Home Forums Birds & Dogs Turkey Hunting Waterproof box calls?

How does it do it?
Can it be done to other calls?

Not quite sure what you mean, how does it do it? How do they make it "water proof"? On a waterproof box call, the friction points are painted. The bottom side of the paddle and the top edges of the rails are painted with some kind of hard paint, then roughed a bit with a scotch brite pad or fine sand paper. Done properly, where all the wood is laquered and then the friction points painted, you can come up with a box call that will work reasonably well wet.

Can you do it to other calls? Like, can you turn a non-waterproof call into a waterproof call? I suppose you can. Not sure why you'd want to. There are few waterproof box calls on the market. The Primos Waterboard is a well done call that sounds very, very good.

Yes, how to make other calls waterproof. I wonder if it is a special paint.

It's Rustoleum chalkboard paint. 😉👍

Cool to know:)

Might be fun to take a box call and give it a whirl

Carry a WoodsWise waterproof short box if hunting inclement weather.

Was a little rough sounding first out of the package, but a very light touch up with green scotchbrite and it now has a great yelp.

Yeah.................. It's pretty amazing how GOOD a box can sound sometimes, having that waterproofing paint on it. I've got one in particular that's KILLER !!!

Have you run them wet or damp vs. dry and did you notice a drop off in sound quality or reliability? Never heard one of them run either way.

Generally, the chalk gets wet and calls don't work. You have to chalk the lid surface that rub against the box.

I had assumed from it being called waterproof that it was a surface that would run without chalk. Doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose and claim of being waterproof?

The waterproof version doesn't use chalk. The original style does.
I must have misread your post, I thought you didn't have experience with either type.

I've run my Penns Woods Waterproof Wizard while hunting in the rain and it sounds very good damp or dry. I've never hunted spring turkey in driving rain, but have hunted them in gentle rain. I'm sitting under a tree with a poncho on and pulling the call out to work it, or have it out while I'm walking about trying to find a bird. The call isn't getting soaked, but its getting wet enough that using a chalked box call would be unwise.

My Penns Woods and my Primos Waterboard sound every bit as good as, say, my Lynch calls or other Primos box calls. I see no disadvantage to having painted sounding surfaces instead of chalked. I wouldn't leave my Penns Woods home in favor of a different call on a dry day.