Sometimes you just have to...

S

Steve Steffy

Well-known member
Keep one for yourself that is. After selling my old trusty bloodwood and curly maple box call to some very good clients that had to have it I found myself starting the season with no box call in my own vest. Fortunately I had just finished a couple of boxes, so I played eeny-meeny-miney-mo and slipped one into my repertoire of turkey getters. It's a figured black walnut box cut from a gun stock blank and an ambrosia paddle with black inlays... and she's a sweet talker! So is this stealing if you I didn't pay myself for it? ::)

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Necessity is the "mother of" and now you have one. By the way, what a gorgeous hunk of wood you had to make it from, Steve. Good luck on your hunt.
Al
 
Thanks Al...Looks like I'm going to need some more luck on the next hunt though. I blew the shot on a dandy longbeard a couple days ago. Must be saltwater on my 870 from duck season still. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Steve
 
Thanks Al...Looks like I'm going to need some more luck on the next hunt though. I blew the shot on a dandy longbeard a couple days ago. Must be saltwater on my 870 from duck season still. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.

Steve
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Don't feel too bad - I can admit to having blown my fair share of shots on turkies. I've had a long string of not missing until the other day when I had a longbeard pop up at 10 yards and make me right away. He started to sneak out of there and I had a shot at 12 yards on a sneaking tom, which I missed. He flushed and I had a cake shot on the wing and I folded him about 15-20 yards out. I have made good the second time on missed birds a number of times - usually it is calling a bird in a few days later, not the second shot right then.

That box looks great. How hard is it to make a box sound right? Is it a matter of making one look right and tuning or is it tougher than that? I assume tuning could include shaping the lips and taking some wood off the call, but I don't know. Ever seen a tutorial on making a box call? I do 95% of my acual talking to a turkey with a Diaphram and most always finish with a diaphram unless they won't work to one, but the box call is very important to me to have and use.

T
 
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Steve

Thats a mighty fine looking box call........and we all miss every once in a while. Have you done any fly fishin' yet? Between trout fishin' and going to Harve de Grace, I've only turkey hunted once.
Can't seem to put the fly rods down. Fishin' has been good, plus I get to sleep in.

I'm sure it won't be long before you post a photo of a Gobbler that didn't get away, and came to that new call. Good Luck & Shoot Straight!
 
Tod - Well, there was no calling that bird in again today...42 degrees, light rain and fog. I started in my traditional spot in the woods, then moved out to a field setup after first light - nary a gobble! I think this cold front has shut them down for a day or two. I'll get back after 'em when it warms up again, hopefully by midweek.

As far as making box calls, let's just say I've made a LOT of firewood in the process. I feel I'm getting a good consistent sound out of my design now though. There are a lot of variables involved with making it sound right. Rail thickness, depth of chamber, width of chamber, paddle thickness, grain orientation, radius on rails and paddle, wood selection, etc., etc. Even when you have all of the conditions accounted for sometimes you still end up with a dead box for unknown (or unseen) reasons. I have a diaphram in my vest that I bought 4-5 years ago. I'm not real sure why I bought it, I've never used the stinking thing. I guess I have too many other tools at my disposal that I prefer more.

Steve
 
Tod - Well, there was no calling that bird in again today...42 degrees, light rain and fog. I started in my traditional spot in the woods, then moved out to a field setup after first light - nary a gobble! I think this cold front has shut them down for a day or two. I'll get back after 'em when it warms up again, hopefully by midweek.

As far as making box calls, let's just say I've made a LOT of firewood in the process. I feel I'm getting a good consistent sound out of my design now though. There are a lot of variables involved with making it sound right. Rail thickness, depth of chamber, width of chamber, paddle thickness, grain orientation, radius on rails and paddle, wood selection, etc., etc. Even when you have all of the conditions accounted for sometimes you still end up with a dead box for unknown (or unseen) reasons. I have a diaphram in my vest that I bought 4-5 years ago. I'm not real sure why I bought it, I've never used the stinking thing. I guess I have too many other tools at my disposal that I prefer more.

Steve
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Thanks for the info Steve!
 
Thank you Vince...wait til you see the new design I'm conjuring up. It should be finished by months end. That one may end up being a limited edition if it turns out as planned. As far as missing...I've done my fair share of missing, it eats me up months after turkey season ends. I should have done this, or I should have done that...it just doesn't stop.

I really wanted to get down to HDG this year. It's been a couple years since we have went. We've just been way too busy recently. I'm shooting for next year though, the wife and I both enjoy that show and the area in general.

I took my son flyfishing for the first time on our trout opener. Unfortunately, we had heavy rain the night prior and the creek was flowing pretty good. He had a lot of fun though and he's looking forward to getting back out again. If we ever get together I'll have to have him tell you the story of how he became a stick in the mud - literally! Between getting these North Bay calls a workout in turkey season, my daughter graduating from college next week and a pile of other miscellaneous stuff, it doesn't look like I'll be getting to do any more fishing until at least the end of the month, hopefully sooner.

Talk to ya later,
Steve
 
Steve, Great looking box call! Hope you get a chance at another Tom!

Box calls sometimes seem like Black Magic, you can pick the right wood, do all the same procedures and have on come up flat for unknown reasons. I did have a long time box call maker give me a few tips on Grain and sound but it still can be hit or miss sometimes.

Either way that call is a looker!


Tod. I have always had good luck with Gobblers answering to the box call, even when they will refuse others, but still like the diapraghm for in close and finishing them.........
 
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[font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Box calls sometimes seem like Black Magic, you can pick the right wood, do all the same procedures and have on come up flat for unknown reasons. I did have a long time box call maker give me a few tips on Grain and sound but it still can be hit or miss sometimes. [/font]
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Thank you Jode...and you certainly got that right. Sometimes you do everything the way it's supposed to be done, grain alignment, proper cuts,wood, radius, etc. and it still sounds like garbage. That can be very frustrating, but when you get a winner its well worth it.

Steve
 
Tod. I have always had good luck with Gobblers answering to the box call, even when they will refuse others, but still like the diapraghm for in close and finishing t
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Agreed, I use a box a lot if I'm just sitting and calling blind and locating birds, but I almost never work them with a box anymore. I used to always work and finish birds with a box or slate, but, don't anymore.
 
Thanks Tom...my Virginia tags went to waste this year. I never did find the time to make it down there. For sure next spring though.

Steve
 
Steve, that box looks great.

BTW, love the acrylic friction call that I got from you for my dad last Christmas...was thinking how I wanted one for myself, but couldn't justify buying another call while I had a perfectly good one in my vest. Lucky for me, i forgot the key to one of the gates on our hunting property Saturday, and long story short: pushing 4-wheeler under a gate= shattered friction call.

Looks like I'll be calling you sooner than I thought to get me a new call! Shucks.
 
Thanks Frank...sorry to hear about your call. I do stand behind all of my calls when they have defects, however crushing them while pushing a 4 wheeler isn't necessarily covered. If the wood is still in good shape I may be able to replace the crystal surface if you want to send it up. There's no charge for that, as long as I'm able to replace it I'm happy to do so.

Give me a shout sometime for a new call or if you want to try to repair the one you have. That will teach you for stealing your Dad's call after giving it to him. Or was it a different call that you crushed?

Steve
 
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