Get Your Turkey with a Friction Call

Calling a turkey is both an art and a science.  Not only do you have to understand the physical properties of your callers and how they are affected by the weather, but you also have to get to know the nuances of your calls and hone your skills to give each call just the right realistic touch.  It can take anywhere from an hour to a day to learn a turkey call, but it will take a lifetime to master the art of calling.  One of the easiest types of calls for a beginner to learn is friction calls.

Friction calls are composed to two separate pieces, a striker and a pot.  There are almost an infinite variety of materials from which these friction calls can be made.  Many of them are now weather proof, but you’ll find that the humidity can affect the tone of your friction calls.  

The pot of the friction call is often made of slate, aluminum, or glass.  Essentially, the material is inset into a small pot so you can hold onto it and not destroy the vibrations.  Some friction calls are actually divided into two or three sections, each with a different material.  That way you can use the aluminum for high-pitched, long distance calls and then switch over to slate for close calling.

It is also important to get the right striker for your friction calls.  While strikers are often overlooked, they are actually incredibly important to successful calling.  Most strikers are wooden, but hard wood and soft wood make different sounds.  Also, the length of the striker will affect the pitch of the call; a shorter striker has a higher pitch.  Even if you only carry one pot with you, you might want three or four different strikers to create different types of calls.

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