (www.fabrand.com)

Rolling Thunder, from Somerville, Tennessee, makes keyhole cutdown-style duck calls and traditional Arkansas-style single- and doublereed waterfowl calls. Its turkey call division is run by World-champion turkey caller Josh Grossenbacher, who hand-builds all its mouth calls.

The Marge 3-Reed Reverse Combo Cut has a personality that barges into the conversation and takes over. It’s a three-reed call featuring a thicker black reed on top with a reverse combo cut. It’s a great call for producing all turkey talk, from yelps and cuts to soft clucks and purrs. Other calls in the series include Janice and Black Betty. (www.rollingthundergamecalls.com)

Shane Simpson, out of White Bear, Minnesota, is well known as an experienced turkey hunter, videographer and champion caller. His long-time YouTube channel, “Shane Simpson Hunting,” showcases his self-filmed adventures, hunting tips and tutorials. He also builds by hand and sells the same quality calls he uses in his videos.

His Prodigy Pro calls, also sold in a three-pack, feature a thin reed of natural latex sandwiched between thicker gray and black latex reeds. The top reeds have combo cuts in the right, left or center, offering various air-flow channels. This gives users a range of vocalizations and call control depending on the caller’s natural tongue position and movement. Its smaller tape size improves fit and function. (www.shanesimpsonhunting)

Because of a vast array of design elements — including tape variations, frame sizes, type and number of reeds, reed tension, cuts in reeds and other components — there is always a new mouth-call option. This year, whether you choose a call mentioned in this article or grab something off the rack, be bold and try something new.