What is the Top Rated Slate Turkey Call?

Whenever it is spring time, it is turkey hunting time. Whenever it is Thanksgiving Day, the day is not complete without a bite of a turkey.

You will hear most people telling you how easy it is to hunt these wily birds provides you use an effective hunting method, in most cases calling the birds.

Well, that sounds very convincing. I would buy into it as well. But hey, not so fast!

Getting to make those toms respond to your ‘hen calls’ is not a walk in the park. Wondering why? There are various sounds that a hunter can use, ranging from yelps, putt, tree calls, purrs, and clucks.

Besides, many man-made calls have been made available on the market. For a new hunter, getting to settle for the best call might prove to be an overwhelmingly tedious task.

Needless to say, there are many reviews that have been done on the same topic. That also means that so many recommendations have been made, making your work much harder.

In this article, we explore each of those reviews and come up with a comprehensive list of the best turkey hunting calls that are worth giving a shot. We hope that you will find all the information that you need right here.

1. Primos Shaker Call

If you are a hunter who wants a hunting call that is easy to use, this is your best option. The product uses a very loud shaker style call, making it very friendly for use even by first-time hunters. 

For young turkeys, you have to shake the gobbler call with one hand. However, for adult turkeys, you need your two hands for the job.

To make it even better, the shaker call is meticulously crafted with a silencer cap that is patented. This cap is a nice safety precaution as you move about in the woods, as it does away with unwanted sounds. 

Thus, you won’t scare away the gobblers. 

This is the perfect hunter call to make the turkeys come to you or alternatively, to locate where they are after they respond with their sounds then go for them. 

On the downside, however, this gobbler shaker call may be ineffective in extremely cold weather.

Pros

  • They are easy to use
  • They are perfect for first time turkey hunters
  • They can be silenced as you move through the woods.

Cons

  • Their quality may be inconsistent
  • They may not work as expected in cold weather.


2. Primos Magnetic Box Call

In the second pick, we have this box-style hunting call. The primo call has been constructed out of wood with a slick finishing and is designed with a high level of durability giving it the ability to survive all weather conditions.

Also, the turkey hunting call has been fitted with a magnetic hinge design whose role is to create optimum tension levels. In effect, the box call is able to produce a wide array of sounds, including yelps, purrs, clucks, cuts, and cackles. 

As an add-on, this magnetic box call comes with a small piece of chalk. This is supposed to be applied to the contact points of the box call.

The sound produced by this product is unmatched in terms of its authenticity. It is impossible to set it apart from the real turkey sound. In fact, the package comes with a disclaimer that the call can attract other hunters on the mission.

To make the work easier for first time users, the Primos box call comes with a user manual that helps the user know their way around the device.

Pros

  • Produces authentic turkey calls
  • Can be silenced as you move across the woods
  • It is durable and can survive harsh climatic conditions

Cons

  • The quality may be inconsistent
  • Left-handed people might face difficulties using the device


3. Cass Creek Ergo Call

This turkey call is electronic and is convenient as you can use one hand to operate it. The call is perfectly made with a unique technology that has authentic sounds (recorded from real wild turkeys) to appeal to the toms and hens that will be hearing the sounds.

For efficiency, the device is fitted with 5 calls, namely cluck, yelp, assembly call, kee-kee, and comeback call. With the variety of sounds, it is easy to locate where a turkey is or even attract it to where you are.

Besides, the ergo call is also fitted with features intended to make it more mobile and transportable for those hunters that are constantly on the move. This includes a belt clip that makes it easy to carry the call.

Are you worried about the distance that the sound produced by the call can cover? The product will not disappoint! With an external speaker input jack, you can conveniently adjust the volume to make it cover an even wider range.

Pros

  • It is portable and thus comfortable to carry around for long periods
  • It has 5 calls in a single device, and therefore convenient
  • The volume can be adjusted to cover a wider range

Cons

  • Higher volumes can distort the calls
  • In some areas, it may be prohibited to use electronic calls when hunting


4. Primos Hunting Hook Hunter

The ‘Hook Hunter’ is a set of 2 mouth turkey calls that will definitely meet your expectations. 

If you ever doubt the quality of this product, just remember that the pioneer, Will Primos, personally hand-picked a team of turkey hunting experts (who had over 100 years of experience in the same) to come up with this series of mouth call.

The calls are made from premium gauge reeds which are hand-cut with a lot of precision. On the bright side, this mouth call uses very little air to produce a sound that is realistic. This includes the kee-kee and purr.

