Ok so I'm trying to learn how to use a mouth call and it's a pain in the rear. Does anyone have any pointers?

YouTube videos. Lots of them. When I first started learning last year I couldn't even make a sound and now I'm pretty good. Just watch a bunch of videos and practice.

Ok thanks, I started Sunday and I can make sounds that somewhat resemble a turkey after watching videos the last two day, just inconsistent and uncontrolled as to what sound I get.

Practice Practice Practice, and be sure to drink some water, they don't work with a dry mouth.

This and also try some different brands and calls with different number of reeds until you find the one that you like.

Not that it was an expensive call but should I already have problems with the tape coming off

No, but how did you store them?

I sorta dry it off stick it in the plastic box then put on shelf. I've only had it since Sunday.

Shouldn't be coming off that soon. I use the same 2 all season long. I would contact the manufacturer..they should want to know they have a tape problem.

Ok thanks

I bought a diaphragm(mouth) call that had a instructional CD with it, I took it in my truck and played it and used the call to practice with the dvd. I know people thought I was nuts while driving down the road making all of these crazy sounds but I practiced for a long time until it was time to go hunt this last spring and I did manage to call in 2 toms. One of which my BIL took and the other didn't commit fully so no shot at that cagey old bird. Like was previously said, practice will be your best friend and the birds will dictate what sounds are good and which are not. Good luck in the upcoming season.

When I started using one, I ran it for a whole year before I felt comfortable. I was hunting a wma in Oklahoma where the birds were a little shy and competition was stiff. I felt really good on a slate but, when I figured the reed out whole new game! Practice Practice

Another hint that helped me a lot. Is to bend gently the rigid part of the call so that it curves to fit in the curve of the roof of your mouth.

Does anyone have any recommendations on brands or models? Any help would be appreciated.

I started with the flex tone lil' nasty and I think I'm getting decent. I would recommend a batwing cut such as the call I mentioned as I would guess you don't know where the air channel is going to be in your mouth, this call will work for almost everyone it seems.

Hooks Calls. Call Scott at Hooks and ask him what he recommends. He'll be glad to help you anyway he can.

http://www.hookscalls.com/

Look into the primos hook hunter series. Best sounding call I've found so far. Also a little tip that helped me is think of your tongue as a ramp for the air to hit the reeds. Helped me to be able to picture how my tongue should be positioned. That and practice all the time, when I was learning I always had a call with me. Sitting on the toilet, driving, fishing, watching tv, practice 24/7. Your friends and family will probably begin to hate you after a week or so but they'll get over it lol.

I use the flex tone calls they are small bodied and fit well in the roof of my mouth. They also make a great sound to me and I have called in 2 birds with them but I just started hunting them not long ago myself.

Really have no idea how many Gobblers I have called in with mouth calls in the 34 years or so that I have been hunting with them. When I first started there were very few manufactures of them and the reeds were in either smooth or ribbed depending on which Trojans were used to make them. The calls have changed some but the basics are the same.

Single reed call will be the easiest to learn how to use, once you get that down the others will not be that hard.

To call in a bird much of the time only a few yelps are needed. Clucks and purrs can really help seal the deal though. Using turkey calls I have called in Turkeys, elk, bobcats, coyotes, peacocks and axis.

Like someone said while driving is a good time to practice, just not with the Wife.

What the fellas said, the more you have it in your mouth, the faster you will figure it out. Don't be afraid to use a pair of scissors if you need to trim a good sounding one down to fit better, just do it in very small cuts and avoid removing the whole seal.

AND, always rinse them after use. I rinse mine and soak in Listerine mint flavor for 30 minutes, then keep in the fridge. Once season is over, they get trashed.

I guess it just depends on who you are. I got mine last year two weeks before the season and I called and killed two toms. But as everyone else was saying practice is the key. For those two weeks I practiced daily