How to Use a Turkey Mouth Call Like a PRO

Turkey hunting is an art, and learning how to use a turkey mouth call can significantly boost your success in the area. The mouth call, also known as a diaphragm call, is a highly effective tool for mimicking turkey sounds, especially when your hands need to stay on your weapon. Mastering this call allows you to control a range of sounds from soft clucks to loud yelps, and once you get the hang of it, it can promote your hunting game to new heights.

In this guide, we’ll break down how to use a turkey mouth call like a pro, covering everything from selecting the right call to making realistic sounds that draw turkeys in close.

1. Understanding the Turkey Mouth Call

A turkey mouth call, or diaphragm call, consists of a horseshoe-shaped frame with latex or reed material stretched across it. When you place it in your mouth and push air over the reeds, it vibrates to create sounds that resemble turkey vocalizations. The most common turkey calls that you can mimic with a mouth call include:

• Clucks: A simple sound turkeys make to communicate.
• Purrs: Soft, continuous sounds that signal contentment.
• Yelps: Loud calls are used to gather the flock or locate other turkeys.
• Cackles: Rapid, excited calls made by hens during flight or excitement.

2. Choosing the Right Turkey Mouth Call

Before learning how to use a turkey mouth call, you need to choose the right one for your skill level. Diaphragm calls come in a range of designs, including single-reed, double-reed, and triple-reed calls. Here’s a breakdown:

• Single-Reed Calls: Best for beginners. They require less air and are easier to control, producing softer sounds.
• Double-Reed Calls: Provide a richer sound and more volume but are slightly more challenging to master.
• Triple-Reed Calls: Ideal for advanced hunters who want to make louder and more aggressive calls like cutting and cackling.

3. How to Properly Place the Turkey Mouth Call

The placement of the mouth call is crucial for producing quality sounds. Follow these steps:

• Moisten the Call: Before placing the call in your mouth, moisten it with a bit of saliva. This softens the latex or reed material, making it easier to use.
• Position the Call: Place the call with the open horseshoe shape facing forward and the latex or reed side resting on your tongue.
• Seal the Edges: Press the call up against the roof of your mouth with your tongue, ensuring that the edges of the call form a tight seal with the roof of your mouth.
• Comfort First: Adjust the call to a comfortable position. You may need to reposition it slightly until it feels secure but not uncomfortable.

4. Learning the Basic Calls

You’ll need to practice the most common turkey vocalizations. Let’s walk through each sound:

A. The Cluck

• Purpose: Used for soft communication and often as a reassuring sound.
• How to Make the Cluck:
  1. Press your tongue lightly against the reeds.
  2. Push short bursts of air over the reeds, letting them vibrate.
  3. You should hear a short “puck” sound.

This sound is a simple “pop” and can be combined with other calls.

B. The Yelp

• Purpose: A primary call that turkeys use to locate one another.
• How to Make the Yelp:
  1. Press your tongue against the call, allowing space for the air to flow over the reeds.
  2. Push air across the call, dropping your tongue slightly after each push.
  3. This will produce a two-part yelp sound, like “kee-yuk.”

Yelping is one of the most useful calls you’ll learn, as it’s commonly used by both hens and gobblers.

C. The Purr

• Purpose: Soft communication is often used by content turkeys.
• How to Make the Purr:
  1. Relax your lips and tongue.
  2. Push a steady stream of air through the call while keeping a light tongue pressure on the reeds.

The purr should sound like a soft rolling or vibrating noise. This is a great call for drawing in cautious turkeys.

D. The Cut

• Purpose: Excited, aggressive calls generally made by hens.
• How to Make the Cut:
  1. Press your tongue firmly against the reeds.
  2. Push short, sharp bursts of air over the call.

Cuts are sharp, loud clucks that signal excitement or agitation.

5. Tips for Mastering the Turkey Mouth Call

• Practice Makes Perfect: The most important part of learning how to use a turkey mouth call is practice. Start by practicing in the car, at home, or anywhere you won’t disturb others.
• Record Yourself: One way to improve is to record yourself making calls. Compare your sounds to recordings of real turkeys to fine-tune your technique.
• Control Your Breathing: Diaphragm calls rely on good breath control. Focus on smooth airflow and tongue placement to get consistent sounds.
• Start Simple: Master the cluck and yelp before moving on to more advanced calls like cuts or cackles. Once you have the basics down, you can experiment with adding variety to your calling.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

It’s common to encounter some issues. Here are a few mistakes to watch out for:

• Too Much Pressure: Applying too much tongue pressure can make the call sound unnatural or squeaky.
• Wrong Placement: Improper call placement can cause muffled or unclear sounds. Make sure the call is snug against the roof of your mouth.
• Inconsistent Airflow: If you don’t maintain steady airflow, your calls might sound choppy. Practice controlling your breathing for smoother sounds.

Conclusion

Learning how to use a turkey mouth call takes time, but with patience and practice, you can become highly effective at mimicking the sounds of wild turkeys. Whether you’re clucking, yelping, or purring, mastering this tool will give you the edge you need to bring turkeys within range. So, get out there, practice often, and before you know it, you’ll be calling in gobblers like a seasoned pro.