Additionally, the ‘hook hunter’ produces very realistic and unique pitches that are not very different from the real turkey sounds. It is therefore easy to attract a lot of hens and toms to your gunshot angle.

The two mouth calls have various pitches for different sounds, and these pitches are easy to be controlled naturally. 

If you already have the Primos shaker call or the magnetic box call, this would be a good hunting call to add to your collection.

Pros

  • You can use one hand to operate the device
  • There are different pitches that can be produced
  • It is easy to use

Cons

  • Require some time before you get used to it
  • May not be a nice choice to people who do not like latex


5. Primos Slate Call

This slate call is made from quality materials (Pennsylvania slate) that have been perfectly designed and tested to ensure that they can survive the toughest climatic conditions and environments.

It works with all types of people, including first time hunters, experienced professionals, and even recreational users. This is because the slate is very easy to use. 

The product comes with a conditioning pad and a Harwood striker. Besides, the hunting call has a fine finishing call that produces a wide range of soft sounds including yelps, clucks, and purrs. 

Pros

  • Produces a wide variety of sounds
  • It comes with a conditioning pad
  • Has a satisfactory volume

Cons

  • Oily hands can damage the slate
  • Doesn’t have a cover to protect the slate


Factors to consider before buying a turkey call

As we have already noted, there are very many options of turkey calls that are available. This might make it a bit difficult for a first time turkey hunter who wants to try his luck, as they don’t know which call to purchase.

 This explains why it is important to know the factors one should look for in a given turkey call, as they can evaluate which one is best suited for the job. Below, we discuss some of those factors.

Calling style

Different turkey call devices have different calling styles. From our review, by instance, we have seen that some simply require a push of a button while some require that you use your lips to blow them.

As such, some are easy to use while some require a substantial amount of effort or getting used to before you finally become comfortable to use the device. Do your research and know what works with you, then go for it. 

Likewise, different turkey calling styles serve different purposes. Some are meant to lure the gobbles towards where you are. Other calling styles are meant to induce the turkeys to sleep. Others lure the turkeys to reveal their locations by responding to the call.

Always be certain of what you want from the hunt and go for the turkey call that supports the objective.

Maintenance

There are turkey calls that require some significant amount of maintenance to remain up and running. On the other hand, some require no maintenance at all.

It is therefore in your best interest to be aware of the cost of maintenance that will be required for the particular calling device that you buy. If you go for the Primos Magnetic box call, for instance, you must be willing to chalk it up regularly.

This helps the device to produce clear sound throughout their time of use. The same applies to all devices that require striking together to produce sound.

Sound emission mechanisms

The mechanisms of sound emission directly affect how a calling device will work during hunting. It is therefore imperative to know this before investing your money in a given product.

Some sound is produced by rattling while some produce sound by swiftly colliding two pieces of the device.

The sooner you know, the easier it is to make the right call.

Tonal pitch

The turkey call that you settle for should be in a position to produce varied pitches, as this will come in handy when it comes to targeting different groups of turkeys.

Put differently, the pitch that is required to lure adult turkeys to respond to your call is different from that which you will have to use for say female, or younger turkeys. Having the different options in one package is an added advantage.

Final thoughts 

If you have tried all of the turkey calls in our top 5 picks and none seems to be working for you, then the problem might not be in the devices. The issue might be in how you are doing the job. Here are some things that you might want to consider.

The first has to do with your rhythm. You have to make the sounds not only realist and real, but also at the right cadence. You should not do it too fast or too slowly.

Also, ensure that your tones are not off track. 

Finally, check to ensure that you are inside the zone of the gobbler. You want to be strategically placed in a position where the turkeys cannot resist your calls. 

Conclusion 

Are you still looking for the perfect hunting method that will help you to bag several turkeys for that Thanksgiving Day? The hunt is not as complicated as you are being told by everyone.

You just need to know how to mimic those hen sounds that will attract the toms to come to you. On the other hand, you can use locator calls such that you will be able to tell where a turkey is when it responds to the hunting sound.

In case you still want to find the right hunting call, you should try out the Primos Shaker call. It is very easy to use as all you need to do is to shake it with either a single hand or both, depending on the age of the turkeys you are targeting.

To make your hunting expedition more fun, the device is equipped with a patented silencer cap. This helps you to silence the call when you are moving about the woods.

Buy this hunting call from Amazon today and who knows, you might be lucky the next time spring approaches.