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Pot call changed to bilateral call
Some of the most authentic turkey sounds are feeding gurgles, contented squawks, and grunts. They are also the calls least likely to scare a stressed tom, since hens will make these calls constantly.
A decent glass call can certainly produce these sounds, but if you want the right pitch and sound level, you’ll want to use this modification I learned from a turkey calling champion.
How to turn any pot call into a two-hander
I interviewed Dustin Jones, the National Turkey Calling Champion and one of the top pot callers, for the upcoming Outdoor Living Podcast He shares a simple tip that adds versatility to any call. In my opinion, Jones makes some of the best two-sided calls with one on the main play surface and one on the bottom surface. The idea is that you have the main surface for hitting the bird and the bottom for the softer finishing call. That’s why the glass top and slate bottom are a classic double-sided combination.
However, you don’t need to purchase double-sided pot calls to gain this versatility. You can scuff the bottom part of your favorite call, add some box call chalk, and create a shockingly good-sounding call on the wood. Here’s how to do it.
Read next: How to regulate pot calling
what do you need
Step 1: Sand
Sand the pot with 120 grit sandpaper.
Sand a portion of the bottom of your pot – you only need a small area. Jones recommends sanding with the grain of the wood.
Step 2: Chalk
There is a small box called chalk on the sanding area.
Add a bit of chalk to the sanded area.
Step 3: Run it
Don’t run soft-spoken like it’s cutting and screaming on the main surface. “With the clucks and grunts, you don’t want to hold it (the forward) too tight,” Jones said. “If you hold it tight, it stiffens the entire striker, which is what you want.” Holding the stick looser can cause the hitter to vibrate more. Jones also said to lift the striker higher to create resonance.
Read next: Best Turkish Phones
Amateur’s Perspective
I’m no Dustin Jones, and my calling skills are average. After talking with Jones, I decided to try this trick on one of my less valuable calls. I sanded a 0.5 x 0.5 inch area using 120 grit sandpaper. You want to make sure you sand the wood, not just the surface finish. Then I rubbed some chalk on it and grabbed a striker. Running this call was very easy and without much effort on my part it produced some nice, soft yips, gurgles and grunts. The main thing I noticed is that you use less pressure than you think you need, and loosening up the striker makes a big difference. If the striker starts to slip, hit the worn area with more chalk.
One of the coolest things about this pot call hack is that variations of it have been used throughout history. I have seen a history of hunters wearing down their gun stocks and using nails as firing pins.