One of the basic pieces of equipment that every turkey hunter has to master is a turkey call of one type or another. We all probably carry a vest full of several examples of several kinds of calls. Some we have high confidence in, some we are still in the process of preventing it from scaring everything off.
What is your go-to call in your vest, what is the one that you carry, but don't often resort to using? And why?
FC
My go to call is a Hank's Zebrawood Glass over Aluminum as it just has more turkey in it than any other call I've ever touched. My second is a Jack Lewis Glass over Slate as I can really get some rasp going and it loves to cut and pur. I carry a couple of various mouth calls that rarely get used as I'm just not confident in my ability to consistently produce good calls with them. Always have an old raspy hen box in the vest for those windy days.
Depends on the area of the US I'm hunting and the hunting situation. I'm very confident in my pot calls and box call. If the wind is light/calm and a bird is hammering on the roost, I'm using my Lights Out slate call with soft clucks and purrs. If I'm running and gunning during the middle of the day trying to strike a bird, I'm using my box call. If I'm working a bird and the wind is up, I'm using my ceramic or copper pot calls. I always have a mouth call in, but I hardly use it unless I'm trying to sound like multiple birds at the same time with my pot or box call, or I've seen the bird and need to finish him without moving my hands.
The call that I have the highest confidence in, right now, is a Hook's Executioner II mouth call. Every year I pick up a couple of new diaphragm calls and have found that the right handed Batwing cut triple latex is the most effective for me. I have shelves of various calls, but the mouth calls give me the ability to impart emotion and emphasis when I really need to. Second place usually goes to a Primos Power Crystal pot call when I need to do quiet, content mumbling of a happy hen feeding by herself and in need of companionship.
FC
Hooks executioner no doubt. I also have a Lonnie snead slate I am found of. I only carry 3 diaphrams and the slate anymore.
Hooks Jr Duplicator for me. I use a small frame mouth call. Regular frames just never fit me right. Also use a Tim Sanford slate and a Roberts crystal. I never carry a box call even though I have several.
my old primos box call