I've never used a slate call, but I think I'm going to give one a try and it's been a few years since I've had to purchase a diaphram call, but as season quickly approaches I need some new calls.

I'm not up to speed with what is currently on the market, so please recommend me a make and model of slate and mouth call for the coming spring season.

Best mouth call I've used is a "Long Hooks" model. I think its made by Primos. I picked it up at Academy, walmart has them too.

Woodhaven makes a sweet slate call. They also make some nice strikers.

Studduck,

Slates are on the soft sounding side. I would characterize them as close in/closer work calls.

Not that you cant use them for whenever you want.

Id say start with glass, or some faux topped call.

I like Knight &Hales, and HS Struts for mass produced calls. That includes slate versions.

Good luck with the Jurrasic punks.. Try different strikers til you get the sound you want.

Look up Wendall Rye of Lights Out Custom Calls or Andy Kaiser of KaiserKalls for superb pot/peg calls.

I've switched to Paul Meek calls. His brother-in-law was Ben Lee and he learned his call making from him. He has everything you are looking for. I have one of his glass and slate combos but for close in work I like his scratch box. One I stepped on had 19 Toms and the one I am using now has 24 to its credit. Give Paul a call at paulmeekoutdoors.com. Tell him Dan sent ya.

Bettis custom calls.

My best slate calls are either home made or samples from a now-defunct call company for which I used to be a pro-staffer. Therefore, I'm not going to be able to give you a good make and model recommendation. What I can give you is some good general advice.

My best success has been with slate pots and slate over glass. Most of my gobblers have initially responded to one or the other. I like to break out with some raucous cackling and excited yelping about 9-10 AM, and it frequently brings them running. I often model my calls after a single hen I named Blythe, who used to come out to the shade of an old barn every day at 10 and perform a similar act. I called her Blythe for Blythe Danner-- the raspy siren from Bridget love Bernie back in the 70's. If you're too young to remember, think Anne Coulter with a bad chest cold. Blythe, the turkey is long dead, but her flock still roosts just behind the barn every spring. Some years one of her grand daughters puts on a similar show.

The trick to the call is in the striker, and finding the right striker for the day. I'll carry one or two pots, but I'll carry as many strikers as I can as a force multiplier. Most days hickory and purple heart have been the best producers. However, I'll try anything when I'm having trouble taking the turkeys' temperature.

I make my own pots, and as long as you're not into fancy, the parts can be had from customsawing.com . All it takes is some sandpaper, some varnish, and Liquid Nails. It is a good cheap way to go. They have a bunch of exotic dowels for making strikers. You can do a slate or slate/glass on a poplar base with two strikers for under $20 before glue and sandpaper. Figure 30 minutes labor, and the only tool you'll need is a weight to hold down the finished work until it dries. Here's the last batch I made for family and friends. I think the bill from custom sawing was under $50 and it took 3 hours total.

The best thing to do is head for one of the big hunting shows (we have the Dixie Deer Classic coming up in Raleigh in late FEB). There will usually be a couple of dozen call makers with their wares for sale at the shows - they will demonstrate and you can try any of their calls. Get a slate pot and a glass pot and try some different strikers; you can find what you like pretty easily that way. Good luck and good hunting!

25 years ago when I asked my turkey hunting mentor which mouth call he liked best, he said whatever was on sale at the end of the season. I resisted his advice for a while, but now follow it. As a matter of fact, I have killed more turkeys as time went on (hint).

As far as slate calls go, I like a slate pot and a glass combo call (or 1 of each). Strikers, in my opinion will make all the difference. Get a few different kinds (tips).

To round out what calls I carry, I have a custom box call too.

I used to carry a variety of calls, but now limit myself to a mouth call, pot call and box call. I could easily get by with just a mouth call.

I couldn't agree more on the mouth calls, only I look for the pre-season specials, and then buy enough for me and all the sons.

I did buy a fancy $8 Quaker Boy call years ago and I did use it to take a record book gobbler, but I can't say that it was significantly better than any other call. I still had plenty of turkeys laughing at me that week. I just managed to catch that particular old bird in just the right mood.

It ain't what's in your mouth as much as what's between your ears that takes turkeys.

This is good advice. I will never buy another friction call that I can't run and listen to first. There is so much variation from one call to another that Brand X Model Y call #1 may be fantastic and call #2 may be awful. I think that is particularly true of mass produced calls. Some of the semi-custom calls are uniformly good, but they do differ one from another somewhat in pitch and tone. I guess at the end of the day, most of them do sound like turkeys, but some sound WAY more like turkeys than others to my ears.

I wish I was good enough with mouth calls to just use whatever I find on sale, and I am sure that works for some callers. Unfortunately, I just can't make some of them do what I want. My all-time favorite is a Quaker Boy World Champ. I wish I had kept up with how may birds I have called up over the years running one of those calls. I think though that everyone's technique is a bit different so the mouth call that sounds great for you may not sound good for me. The bad thing is the only way to find out is to buy one and try it.

Lonnie Sneed from WV makes a killer slate call.

For the $, HS Strut makes the Li'l Deuce� 2 Double Slate over Glass Wild turkey call (000873) is hard to beat for a production call. The wood pots look nice but just don't give me the sound I like. If you want to spend some $, Darrin Dawkins or Lamar Williams make a wonderful slate in a plastic pot. They are my favorite pot calls along with their aluminum calls. Also, as suggested before, try different strikers.

They're all pretty much personal but I like the Primos for mouth calls. Heck, 1/2 the time I just use my mouth.

The I use a glass for my "slate" but it's by Drury Outdoors. A small little deal with cherry wood for the box.

David Halloran's Crystal Mistress would be on my list to try if you get a chance.
Mouth calls are made is such quanity now that you can buy 10 of the same brand & model and no two sound the same. Plus they are way over priced. I think Woodhaven stuck a big price tag on their calls with the idea that hunters would buy them on the idea that if it costs more, it must be better. Then gave a bunch of t- shirts to competition callers & made them "pro staffers". Now most all of the calls are over priced.
Tom Teaser mouth calls are my favorite and seem to be prettt consistant.
Hooks Calls are good to & a favorite of a lot of my buddies. I've heard they are good people to.

Check out Old Gobbler. Com. If you turkey hunt & like to look at the world wide web, you can get a lot of good information on calls, shotguns and about anything related. Lots of call makers overthere.

No matter what brand slate you purchase the striker or peg is what makes the difference

I'll disagree on mouth calls being a "not matter"
I have a drawer full that don't fit my mouth the way I like or sound not so good to downright crappy.
It's a individual thing but I like the Woodhaven and Paul Butski diaphragms.Don't mind paying a little extra for a Woodhaven when I know it will yelp,cluck,purr and cut like a real hen in my mouth. YMMV

same here with Diaphragm Calls i may get a good one out of every five i purchase

Jimmy Shaffer at http://www.oakridgecustomcalls.com/ makes some real nice slates. Check out his Mad Hen II glass call.

David Halloran's Twisted Sister or Crystal Mistress are really nice glass calls too.

Hook's makes the best mouth calls that I've tried.

A lot is personal preference and there are a bunch of good call makers out there.

Lon Tice, Lonzo Game Calls. I run a brids eye maple slate, it is dead on.