call

[terry-1]

I build a few calls myself for close friends and my own use too when I find time. Your calls are looking real nice. Nothing sounds better than a wood or bone/antler call. Cheap Plastic commerical built calls just don't give the great tone and do not sound as real to my ears. I don't know what reed you are using but there is a grunt metal reed made my mad calls they use in thier hands free calls that can be used in a one peice wood call that has a unreal grunt sound.One of the Best I have ever heard I use mainly nothing but that reed now. The only draw back is the tone must be pre set and is hard to change tones you have to remove the whole reed. I tune it to a young buck grunt and leave it alone anyway and have a doe bleat call I carry to. There is very few people using this reed as It is hard to find for sell and not in many call makeing catalogs. Anyway Great looking calls if someone does not have a hand made grunt call it is well worth buying one they last many years and give that clean crisp tone you will not find sitting in a store. Every store bought call I have bought i have to spend hours tuneing on it to make it sound right to my ear which is a pain. Good luck on selling your calls I am done making calls for the year myself any other friends show up they will have to begg as I have everything cleaned and put up for the year.

[terry-1]

Woops, this was to be under Wapi"s deer call topic I guess I put it in as a new topic by mistake. Sorry about that.

[wabi]

Terry,
I use HUT's adjustable reed. I know it's used in a few commercial calls, but I can't tell you which ones (not ethics, just forgetfulness ) and it takes some initial tuning to get the dominant grunt sound right, but once tuned the rest are easy to change to. I think that is one big factor that seperates us from the commercial factories. We take the time to "tune" the call initailly, not just slap a reed into the call and ship it off without ever hearing it! I don't have it printed in my instructions, but if you take the whole reed assembly out of the call and don't get it re-installed just right it will change the sound!
I try to keep the call making at a "hobby" level, but try to provide a top quality product and be somewhat profesional at the same time. I look at it as a way to make a few $$$$ to re-invest in sporting (read HUNTING) goods Just converted some calls into feathers (fletching) and a new quiver this weekend!

[terry-1]

Makeing calls is a good way to make alittle extra money to pay for your own hunting and calling building habit. It is also alot of fun to craft something from a peice of wood that sounds so well and looks so good in the end. I bought my First custom call several years ago it was a predator call and was shocked on how much better it sounded than the store bought ones I had. My first though was does someone make a custom deer call. I looked all over the web before finally finding just a small few calls and ordering one. I have never bought another store made call again I don't think I would be happy if I ever did. I find it hard to beleive when talking to most people they have never even thought of buying a custom deer call. They will spend a thousand dollars on a weapon,buy the best of every extra hunting item,but have not even thought about spending 25-40 dollars on a real nice sounding call?? My thoughs are if you are going to blow a call in the woods it better be one that sounds real if you expect to call in a deer. I think people buy a cheap call have no luck and just never try it again thinking calls don't work. I called several deer in last season and seasons before using two or three soft fawn bleats like a lost fawn and then following up with a grunt or two like the doe was anwsering the fawn. Seems to work from eary bow season all the way into Jan. I think calls are alot like deer scents in the fact they work when the deer is interested in what he heres or smells, iF you use them to much or call to loud it has a over powering un natural affect. and there are alot of cheap calls and scents out there just trying to make a sell and then there is the good stuff that works.