Tom-Calling: The Best Non-Electronic Turkey Calls

OUTDOORS

   11.14.22

Tom-Calling: The Best Non-Electronic Turkey Calls

Turkey Calling is an art in and of itself within the activity of turkey hunting. While a good set of turkey calling skills can take you far, the quality of your turkey calls will often dictate how accurate your calls will sound to the prey in question. There are a lot of great options out there on the market today but today we’ll be giving you our best recommendations for 2022 and also be covering a few basic questions about turkey calls and turkey hunting that should help you on your next hunt. Even though these might be some of the best quality turkey calls out there, don’t forget to practice your skills to give yourself the best chance of attracting a prize-winning Tom this turkey season!

More Turkey Hunting Articles @ OutdoorHub: 

Tom-Calling: The Best Non-Electronic Turkey Calls

Tom-Calling: The Best Diaphragm and Friction Turkey Calls

1. Lynch’s World Champion Box Turkey Call

SALE


Lynch's World Champion Box Turkey Call

A favorite of both spring and fall turkey hunters for more than 60 years, the World Champion Box Turkey Call from Lynch produces a full range of calls. Made of select straight-grain mohagany, this hand-tuned call’s double-sided design reproduces quality hen sounds on 1 side and gobbler sounds on the other side. Centered pivoting lid for easy use. 3″ x 4.5″ x 11.75″.
Manufacturer model #: 102F.

  • Versatile, time-tested, double-sided box call design
  • 2-sided design for calling versatility – hen sound on 1 side, gobbler calls on the other
  • Great for spring or fall season hunting
  • Straight-grain mahogany construction
  • Hand tuned

Pros/Can be used as both a locator call and mimic call

Cons/Like most box calls, it’s hard to control the volume of this call

Bottom Line/A great all around call that is affordable and capable

2. Primos Hunting Tall Timber Gabriel Turkey Call

SALE


Primos Hunting Tall Timber Gabriel Turkey Call

The Tall Timber Gabriel is a Premium Box Call that features double thumbholes on the box to allow easy and perfect clucks and cuts. We have put all that we know and cherish about the box call as an instrument into this call: the choice of woods the curves of the striking surfaces the shape and cutouts of the sideboards as well as the finish to give you the finest instrument in reproducing the sounds that Old Gabriel so badly wants to hear.

Pros/Backed by a lifetime service guarantee

Cons/On the higher side of price for box calls

Bottom Line/Made from some of the best premium hardwood and backed by a great company with a mind for customer service

3. Primos Hook Hunter PS1252 2 Pack Turkey Call

SALE


Primos Hook Hunter PS1252 2 Pack Turkey Call

The Primos Hook Hunter Series produces incredibly real and unique pitches that even the wisest ol’ tom can’t resist. Custom designed by combining 100 plus years of experience by passionate, determined turkey hunters with premium gauge reeds and precision hand-made cuts. You’ll be hooked by how effortless these calls are to use; he’ll be hooked when you speak his language.

  • Features 2 inch Hooks
  • Features Sharp Hooks
  • Includes Pin Box

Pros/Affordable and customizeable to your specific region

Cons/Can be difficult to learn to use

Bottom Line/A combo pack of calls that can be customized to fit your needs

4. WoodHaven Custom Calls Cherry Classic Crystal Friction Turkey Call

SALE


WoodHaven Custom Calls Cherry Classic Crystal Friction Turkey Call

After its first use, you’ll understand why we use the word quality to describe the WoodHaven Custom Calls™ Cherry Classic. A sounding board made of quarter sawn cherry produces a nasal/throaty tone. Crystal surface provides higher pitched, longer range calls. Comes with Surface Saver™ lid to protect the calling surface. Two matched strikers for calling variety. Includes conditioning kit and instructions. Made in USA.
Manufacturer model #: 055.

