Advice on these mouth call thingys

[YorkArcher]

So I'm trying this turkey thing...

I'm practicing with my brand new "Spittler's Slate Call" and getting better...(I think)

I picked up a mouth call...

Lets just say I feel like a doctor is sticking one of those sticks in my mouth every time I try it...

Does that go away, or should I just give up....

I don't think turkey's are going to come to the sound of me gagging!!!

[firediver]

Purchase an H.S. Strut diaphragm called The Raspy Old Hen. This is by far the easiest diaphragm call I have ever used!!!!

Try to relax....most people try too hard and get all tense. Relax and blow gently....and don't jamb the call to the roof of your mouth with your tongue.

It takes some practice.....but once you figure it out, you will wonder why it was so hard in the first place

They key is being relaxed!!!!

[Adam]

I couldn't use one of those for YEARS until I finally just kept playing with it until I got SOME sound out of it and then I started putting 2 and 2 together and before long I was making all kinds of racket with it! Sometimes, I even sound like a turkey! haha

Scott's got it right though, just relax, and if it's making you gag alot, you can carefully trim the call. Just take a little at a time.

[burrhead]

Like they said just keep practicing. Primos makes diaphrams with a sonic dome that are extremelly easy to use and sound great you might want to try one of them.

[Va Hunter]

Those ole toms come arunnin when they hear the ole YEP YEP YEP...HACK HACK GAG HACK !! They wanna watch to see just how red in the face we get!

I learned to use mine by kepping it in my mouth for a while. If ya feel like the gag is starting, just slide it over into the side of your mouth like a chew or something. When you do start getting noise out of it, you'll wonder why ya ever had a problem. If you can find a single reed, it's easier on ya and doesn't require as much breath. Don't try for volume, just yet. While you can get pretty loud, I've found that it's best used to bring the gobbler in that last bit, when he might see ya moving while working a box or slate.

[youngbuck83]

The best thing you could do to start out is to just walk around with the call in place in your mouth...just get used to it being there. As you get used to it, then try to make sounds. It's tough but it will come to you eventually, just keep practicing.

[Great White Hunter]

One thing that nobody's hit on yet is that it may be too big for your palate. You might try a H.S. Raspy Hen as suggested but the one for "small palates". Put it up there and say, "Chick" (or chuck) several times over. You should be getting a yelp. Say, "puck" for cutting, and say kee kee for, you guessed it a kee kee call. Purring tickles the roof of my mouth too much so I generally just purr using my lips. Mouth calls are easy and they keep your hands free...handy when hunting by yourself.

My other advice is to buy two of the same one starting out. Keep one in your vehicle and the other in the fridge in its case. The one in your vehicle is the practice one. Whenever you are driving alone, just pull that puppy out and practice. When I'm by myself in the truck I'm either practicing on my turkey calls or on my ducks calls. It's perfect practice time.

[bucknut1]

I like the raspy old hen as well. After a bit of practice and patience you'll get it. Instead of sounding like a goose honking (that's what i sounded like at first), you'll start to sound like a hen talkin turkey!! I agree w/what was said above. Keep it soft and relaxed. I actually gave my husband a headache tonight while I was practicing!!

[OhioCooner]

Lots of helpful advice!! HS Strut calls are the way to go, very easy to use and what a killer tone! The gag does go away, but it will happen every now and then. Also, beware that you don't spit it out. When I was trying to get a hang of one and I was blowing too hard, well, out of my mouth that call flew!! Luckily I'm a good catch!

[YorkArcher]

Tried it again last night.... No luck...

I've never been accused of having a small mouth but I'll try trimming it...