Never used or seen a scratch box used. Can someone explain the benefits or best uses for these calls? Ease of use, best sounds made......... Any info would b great
Scratch boxes in my opinion are one of the most realistic calls in the woods. Ease of use, not so much. They take lots of practice to become proficient on, but once you figure them out, you can make great turkey talk with them. From,soft purrs, clucks, cutts, yelps, you name it. Plus they're a call the gobblers in your neck of the woods probably don't hear much.
I agree with all Al said. I would add the clucks on a scratch box and soft yelps are as realistic as any call can produce. The kind of calling that makes older turkeys die, finishing the deal. Most don't pick them up as quickly as a pot call but I think they are well worth the effort.
Thanks for the relplys! think I might get one and start playing around. Everyone I ever see or hunt with use pot calls, mouth and box, so the idea of a little unique sound probably would be good.
Another benefit beside the sounds they make is their size. They can be stuck in a shirt pocket. I could see a hunter with a trumpet around his neck and a scratch box in his pocket being well equipped for a hunt.
Everything they have said. Ask around find and buy a good one and learn how to run the call by either talking to the maker of the call or search utube for video's then practice, practice and practice some more till it becomes second nature. It will be worth all the effort. :turkey2:
All the above. I wanted to see how many different calls I could run, but I think I'll draw the line at tube calls. I might call something but it wouldn't be a turkey.
:icon_thumright: Scratch boxes. :icon_thumright:
Quote from: SS Calls on February 07, 2015, 08:44:41 AM
Scratch boxes in my opinion are one of the most realistic calls in the woods. Ease of use, not so much. They take lots of practice to become proficient on, but once you figure them out, you can make great turkey talk with them. From,soft purrs, clucks, cutts, yelps, you name it. Plus they're a call the gobblers in your neck of the woods probably don't hear much.
:agreed: Give Al a holler. He makes a great scratch box and has helped me a lot to learn how to play one.
Scratch boxes rock. They are small, lightweight, and fit into any pocket. The sounds are good too. Bring a few striker pegs (most of mine are 1x4x1/2 sanded w/ 220) and you have a huge variety of sounds. They are not too difficult to use but there can be a sweet spot to have it work the best which might be what gives them a not user friendly rap. Like others have said, you will have a unique sound in the woods. I like to think of it as an accent. I am a sucker for a girl with an accent. Gets my attention from across the room every time and I gotta go take a look. A bit anthropomorphic but I think toms aren't too different.
Scratch boxes like trumpets and wingbones make turkey sounds that pressured gobblers haven't heard before. They are used to mouth calls, pot calls and box calls. Learn to use all the tools and you'll get more turkeys.
Quote from: West Augusta on February 08, 2015, 09:20:47 PM
Scratch boxes like trumpets and wingbones make turkey sounds that pressured gobblers haven't heard before. They are used to mouth calls, pot calls and box calls. Learn to use all the tools and you'll get more turkeys.
EXACTLY :icon_thumright:
I love the sfot calling a scratchbox makes...just those subtle feeding purrs and clucks, they work well on pressured public land birds when everyone else is using a mouth call, or a slate production call...good change up call.
IMO there is no other more realistic turkey call made than a scratch box in the hands of a skilled caller. If you are proficient at making good turkey sounds with other calls, scratch boxes aren't that difficult to master. For a beginner they will take some time to get the sounds you want, but it is well worth it to learn. They are straight up old gobbler killers...
One of the coolest thing about em is you can't buy em at Cabelas. Straight up turkey w no marketing. Plus your buds prob won't have one. Besides all the rest mentioned this is reason enough
I just bought another scratchbox to add to my arsenal. I need it like a hole in my head :OGturkeyhead:
I've been building scratch boxes this year and have to say they(scratch boxes) are the best sounding turkey calls I have ever used. I have lots of pots/boxes/mouth calls, and have killed a pile of toms with them, but IMHO nothing sounds as realistic as a GOOD scratch box. They also have a very unique tone to them, no other call sounds quite like a scratch box in the woods.....I love my scratch boxes!!!