The Purr-fect Thing

How many of us turkey hunters use diaphragm (mouth) calls during turkey season? I don't know the exact number, but it's a bunch. Well, I've found a new product that enables you to build your own calls pretty quickly and easily, any time. It's called the Call "Purr"fect turkey call kit. You can find a description of the kit here.

As far as I know, this kit is a first. I've never heard of anything like it before, so I was tickled to get my hands on it to see how well it works. When I read the instructions, I thought, "This sure looks easy." I have been fooled before, though, and I couldn't wait to try it out for real. Well, it works, and it works well.

More Calls Needed

I have used mouth calls for a few years now, although I can't claim to be very good at it. I can handle the louder calls pretty well, but when it comes to the soft calls and purrs, I need a box call. I have learned, though, that mouth calls are very versatile; you can use them to call predators as well as turkeys, so my "need" for mouth calls increased, when I started doing some coyote hunting.

Tough Ones, Too

Also, I seem to be pretty hard on mouth calls... maybe I use too much tongue pressure. At any rate, loud calling is necessary when squealing like a dying rabbit in an attempt to call in a coyote, and this causes the latex reeds to stretch after a while. Without this kit, I'd be hard pressed to depend on mouth calls, since at press time (Feb. 2000) the average price at my local Wal-Mart was about $3.50, and they're only available at certain times of the year.

Save Some Dough

With the Call "Purr"fect kit, you can make your calls with 1, 2, 3, or 4 reeds - in some cases cheaper than you can buy calls. Examples follow:

Prices have changed since I first published this review - the following prices were verified in February, 2007.
Price of one kit, including shipping: $54.90. Price per call (kit makes 13): $4.22
Price of a refill (makes 13 calls), including shipping: $19.50. Price per call: $1.88
Price of a refill (makes 26 calls), including shipping: $39.40. Price per call: $1.52

Making a Call

Making a call is an easy, step-by-step process that's thoroughly explained by the included instructions. I didn't time my first call, but I built the second in about 7 minutes. The package claims, "make calls in just 3 minutes," which is probably possible with enough practice. The included jig and components are of good quality, and should last well.

Calls On Demand

What I like the most about this kit is that I can make a call when I need one. When I noticed that my first call was getting stretched and losing its tone, I didn't have to ride the 28 miles to Wal-Mart; all I had to do was whip up a call on the kit. The quality of the calls you produce will vary a bit, and may not be of the same quality as a factory-built call, but I feel the savings & convenience outweigh these downsides. For anyone who uses mouth calls often, I think this kit is certainly worth a look.

Tips:
- You'll need a small hammer; it's not included in the kit. I use a light tack hammer, which works fine.
- I found needle-nose pliers to be a must for bending the tab on the frame; something that wasn't mentioned in the instructions.
[Note: The manufacturer tells me the frames now come with the tab pre-bent at a 25-degree angle. This should help considerably.]
- I recommend putting more "dimples" in the frame than they call for... as many as 10 or 12 (again, I'm tough on these calls).
- Try bending the tab over the frame before you dimple it... seems to hold the reeds a little better that way, for me at least.
[Note: The manufacturer says "we find that if we dimple the frame prior to bending the tab over that it will assure no rippling occurs in any of the reeds when the tab is bent over."]

- Russ Chastain

Suggested Reading:
Turkey Hunting Follies
Top Turkey Shotguns

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