  • Special sound thanks to quarter sawn cherry sounding board
  • Surface Saver lid
  • Two matched strikers for a variety of calls from single surface
  • Conditioning kit to prepare and maintain calling surface
  • Instructions included

These calls are not for the average hunter. Simply the best for the best. No hype, no gimmicks–just simple, time-tested turkey calls! Quality is dictated by quantity. As quantity gets out of balance, quality suffers. WoodHaven Custom Calls will not allow that to happen! As quality will always control quantity, they will only build as many calls as maximum quality will allow. Simple, isn’t it?

Pros/Made in the USA and comes with its own maintenance kit

Cons/A little expensive and the strike area is a little small

Bottom Line/This call sounds as close to real life hens as I have ever heard from a call.

5. FOXPRO Ghost Spur Turkey Call Combo Pack

SALE


FOXPRO Ghost Spur Turkey Call Combo Pack

FOXPRO’s Crooked Spur Series Mouth calls offer a wide range of tones, pitch, and realism and are easy to use. Turkey hunters know when prophylactic is stretched properly it can produce the most realistic sounds available in a diaphragm call. Our Crooked Spur Series calls offer a combination of prophylactic and latex to give you the best advantage in the woods. They feature a pad-printed design on each call and are offered in their own unique color for quickly choosing the right call. Each Crooked Spur Series mouth call is individually stretched and hand-made to ensure a perfect call every time.

Pros/A great value with three calls per pack for only $20

Cons/No colored bodies to differntiate each specific call – can be frustrating to find the right one quickly

Bottom Line/A great way to learn which call works best for you without spending too much money

Are decoys necessary when turkey hunting?

Gobblers are a proud bunch, and mature ones will hardly enjoy a jake trying to move in on the hen. If you set up a hen decoy in your hunting area, it’s sure to attract an aggressive 2-year-old longbeard. Or you can use a jake and hen combination to irritate the boss tom and make him come to claim the hen.

However, if you’re in an area where a dominant bird is known to visit or there is a pack of sub-dominant gobblers, a strutter decoy may be an ideal choice. The look of an intruder in full strut is enough to send an alpha gobbler in.

Do Turkeys have good eyesight? Is camouflage necessary?

Turkeys can’t see long distances, but they have keen eyesight up close. Their sharp eyes will be able to discern between the natural surroundings and something that shouldn’t be there – meaning you. This is why it’s essential to remain completely hidden during the hunt. Dressing in full camouflage from head to toe allows you to blend in with the grasses, tree bark, fallen timber or rocky terrain.

Before heading out on the hunt, make sure you have a camouflage shirt, jacket, gloves and a mask, pants, and face paint, covered in a print that mimics the local surroundings.

How often should I call for turkeys?

Less is more. Calling every 15 minutes or so and starting off quieter and then getting more aggressive/louder as the day goes on are good rules of thumb. If you hear a hen, try to mimic her exact vocalizations. If she does a soft 4-note yelp, you do the same – if she gets loud, you get loud, too. By imitating the hen’s calls, you may be able to call her close to you and a gobbler might follow her. If you hear gobbling and the gobble is getting louder, that means he is getting closer to you – so stop calling.

Avatar Author ID 693 - 168680897

Luke is currently a full-time writer for TheFirearmBlog.com, OvertDefense.com, AllOutdoor.com, and of course, OutdoorHub.com. Luke is a competitive shooter, firearms enthusiast, reloader, outdoorsman, and generally takes an interest in anything that has to do with the great outdoors.
Luke is also a private certified pilot and is currently pursuing his commercial pilot’s license in the hopes of becoming a professional pilot. Some of Luke’s other interests include anything to do with aviation, aerospace and military technology, and American Conservancy efforts.
Instagram: @ballisticaviation
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BallisticAviation
thefirearmblog.com/blog/author/luke-c/
overtdefense.com/author/luke-c/
alloutdoor.com/author/lukec/

We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.

Products You May Like

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *