With the Southern Illinois turkey season opening on Monday, April 6th, I just dug my mouth calls out of the refrigerator where they have been stored since last season. This will be my 8th year to use the same mouth calls. I soak them for several hours in a 50:50 solution of mouthwash and water, then use a toothpick to pry the latex apart. During the month-long season, I will frequently soak the mouth calls in the mouthwash/water solution. So far, I've not suffered any ill effects. While my hen calling may not win any contests, I've watched enough hens that were yelping to learn that there is a wide variety of calling "ability" even among the hens! I rely on my calling to get them close enough to see my Pretty Boy or Funky Chicken decoy hovering over a hen in the breeding position with another feeding hen nearby. The gobbles from my Primos tube often seals the deal since the peck order among the turkeys creates a challenge to any real tom in the area who has to put the newcomer (me) in his place.
