Starting with the first of several friction calls — and one of the simplest to master &# 8212 we’ll begin with the box call. Invented in 1897 by Henry Gibson of Dardanelle, Ark., the hinged-lid box call is a simple design. Box calls are basically two pieces of wood; a coffin-shaped tone chamber and a paddle-like striker or lid. The two pieces are fastened together loosely by a screw at one end. Today’s box calls are mostly made from cedar, walnut and a host of other hard woods. Chalk or rosin is used to coat the playing surfaces to allow it to strike consistently and vibrate properly, which, in turn, produces sound.
To play or “work” a box call, lightly grasp the lid handle between the thumb, index and middle finger of the right hand while holding the box in the palm of the left. (Southpaws should reverse their hold.) Flexing the wrist, the lid is stroked across the thin, top edges of the box to produce any of several turkey calls. (See Wild Turkey Vocabulary below.)
For an alternate method of holding a box call, hold it in a vertical position with the hinged end down. Hold your hands straight out in a thumbs-up position. Grasp the bottom of the box in the left hand, while grasping the lid handle between the right index finger and thumb. The forward stroke produces a yelp. For best results, try to keep the lid in contact with the box on the forward stroke and away from the box on the non-calling return stroke. A cluck is made by placing the lid on the lip of the sound chamber and giving it a quick stroke while pulling the lid away sharply. Read more…..