Friction Calls

Got myself the Hunter Specialty Raspy Old Hen glass call. I'm new to these calls and I'm having trouble finding instructional videos on how to work the call. Any suggestions??

Hold the striker like you would a pen, or pencil. Keep the striker surface almost flat against the glass, and draw the striker as if trying to make a line. Use more pressure to make Chirps/ clucks. You can also rotate it in a circle and get a good hen call. You may have to slightly roughen the striker with light sandpaper every once and a while.

The hand holding the call will also effect the volume and tone, so try different things.

I read this yesterday; helped me a lot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-aPn1pDgQE

I couldn't get two different glass pots to work until I followed one of his first tips: sand the glass in only one direction. Works perfect now.

- thedoveshooter

First glass call I bought I thought was junk. Couldn't get it to make noise. I had sanded it lightly, but not nearly enough. I was worried about messing up the pretty picture on it.

Definitely sand it fairly well in an area. No need to sand the entire surface, as your working area can be rather small. I actually use a conditioning stone rather than sand paper. Available in call conditioning kits from K&H and Primos. Then your ovals are going to use the groves to make the 2 note yelp. With the grain of your sanded area gives a slightly different tone than across the grain. Striker never needs to leave the surface.

There are tons of good calling demos on the web. Best I heard was a call maker demoing his product, but I can't recall who. Just keep looking and wade through the junk videos. There are some gems out there.

Be more in tune to the rhythm of the call, rather than the sound so much. If you can get the rollover of the 2 note yelp, and the rhythm right, you can call turkeys. I've heard some live hens that sound worse than the hunter.

IMO, crystal makes a much better calling surface than glass.

Gman

Thanks guys. I sanded the surface with the sand paper that came with it, but I was too afraid to scratch it up very much in fear of messing up the call, but I'll try working on it some more. I appreciate the help though.

Yup = listen to real birds and mimic their cadence. And don't overcall. Don't fall in love with the sound of your call and play a long concert. Extended periods of silence can be a good thing. Just throw in some occasional calling. Once you get the bird coming in, let him come. Play him according to how he's acting.

Most of the callmakers use Brookside conditioning stones to condition the glass playing surfaces.

http://brooksidegamecalls.com/conditioningstoneforstick.aspx

Like the others sand/condition the call in one direction not circles. Your calls will be much more consistent with a consistent pattern. Once the "groves" are in the glass no need to keep conditioning it over and over.

Non Grease chalk like used for box calls is good. I use some before starting calling, it will help you get consistent friction between the glass and striker. Once you figure it out these are some of the easiest calls to use and very versatile. What I see lots of people try is "writing" with the striker since they are holding it like a pen. You get the sounds by holding it that way but pushing it into the surface of the call with the sounds being more controllable when the striker is making the sounds as it is being drawn toward you while pushing it into the face of the call. Volume by how you hold the call and how much pressure you put on the surface with the striker.

Yelps small circular motion of the striker on the face of the call.

purrs draw the striker across the face of the call slowly in a straight line. Purr is often followed by a cluck by real turkeys

clucks apply pressure on the face of the call with the striker and flick it away from the call with a flick.

cutting striker pressed into the call and little straight motions when you get the sound stop then start over kind of a pop pop pop repeated several times followed by a few yelps

kee-kee calls are used more in the fall and are a lost call, use a pencil eraser on a small portion of the call and that is the portion you will use for the Kee-kee.

Tone of the sounds can be easily varied by where on the calls surface you use the striker. Middle for lower pitch, edge for higher pitch. Finger pressure on the back of the call can effect volume ane used to mute the call some for different sounding calls.

Great advice mentioned above.

I would also like to add... Every slate / glass call has a sweet spot that is located on its surface.
Use the striker and work around the calls surface until you find it. You will know tone in the sound once you find it.

Good to know. Just went to stone this year and found the ones available at BPS.