Using Turkey Box Calls: Basic Tips for Yelps, Purrs, Clucks and Cuts

In this two-part series, you'll learn about turkey box calls and how to make some basic sounds.

I'm an amateur call maker and avid turkey hunter so I've made my share of box calls. It's the call I started out using and what I recommend for a beginner.

While it can easy to sound like a turkey, box calls can take years to master. I always learn something new by watching people design and play them. The video below gives a good quick overview of the turkey box call.

Turkey box calls come a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be opened on both sides or have a ledge like the Primos Cutter that's used in the video. Box calls can be short or long boxes. They sometimes have thumb grooves, a bottom base and long handles.

Box calls are made out of a variety of different woods and often the paddle wood is a different species than the box itself.

And I can tell you that the same wood from the same board can actually sound different depending on the unique configuration of the grain. I've made my share of "firewood" from wood that I thought would work well but just didn't produce a good sound.

That's why determining which one is best is simply a matter of playing them.

With just a little practice its not hard to make a good, loud yelp. Box calls are often louder than other turkey calls, especially for people who are new to calling. I always carry one and use it when the woods are generally quiet.

This makes the box call is great for locating turkeys that are far away. When you master turkey box calls, you can use them to softly talk that turkey in for a kill shot.

The next video shows you how to create more subtle sounds such as the cluck, purr and cut.

So get your turkey box call outs and put in some time so you can improve your turkey calling technique.

Learn to put combinations of clucks, cuts, purrs and yelps together and you'll have them turkey running at you in no time!

NEXT: WATCH YOUR BACK AND BAG THOSE SNEAKY TOM TURKEYS